Jeremiah 34

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 34

1¶ The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,

2Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:

3And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

4Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

5[But] thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn [odours] for thee; and they will lament thee, [saying], Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.

6Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

7When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

8¶ [This is] the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which [were] at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

9That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, [being] an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, [to wit], of a Jew his brother.

10Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let [them] go.

11But afterward 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.

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

13Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,

14At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.

15And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

16But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

18And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,

19The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

20I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

21And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you.

22Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah delivers the LORD's prophecy to King Zedekiah, foretelling Jerusalem's capture and burning by Nebuchadnezzar, and Zedekiah's own captivity in Babylon, though he would die in peace. The chapter then details a broken covenant: Zedekiah and the people initially freed their Hebrew servants according to the law, but later re-enslaved them. For this transgression, the LORD declares a severe judgment of sword, pestilence, famine, and exile upon Judah. The Babylonian army, which had temporarily withdrawn, is promised to return to utterly destroy Jerusalem.

Medium Summary

The LORD's word comes to Jeremiah during Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem, instructing him to inform King Zedekiah that the city will fall to Babylon and be burned. Zedekiah himself will be captured, confront the Babylonian king, and be taken to Babylon, though he is promised a death in peace rather than by the sword. Following this, the chapter recounts a covenant made by Zedekiah and the people to free their Hebrew manservants and maidservants, an act initially performed in obedience to the Mosaic law. However, the people soon rescinded this liberty, forcing their freed servants back into bondage. The LORD condemns this breach of covenant, reminding them of the ancient law and their fathers' disobedience. As a consequence for polluting His name and breaking their solemn oath, the LORD declares a "liberty" of judgment: sword, pestilence, and famine, leading to their dispersion among nations. Furthermore, Zedekiah and his princes, along with all who broke the covenant, will be delivered to their enemies. The Babylonian army will return to complete Jerusalem's destruction and make the cities of Judah desolate.

Long Summary

Jeremiah 34 opens with the word of the LORD to Jeremiah during the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and his vast army. The prophet is commanded to deliver a direct message to King Zedekiah, stating that Jerusalem will be given into the hand of the King of Babylon, who will burn the city with fire. Zedekiah himself is prophesied not to escape but to be captured, to behold the King of Babylon face to face, and to be led away to Babylon. Despite this dire fate, a specific mercy is granted: Zedekiah will not die by the sword but "in peace," and will receive a lamentation similar to that of his royal predecessors. This prophecy was delivered while the Babylonians were actively fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining fortified cities of Judah, specifically Lachish and Azekah. Subsequently, the chapter shifts focus to a covenant made by King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem. In an act of apparent righteousness, they proclaimed liberty for all Hebrew manservants and maidservants, in accordance with the Mosaic law concerning the release of servants after six years. Initially, the princes and all the people obeyed this covenant, setting their servants free. However, this obedience was short-lived; they soon turned back, compelling those whom they had released to return to servitude. The LORD then addresses this profound breach of covenant through Jeremiah. He reminds them of the original covenant made with their fathers when brought out of Egypt, which mandated the release of Hebrew bondmen after six years. While acknowledging their initial act of doing right by proclaiming liberty, the LORD condemns their subsequent reversal as polluting His name and violating the solemn covenant they had made before Him in His house. Therefore, the LORD declares a severe judgment: since they did not proclaim liberty to their brethren, He would proclaim a "liberty" for them to the sword, pestilence, and famine, and scatter them among all the kingdoms of the earth. The men who transgressed this covenant, including princes, eunuchs, priests, and all the people who participated in the covenant ritual of cutting a calf in twain, would be given into the hands of their enemies. Their dead bodies would become food for fowls and beasts. Finally, Zedekiah and his princes would also be delivered to their enemies and the Babylonian army, which, though it had temporarily withdrawn, would be commanded by the LORD to return, fight against Jerusalem, take it, and burn it with fire, rendering the cities of Judah desolate.

Core Concepts

  • Prophecy of Jerusalem's FallJeremiah delivers the LORD's message that Jerusalem will be captured and burned by Nebuchadnezzar, and King Zedekiah will be taken captive to Babylon. This highlights divine judgment upon the city.
  • Zedekiah's Personal FateThough destined for captivity and to face the King of Babylon, Zedekiah is promised a death "in peace" rather than by the sword, and a customary royal lamentation. This shows a specific, albeit limited, mercy amidst judgment.
  • Covenant of LibertyKing Zedekiah and the people made a covenant to free their Hebrew servants, adhering to the ancient Mosaic law regarding the release of bondmen. This demonstrates an initial, albeit temporary, act of obedience to God's law.
  • Breach of CovenantAfter initially freeing their servants, the people reversed their decision, forcing the freed Hebrews back into bondage. This act is condemned by the LORD as polluting His name and violating a solemn oath.
  • Divine RetributionFor breaking the covenant of liberty, the LORD declares a "liberty" of judgment upon Judah, involving sword, pestilence, and famine, leading to their dispersion. This illustrates the severe consequences of disobedience to God's commands and oaths.
  • Symbolic Oath RitualThe covenant-breakers are specifically identified as those who "cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof," referencing an ancient ritual to solemnize an oath. Their failure to uphold this oath signifies a grave transgression.
  • Return of Babylonian ArmyThe chapter concludes with the LORD's promise to command the Babylonian army, which had temporarily withdrawn, to return, conquer, and utterly destroy Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. This confirms the inevitability of the prophesied judgment.