T F1 34:1-7. Threatening to Zedekiah.
G H 34:8-16. Illustrations. [Negative.] Covenant of king and princes broken.
J 34:17-. Incrimination of People.
F2 34:-17-22. Threatening to the nation.
G H 35:1-11. Illustration. [Positive.] Command of Jonadab to Rechabites kept.
J 35:12-16. Incrimination of people.
F3 35:17-19. Threatening to the nation.
F1 e 1,2. City and cities given to Nebuchadnezzar.
f 3. Zedekiah. Captivity.
f 4,5. Zedekiah. Death.
e 6,7. City and cities besieged by Nebuchadnezzar.
479 B.C.
Jeremiah 34)
1 The word (this chapter is ch. 32:1-5, told over again more fully) which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar (not that he was necessarily present) king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, were fighting (or about to fight) against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel; 'Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, 'Thus says the LORD; 'Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
3 And you shall not escape out of his hand, but shall surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and your eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon (see 32:4), and he shall speak with you mouth to mouth, and you shall go to Babylon.
4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus says the LORD of you, You shall not die by the sword:
5 But you shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings which were before you, so shall they burn odors for you (Cp. 2 Chron. 16;14); and they will lament you, saying, 'Ah lord!' for I have pronounced 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 fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish (now Tell el Hesy, south of Eglon, 10 1/2 miles from Eleutheropolis), and against Azekah (now Tell Zakuriyu, in the valley of Elah): for these defensed cities remained of the cities of Judah.
H g 8-10. Covenant of Zedekiah and prices with servants.
h 11. Breach of the covenant by king and princes.
g 12-15. Covenant of Yehovah with the nations.
h 16. Breach of the covenant by the nations.
8 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them; (See Ex. 21:2. Lev. 25;10,39-46. Deut. 15:12)
9 That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free (see v.8, and cp. vv.21,22, which shows this covenant was made during a temporary withdrawal of the besiegers, on account of the Egyptians [37:5]); that none should use them as bondservants, to wit, of a descendant of Judah his brother.
10 Now 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.
11 But 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.
12 Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel; 'I made a covenant with your fathers when that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves, saying,
14 'At the end of seven years let you go every man his brother an Hebrew, which has been sold to you; and when he has served you six years, you shalt let him go free from you:' but your fathers hearkened not to me, neither inclined their ear.
15 And you were now turned, and had done right in My sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and you had made a covenant before Me in the house upon which My name is called:
16 But you turned and polluted My name (see Lev. 19:12), and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom every man had set at liberty for their own soul, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.'
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; 'You have not hearkened to me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor:
F2 i -17. The people.
k 18-20. The princes.
k 21. The king.
i 22. The people and cities.
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. (See Deut. 28;26,64.. Cp. 24:9.)
18 And 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 two (cp. Gen. 15:9,10), and passed between the parts thereof, (See Gen. 15;10-17.)
19 The 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;
20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their soul: and their dead bodies shall be for meat to the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
21 And 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. (See v.9)
22 Behold, I will command, says 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.' "