Jeremiah 34:3-13

3 ¹You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. ²You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon. ’

4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! ³Thus says the Lord concerning you: ⁴‘You shall not die by the sword.

5 You shall die in peace. ⁵And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall ⁶burn spices for you ⁷and 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, ⁸Lachish and ⁹Azekah, ¹⁰for these were the only ¹¹fortified cities of Judah that remained.

8 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah ¹²had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem ¹³to make a proclamation of liberty to them,

9 ¹⁴that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, ¹⁵so 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 ¹⁶they 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 ¹⁷I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying,

Jeremiah 34:3-13 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.

Cross References

• 1. 34:3 See ch. 32:4
• 2. 34:3 See ch. 32:4
• 3. 34:4 [ch. 38:17, 20; 39:4, 7]
• 4. 34:4 [ch. 38:17, 20; 39:4, 7]
• 5. 34:5 1 Sam. 31:12; 2 Chr. 21:19
• 6. 34:5 2 Chr. 16:14
• 7. 34:5 [ch. 22:18]
• 8. 34:7 Josh. 10:3
• 9. 34:7 Josh. 10:10; 15:35
• 10. 34:7 2 Kgs. 18:13
• 11. 34:7 ch. 4:5
• 12. 34:8 ver. 15
• 13. 34:8 ver. 15, 17; Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:10; [Isa. 61:1]
• 14. 34:9 See Lev. 25:39-46
• 15. 34:9 [Neh. 5:8]
• 16. 34:11 [See ver. 9 above]
• 17. 34:13 Ex. 20:2