Jeremiah 34:4-14

4 "Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you, 'You will not die by the sword.

5 'You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will ¹burn spices for you; and ²they will lament for you, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word," declares the LORD.

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke ³all 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 remaining cities of Judah, that is, ⁴Lachish and ⁵Azekah, for they alone remained as ⁶fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

8 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had ⁷made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to ⁸proclaim release to them:

9 that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a ⁹Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that ¹⁰no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage.

10 And all the ¹¹officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free.

11 But afterward * they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

13 "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'I ¹²made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I ¹³brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying,

14 "¹⁴At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers ¹⁵did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.

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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 16:14; 2 Chronicles 21:19
• 2. Jeremiah 22:18
• 3. 1 Samuel 3:18; 1 Samuel 15:16-24
• 4. Joshua 10:3, 5; 2 Kings 14:19; 2 Kings 18:14; Isaiah 36:2
• 5. Joshua 10:10; 2 Chronicles 11:9
• 6. 2 Chronicles 11:5-10
• 7. 2 Kings 11:17; 2 Kings 23:2, 3
• 8. Exodus 21:2; Lev 25:10, 39-46; Nehemiah 5:1-13; Isaiah 58:6; Jeremiah 34:14, 17
• 9. Genesis 14:13; Exodus 2:6
• 10. Leviticus 25:39
• 11. Jeremiah 26:10, 16
• 12. Ex 24:3, 7, 8; Deut 5:2, 3, 27; Jeremiah 31:32
• 13. Exodus 20:2
• 14. Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12; 1 Kings 9:22
• 15. 1 Samuel 8:7, 8; 2 Kings 17:13, 14

Footnotes

• [a] Or "liberty"
• [b] Or "has sold himself"