King James Version
Jeremiah 34
22 verses with commentary
Warning to Zedekiah
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, of his: Heb. the dominion of his hand
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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,</strong> This introductory verse sets the historical crisis context: Jerusalem under siege by the full might of Babylon's empire. The comprehensive...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXXIV.
(1) **When Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon . . .**—The prophecy that follows is probably a fuller statement of that in Jeremiah 32:3-4, and delivered shortly before it, being referred to there as the cause of his imprisonment. In the form of the name Nebuchadnezzar (*n *instead of r, as in Jeremiah 24:1; Jeremiah 25:1), we may probably trace the hand of a later transcriber. The same hand is,...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →Thus 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:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thus 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:</strong> God commands Jeremiah to deliver an unambiguous message of doom directly to King Zedekiah. The double formula "Thus saith the LORD" emphasizes divine authority—this is ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2, 3) **Go and speak to Zedekiah . . .**—See Notes on Jeremiah 32:3-4.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 4 Jr 4:1-31. Continuation of Address to the Ten Tribes of Israel. (Jr 4:1, 2). The Prophet Turns Again to Judah, to Whom He Had Originally Been Sent (Jr 4:3-31).
**1. return ... return--**play on words. "If thou wouldest return to thy land (thou must first), return (by conversion and repentance) to Me."
**not remove--**no longer be an unsettled wanderer in a strange land. So Cain (Ge 4:...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →And 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. he shall: Heb. his mouth shall speak to thy mouth
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And 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.</strong> The phrase "shalt surely be taken" translates the Hebrew infinitive absolute construction (<em>taphos yittaphes</em>), expressing absolute certainty...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. And thou--**rather, "And if (carried on from Jr 4:1) thou shalt swear, 'Jehovah liveth,' in truth, &c.", that is, if thou shalt worship Him (for we swear by the God whom we worship; compare De 6:13; 10:20; Is 19:18; Am 8:14) in sincerity, &c.
**and the nations--**Rather, this is apodosis to the "if"; then shall the nations bless themselves in (by) Him" (Is 65:16). The conversion of ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:</strong> After pronouncing unavoidable capture, God graciously offers mercy regarding Zedekiah's death. The conjunction "yet" (<em>ak</em>) signals contrast—judgment is certain, but within judgment comes mercy. The command "hear the word of the LORD" calls for attention to...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Thou shalt not die by the sword.**—The tone is one of comparative mildness, the motive apparently being the wish to persuade the king to abandon his useless resistance, and to court the favour of the conqueror. His going to Babylon would not necessarily shut him out from a life of comparative ease and an honourable burial. Jeconiah, it is true, had been thrown into prison (Jeremiah 51:31), a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3. Transition to Judah. Supply mentally. All which (the foregoing declaration as to Israel) applies to Judah.
**and Jerusalem--**that is, and especially the men of Jerusalem, as being the most prominent in Judea.
**Break ... fallow ground--**that is, Repent of your idolatry, and so be prepared to serve the Lord in truth (Ho 10:12; Mt 13:7). The unhumbled heart is like ground which may be impro...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong> The promise <strong>thou shalt die in peace</strong> (<em>beshalom tamut</em>) means peaceful natural death rather than violent execution, contrast...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **And with the burnings of thy fathers . . .**—Spices and perfumes were burnt as a mark of honour at the burial of kings and persons of high rank, and this is the burning here referred to (2Chronicles 16:14; 2Chronicles 21:19). The Hebrews never adopted the practice of burial by cremation, and for the most part embalmed their dead after the manner of Egypt (comp. Genesis 50:2; John 19:39-40).
