Why does Jeremiah say, “The Lord of hosts is His name” (Jeremiah 51:19)?

Response

The Lord of hosts is a frequently mentioned phrase in Jeremiah. It appears seventy-one times in Jeremiah’s prophecy, indicating that it is God’s preferred term for referring to Himself. The first part of the name in Hebrew is Yahweh, a proper name for the Lord that commonly identifies the Person of God who appeared to individuals like Abraham, Hagar, Jacob, and Gideon, among others. (Genesis 15:6-7;16:13;32:28;Judges 6:14). The second part of the name in Hebrew is Tsabaoth, which translates most literally as “armies” or “hosts.” The name that Jeremiah frequently repeats is the Lord of Hosts or Yahweh of Armies.

In Jeremiah 50, for instance, Jeremiah records, “Thus says the Lord of hosts” «Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. », (Jeremiah 50:33, ESV). The Lord of hosts identifies the oppression of Israel and Judah by their captors and describes Himself as their mighty redeemer «Their Redeemer is strong; The LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. », (Jeremiah 50:34a). The prophet also states that “the Lord of hosts is His name” (ESV). God will fervently advocate for Israel and Judah, bringing relief to the oppressed and turmoil to the Babylonian captors «Their Redeemer is strong; The LORD of hosts is his name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause, that he mayGive rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.” – (Jeremiah 50:34b). Jeremiah notes that neither Israel nor Judah had been forsaken by the Lord of hosts. “For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.” – (Jeremiah 51:5), reminding readers that the Lord of hosts is their God and the Holy One of Israel.

Jeremiah repeats, “The Lord of hosts is His name” – “The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.” – (Jeremiah 51:19, ESV), and that He is the Maker of all. The Lord of hosts is the One who can shatter nations and destroy kingdoms – “Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;” – (Jeremiah 51:20). The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself – “The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.” – (Jeremiah 51:14) that He will accomplish what He has said He would. Jeremiah continually refers to the Lord of hosts (Jeremiah 10:16; Jeremiah 31:35; Jeremiah 32:18; 50:34; 51:19) because God continually refers to Himself by that title. God wants Jeremiah’s readers to know that He is the Lord of all.Armies—that He is sovereign and in control. The Lord of hosts is not blind to the oppression that Israel and Judah were facing or to the injustices being committed by their oppressors.

God was allowing Israel and Judah to face severe consequences because of His holiness and justice. He had established a covenant with Israel and Judah that, if they obeyed His law, they would dwell in the land and receive blessings. However, if the people disobeyed His law, He would judge them, exile them from the land, and they would go into exile. Nevertheless, in God’s mercy and grace, He vowed to restore them after the judgment. They had breached the covenant God made with Israel through Moses (Exodus 19)—the Old Covenant «Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: », (Jeremiah 31:31), but God would eventually establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. They could rely on Him and His promise because He was the Lord of hosts. He was the One who commanded armies. He is sovereign over all.

Jeremiah reiterated the fact that the Lord of hosts is His name more than seventy times in his prophecy, emphasizing that this One was sovereign, powerful, and reliable. Our God remains the Lord of hosts. Even in the most challenging times, we can be confident that God is still in control. He still commands armies. When He assures us that He orchestrates all things for the good of those who love Him «And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. », (Romans 8:28), we can place our trust in Him. The God of armies—the Lord of hosts—is superior to our difficulties and trials.