Jeremiah 34:1-6

1 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his host, and all the realms of [the] earth, that were under the power of his hand, and all peoples fought against Jerusalem, and against all cities thereof; and he said, (The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremiah, when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth, that were under the power of his hand, and all the peoples, fought against Jerusalem, and against all its nearby towns; and he said,)

2 The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Go thou, and speak to Zedekiah, king of Judah; and thou shalt say to him, The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall betake this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it by fire (Lo! I shall deliver this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it down).

3 And thou shalt not escape from his hand, but thou shalt be taken by taking, and thou shalt be betaken into his hand (and thou shalt be delivered into his hands); and thine eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak with thy mouth, and thou shalt enter into Babylon.

4 Nevertheless Zedekiah, the king of Judah, hear thou the word of the Lord; the Lord saith these things to thee, Thou shalt not die by sword,

5 but thou shalt die in peace; and by the burnings of thy fathers (and like the burning of incense for thy forefathers), the former kings that were before thee, so they shall burn (incense for) thee, and they shall bewail thee, (and say,) Woe! (my) lord; for I spake a word, saith the Lord.

6 And Jeremy, the prophet, spake to Zedekiah, king of Judah, all these words in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 34:1-6 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.