...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. Remove your natural corruption of heart (De 10:16; 30:6; Ro 2:29; Col 2:11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,</strong> This verse emphasizes Jeremiah's faithful discharge of his prophetic commission despite the message's difficulty. The phrase "all these words" (<em>kol-hadevarim ha'eleh</em>) stresses comprehensive delivery—Jeremiah didn't soften or abbreviate God's hard message. The designation "Jeremiah th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. cry, gather together--**rather, "cry fully" that is, loudly. The Jews are warned to take measures against the impending Chaldean invasion (compare Jr 8:14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →When 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>When 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.</strong> This verse provides the critical historical context: Jeremiah's prophecy came during active siege warfare when hope seemed plausible. The phrase "all the cities of Judah that we...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Against Lachish, and against Azekah . . .**—The two cities are named in this book for the first time. Lachish was one of the strongest towns of the Amorites in the time of Joshua (Joshua 10:3; Joshua 10:5), and was situated in the *Shephelah, *or lowland district (Joshua 15:39). It was restored or fortified by Rehoboam, as a defence against the northern kingdom (2Chronicles 11:9). Amaziah to...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. Zion--**The standard toward Zion intimated that the people of the surrounding country were to fly to it, as being the strongest of their fortresses.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →Freedom for Slaves
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;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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;</strong> This introduces one of Scripture's most tragic episodes of covenant-breaking. Zedekiah proclaimed emancipation of Hebrew slaves, likely motivated by military desperation (needing freed men as soldiers) ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **After that the king Zedekiah had made» a covenant . . .**—The remainder of the chapter brings before us an historical episode of considerable interest. The law of Moses did not allow in the case of a free-born Hebrew more than a temporary bondage of seven years (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12-18), extended (but under the form of serfage rather than slavery) in the later regulations of Leviti...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. lion--**Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans (Jr 2:15; 5:6; Da 7:14).
**his thicket--**lair; Babylon.
**destroyer of the Gentiles--**rather, "the nations" (Jr 25:9).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →That 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>That 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.</strong> This verse describes the covenant's specific terms: comprehensive emancipation of Hebrew servants. The phrase "every man... every man" emphasizes universal participation—no exceptions based on statu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. Nothing is left to the Jews but to bewail their desperate condition.
**anger ... not turned back--**(Is 9:12, 17, 21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong> The phrase "entered into the covenant" (<em>ba'u baberit</em>) describes a formal covenant ceremony, likely involving the rit...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. heart--**The wisdom of the most leading men will be utterly at a loss to devise means of relief.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong> The conjunction <strong>But afterward</strong> (<em>vayashuvu acharei-khen</em>) marks the tragic reversal: "they turned back." The verb <em>shuv</em> (turn/return) frequently describes repentance in Scripture ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. thou hast ... deceived--**God, having even the false prophets in His hands, is here said to do that which for inscrutable purposes He permits them to do (Ex 9:12; 2Th 2:11; compare Jr 8:15; which passage shows that the dupes of error were self-prepared for it, and that God's predestination did not destroy their moral freedom as voluntary agents). The false prophets foretold "peace," and the ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,</strong> The conjunction <strong>Therefore</strong> (<em>vayehi devar-YHWH</em>) connects God's response directly to the covenant violation in verse 11: because they re-enslaved the freed servants, divine judgment follows. The phrase "the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah" (<em>devar-YHWH el-Yirmeyahu</em>) is the stand...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. dry wind--**the simoom, terrific and destructive, blowing from the southeast across the sandy deserts east of Palestine. Image of the invading Babylonian army (Ho 13:15). Babylon in its turn shall be visited by a similar "destroying wind" (Jr 51:1).
**of ... high places--**that is, that sweeps over the high places.
**daughter--**that is, the children of my people.
**not to fan--**a ver...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →Thus 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,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong> (בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי, berit karati—"I cut a covenant"). God anchors His indictment in the Exodus deliverance, the foundational saving act that created covenant obligation. The phrase <em>beyt avadim</em> ("house of bondmen/slaves") creates devastating irony:...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Thus saith the Lord . . .**—The prophet takes as his text the law which had been so flagrantly broken (Exodus 21:2), reminding them under what circumstances that law had been given. Their fathers had then been delivered from the house of bondage, and this was part of the covenant which God had made with them—freedom and blessing being given by Him, obedience promised by them. They were neve...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. full ... from those places--**rather, "a wind fuller (that is, more impetuous) than those winds" (which fan the corn) (Jr 4:11) [Rosenmuller].
