Jeremiah Chapter 34
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying:
2 "The LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, the LORD says, "Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.
3 You won't escape out of his hand, but will surely be taken and delivered into his hand. Your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you mouth to mouth. You will go to Babylon." '
4 "Yet hear the LORD's word, O Zedekiah king of Judah: The LORD says concerning you, 'You won't die by the sword.
5 You will die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will make a burning for you. They will lament you, saying, "Ah Lord!" for I have spoken the word,' says the LORD."
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 when the king of Babylon's army was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
8 The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;
9 that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother.
10 All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go;
11 but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
12 Therefore the LORD's word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 "The LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,
14 At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you; but your fathers didn't listen to me, and didn't incline their ear.
15 You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbour. You had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name;
16 but you turned and profaned my name, and every man caused his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return. You brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.' "
17 Therefore the LORD says: "You have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour. Behold, I proclaim to you a liberty," says the LORD, "to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. I will make you be tossed back and forth amongst all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts:
19 the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;
20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.
21 "I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their life and into the hands of the king of Babylon's army, who has gone away from you.
22 Behold, I will command," says the LORD, "and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, take it, and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant."
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Jeremiah Chapter 34 Guide
Chapters thirty-four and thirty-five contain prophecies of the siege. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar were round about Jerusalem, and Jehovah declared to Zedekiah that the king of Babylon would be successful, that the city would be taken and burned with fire, and that he himself would be carried captive to Babylon. Nevertheless, the word of Jehovah concerning Zedekiah was that he should not die by the sword, but in peace.
The next prophecy is a denunciation of the king for the false covenant he had made with the man servants and maid servants. Freedom had been promised to them, but they had been compelled to return to subjection and to slavery. This was a sin against the express Covenant God had made with His people, that the slaves should be set free every seventh year.
Because of this breaking of the Covenant and oppression of the people, Jehovah would fling them out, as the prophet satirically declared, to the liberty of the sword, pestilence, and famine. In this prophecy one of the sins which characterized the times is clearly manifest-oppression of the poor and helpless, against which the indignation of Jehovah is graphically set forth.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Jeremiah Chapter 34 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Zedekiah's death at Babylon foretold. -- (1-7)
- The Jews reproved for compelling their poor brethren to return to unlawful bondage. -- (8-22)
Verses 1-7
Zedekiah is told that the city shall be taken, and that he shall die a captive, but he shall die a natural death. It is better to live and die penitent in a prison, than to live and die impenitent in a palace.
Verses 8-22
A Jew should not be held in servitude above seven years. This law they and their fathers had broken. And when there was some hope that the siege was raised, they forced the servants they had released into their services again. Those who think to cheat God by dissembled repentance and partial reformation, put the greatest cheat upon their own souls. This shows that liberty to sin, is really only liberty to have the sorest judgments. It is just with God to disappoint expectations of mercy, when we disappoint the expectations of duty. And when reformation springs only from terror, it is seldom lasting. Solemn vows thus entered into, profane the ordinances of God; and the most forward to bind themselves by appeals to God, are commonly most ready to break them. Let us look to our hearts, that our repentance may be real, and take care that the law of God regulates our conduct.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.