Jeremiah 34

Jeremiah's Word to King Zedekiah

1 [This is] the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities:

2 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go, speak to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and tell him: This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon,^[a] and he will burn it down.

3 As for you, you will not escape from his hand but are certain to be captured and handed over to him. You will meet the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak face to face;^[b][c]you will go to Babylon.

4 "Yet hear the Lord's word, Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;

5 you will die peacefully. There will be a burning ceremony for you just like the burning ceremonies for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you.^[d] Alas, lord! will be the lament for you, for I have spoken [this] word." [This is] the Lord's declaration.

6 So Jeremiah the prophet related all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem

7 while the king of Babylon's army was attacking Jerusalem and all of Judah's remaining cities-against Lachish^[e] and Azekah,^[f] for only they were left among Judah's fortified cities.

The People and Their Slaves

8 [This is] the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom^[g] to them,

9 so each man would free his male and female Hebrew slaves and no one enslave his Judean brother.

10 All the officials and people who entered into covenant to free their male and female slaves-in order not to enslave them any longer-obeyed and freed them.

11 Afterwards, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had freed and forced them to become slaves [again].

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

13 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant^[h] with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying:

14 At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself^[i] to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must send him out free from you.^[j] But your ancestors did not obey Me or pay any attention.

15 Today you repented and did what pleased Me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me at the temple called by My name.

16 But you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been freed [to go] wherever they wanted, and you have [again] subjugated them to be your slaves.

17 "Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed Me by proclaiming freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. I hereby proclaim freedom for you"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth's kingdoms.

18 As for those who disobeyed My covenant,^[k] not keeping the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat them like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.^[l]

19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf

20 will be handed over to their enemies, to those who want to take their life. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.^[m]

21 I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials over to their enemies, to those who want to take their life, to the king of Babylon's army that is withdrawing.^[n]

22 I am about to give the command"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. I will make Judah's cities a desolation, without inhabitant."

Jeremiah 34 Commentary

Chapter 34

Zedekiah's death at Babylon foretold. (1-7) The Jews reproved for compelling their poor brethren to return to unlawful bondage. (8-22)

Verses 1-7 Zedekiah is told that the city shall be taken, and that he shall die a captive, but he shall die a natural death. It is better to live and die penitent in a prison, than to live and die impenitent in a palace.

Verses 8-22 A Jew should not be held in servitude above seven years. This law they and their fathers had broken. And when there was some hope that the siege was raised, they forced the servants they had released into their services again. Those who think to cheat God by dissembled repentance and partial reformation, put the greatest cheat upon their own souls. This shows that liberty to sin, is really only liberty to have the sorest judgments. It is just with God to disappoint expectations of mercy, when we disappoint the expectations of duty. And when reformation springs only from terror, it is seldom lasting. Solemn vows thus entered into, profane the ordinances of God; and the most forward to bind themselves by appeals to God, are commonly most ready to break them. Let us look to our hearts, that our repentance may be real, and take care that the law of God regulates our conduct.

Footnotes

• [a]. Jr 32:3,28
• [b]. Lit and his mouth will speak to your mouth
• [c]. Jr 32:4
• [d]. 2 Ch 16:14; 21:19
• [e]. Jos 10:3-35
• [f]. Jos 10:10-11
• [g]. Lv 25:10; Isa 61:1; Ezk 46:17
• [h]. Jr 31:32
• [i]. Or who was sold
• [j]. Ex 21:2-6; Dt 15:12-17
• [k]. Jos 7:11; 2 Kg 18:12
• [l]. Gn 15:10,17-18
• [m]. Jr 7:33; Dt 28:26; Isa 18:6
• [n]. Jr 37:5

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 34

In this chapter is a prophecy of the taking and burning of Jerusalem; of the captivity of Zedekiah king of Judah; and of the destruction of the whole land, because of their breach of covenant to let servants go free. The time of this prophecy is observed, Jer 34:1,6,7; the taking and burning of the city, Jer 34:2; the carrying captive the king, who yet should not die a violent death, but in peace, and should have an honourable funeral, Jer 34:3-5; the covenant the king, princes, and people entered into, to let their servants go free, according to the law of God, which was at first observed, and afterwards retracted, Jer 34:8-11; which conduct is taken notice of and resented, Jer 34:13-16; and they are threatened with the sore judgments of God, sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity, the king, princes, priests, and people; and with the destruction, not on of Jerusalem, but of the rest of the cities of Judah, Jer 34:17-22.