**unto me--**"for Me," as My instrument for executing My purpose.
**sentence--**judgments against them (Jr 1:16).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →At 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. hath been: or, hath sold himself
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew</strong>—this cites the sabbatical release law from Deuteronomy 15:12. The seventh year (שָׁבֻעַ, shavu'a) pattern echoes creation's sabbath rest, embedding social justice in worship rhythm. Hebrew slaves must serve only <em>six years</em>, then go <em>chofshi</em> ("free")—the same word used for the Exodus liberation itse...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **At the end of seven years . . .**—The immediate context, “when he hath served thee six years,” shows that the liberation was intended to take place at the beginning of the seventh year. The Sabbath-year was to bring its rest to the slave as well as to the land.
**Your fathers hearkened not unto me . . .**—The words imply the fact already stated, that there had been a long-continued violatio...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13. clouds--**continuing the metaphor in Jr 4:11:12. Clouds of sand and dust accompany the simoom, and after rapid gyrations ascend like a pillar.
**eagles--**(De 28:49; Ha 1:8).
**Woe unto us--**The people are graphically presented before us, without it being formally so stated, bursting out in these exclamations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →And 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: now: Heb. to day which: Heb. whereupon my name is called
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KJV Study Commentary
Temporary repentance reveals the heart's deceitfulness. Judah freed Hebrew slaves during the siege (obeying Deut 15:12), performed the covenant ceremony, then re-enslaved them when pressure lifted. God notes they did 'that which was right in my sight' - momentary obedience - but then profaned His name by covenant-breaking. True repentance perseveres; false repentance is conditional on circumstance...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name.**—The words point to the solemnity with which the new engagements had been contracted. It was not merely that the king had issued an edict, or that judges had given their decisions in accordance with the old law, but princes and people had met together in the courts of the Temple, and there, in the presence of Jehovah...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. Only one means of deliverance is left to the Jews--**a thorough repentance.
**vain thoughts--**namely, projects for deliverance, such as enlisting the Egyptians on their side. Gesenius translates, "How long wilt thou harbor vain thoughts?"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →But 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But 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, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.</strong> God's response to covenant revocation burns with righteous indignation. The verb "polluted" (<em>techalelu</em>) derives from <em>chalal</em> (profane, defile)—the freed slaves' re-...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **But ye turned and polluted my name . . .**—The second verb is the same as that translated *“profane *the name of the Lord” in Leviticus 19:12, in close connexion with the sin of swearing falsely. The sin of which the princes and rich men had been guilty was not merely an act of injustice. They had broken the third commandment as well as the eighth, and were accordingly guilty of sacrilege.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15. For ... from Dan--**The connection is: There is danger in delay; for the voice of a messenger announces the approach of the Chaldean enemy from Dan, the northern frontier of Palestine (Jr 8:16; compare Jr 4:6; Jr 1:14).
**Mount Ephraim--**which borders closely on Judah; so that the foe is coming nearer and nearer. Dan and Beth-el in Ephraim were the two places where Jeroboam set up the ido...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →Therefore 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. to be: Heb. for a removing
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KJV Study Commentary
This is measure-for-measure justice. Judah refused to proclaim liberty to slaves (violating covenant law), so God proclaims liberty to sword, pestilence, and famine to devour them. The Hebrew word 'deror' (liberty/freedom) is used ironically - they'll have 'freedom' to be destroyed. God's judgment often gives people what they desired but with devastating consequences.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Behold, I proclaim a liberty for you . . . **The phrase “proclaim liberty,” prominent in connexion with the law which had been broken (Leviticus 25:10; Isaiah 61:1), is emphasised with an indignant irony. They had refused to act “as the servants of Jehovah” (Leviticus 25:55) under His protection, finding in that service their perfect freedom; and He, therefore, in His righteous wrath, would...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
16. The neighboring foreign "nations" are summoned to witness Jehovah's judgments on His rebel people (Jr 6:18, 19).
**watchers--**that is, besiegers (compare 2Sa 11:16); observed or watched, that is, besieged.
**their voice--**the war shout.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-17** Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth...
