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Jeremiah 34:4-14

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4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! 1Thus says the LORD concerning you: 2'You shall not die by the sword.
5 You shall die in peace. 3And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall 4burn spices for you 5and lament for you, saying, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word, declares the LORD."
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem,
7 when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, 6Lachish and 7Azekah, 8for these were the only 9fortified cities of Judah that remained.
8 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah 10had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem 11to make a proclamation of liberty to them,
9 12that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, 13so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.
10 And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free.
11 But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves 14they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.
12 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
13 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when 15I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,
14 16'At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; 17you must set him free from your service.' But 18your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
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Jeremiah 34:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 18

  • 1. [Jeremiah 38:17, 20; Jeremiah 39:4, 7]
  • 2. [Jeremiah 38:17, 20; Jeremiah 39:4, 7]
  • 3. 1 Samuel 31:12; 2 Chronicles 21:19
  • 4. 2 Chronicles 16:14
  • 5. [Jeremiah 22:18]
  • 6. Joshua 10:3
  • 7. Joshua 10:10; Joshua 15:35
  • 8. 2 Kings 18:13
  • 9. Jeremiah 4:5
  • 10. ver. 15
  • 11. ver. 15, 17; Exodus 21:2; Leviticus 25:10; [Isaiah 61:1]
  • 12. See Leviticus 25:39-46
  • 13. [Nehemiah 5:8]
  • 14. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 15. Exodus 20:2
  • 16. Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12
  • 17. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 18. Jeremiah 7:24, 26; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 17:23; Jeremiah 25:4; Jeremiah 35:15; Jeremiah 44:5
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.