Jeremiah 34:1-11

Zedekiah to Die in Babylon

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when ¹Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army ²and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities:

2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to ³Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: ⁴Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

3 ⁵You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. ⁶You 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! ⁷Thus says the Lord concerning you: ⁸‘You shall not die by the sword.

5 You shall die in peace. ⁹And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall ¹⁰burn spices for you ¹¹and 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, ¹²Lachish and ¹³Azekah, ¹⁴for these were the only ¹⁵fortified cities of Judah that remained.

8 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah ¹⁶had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem ¹⁷to make a proclamation of liberty to them,

9 ¹⁸that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, ¹⁹so 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 ²⁰they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.

Jeremiah 34:1-11 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. 34:1 ch. 39:1; 52:4; 2 Kgs. 25:1
• 2. 34:1 ch. 1:15; [ch. 51:28]
• 3. 34:2 2 Kgs. 25:2
• 4. 34:2 See ch. 21:10
• 5. 34:3 See ch. 32:4
• 6. 34:3 See ch. 32:4
• 7. 34:4 [ch. 38:17, 20; 39:4, 7]
• 8. 34:4 [ch. 38:17, 20; 39:4, 7]
• 9. 34:5 1 Sam. 31:12; 2 Chr. 21:19
• 10. 34:5 2 Chr. 16:14
• 11. 34:5 [ch. 22:18]
• 12. 34:7 Josh. 10:3
• 13. 34:7 Josh. 10:10; 15:35
• 14. 34:7 2 Kgs. 18:13
• 15. 34:7 ch. 4:5
• 16. 34:8 ver. 15
• 17. 34:8 ver. 15, 17; Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:10; [Isa. 61:1]
• 18. 34:9 See Lev. 25:39-46
• 19. 34:9 [Neh. 5:8]
• 20. 34:11 [See ver. 9 above]