Read full commentary →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 twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>When they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof</strong> (כָּרַת הָעֵגֶל, karat ha-egel)—"cut the calf." This describes the ancient covenant ratification ceremony from Genesis 15:9-21, where God Himself passed between severed animal parts in fire and smoke. The ritual's meaning: "May I be torn apart like these animals if I break this covenant." When Jeremiah's contemp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **When they cut the calf in twain . . .**—The passage is interesting, as showing the survival of one of the oldest rites of Patriarchal times. So, when Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham, the victims that had been slain were cut up and arranged opposite each other, and when the “burning lamp” passed between the pieces it was the token that Jehovah had completed the covenant, even as men com...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. keepers of a field--**metaphor from those who watch a field, to frighten away the wild beasts.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →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;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land</strong>—this comprehensive list indicts every level of society. <em>Sarim</em> ("princes") were government officials; <em>sarisim</em> ("eunuchs") likely refers to court officials (the term can mean "officers" generally, not exclusively castrated individuals); <em>kohanim</em> ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **The eunuchs.**—See Note on Jeremiah 29:2. They were for the most part, if not always, of alien birth (comp. Isaiah 56:3), as in the case of Ebed-melech (Jeremiah 38:7), who had become proselytes on entering the king’s service. The prominence given to them indicates that in Judah as in Assyria, and we may add, in all Oriental monarchies, they held high position in the king’s court, and had p...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
18. (Jr 2:17, 19; Psa 107:17).
**this is thy wickedness--**that is, the fruit of thy wickedness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →I 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I will even give them into the hand of their enemies... and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth</strong>. The punishment mirrors the covenant ceremony—as they tore animals apart, so God will deliver them to be torn apart. The Hebrew <em>nevelatam</em> ("their dead bodies/corpses") emphasizes disgrace; unburied bodies, food for sc...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Their dead bodies shall be for meat . . .**—As in Jeremiah 7:33; Jeremiah 16:4; Jeremiah 19:7, this takes its place as the extremest penalty of transgression. The sentence on Zedekiah and his princes—*i.e.,* those who were more immediately connected with his policy—is as before (Jeremiah 34:5) somewhat milder, probably because he, though too weak and vacillating to stop the evil which the p...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19. The prophet suddenly assumes the language of the Jewish state personified, lamenting its affliction (Jr 10:19, 20; 9:1, 10; Is 15:5; compare Lu 19:41).
**at my very heart--**Hebrew, "at the walls of my heart"; the muscles round the heart. There is a climax, the "bowels," the pericardium, the "heart" itself.
**maketh ... noise--**moaneth [Henderson].
**alarm--**the battle shout.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies</strong>—despite royal status and covenant lineage (Zedekiah was Davidic), the king faces identical judgment as his subjects. The Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16) promised eternal dynasty, but conditioned individual kings' reigns on obedience (1 Kings 9:4-9). Zedekiah violated covenant by initiating th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The king of Babylon’s army, which are gone up from you . . .**—The words are important, as showing, as before stated, that the siege had actually been raised, and that the nobles of Judah were flattering themselves that the danger which had led them to a simulated, or, at best, transient repentance, had passed away altogether. They were reckoning once again on the help that they trusted was...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. Destruction ... cried--**Breach upon breach is announced (Psa 42:7; Eze 7:26). The war "trumpet" ... the battle shout ... the "destructions" ... the havoc throughout "the whole land" ... the spoiling of the shepherds' "tents" (Jr 10:20; or, "tents" means cities, which should be overthrown as easily as tents [Calvin]), form a gradation.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →Behold, 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God will 'command' and bring Babylon back against Jerusalem. The passive resistance to siege had given false hope; God declares He controls even the enemy's movements. They will fight against it, take it, and burn it. The cities of Judah will be made desolate. God's sovereignty extends to military strategy - He orchestrates events to accomplish His purposes.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
21. Judah in perplexity asks, How long is this state of things to continue?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
God's vengeance against the enemies of his church. (Is. 34:1-8) Their desolation. (Is. 34:9-17)
**Verses 1-8** Here is a prophecy of the wars of the Lord, all which are both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as they have all had the benefit of his patience, so all must expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed suggests tremendous ideas of t...
Read full commentary →