Jeremiah 34:1

JEREMIAH 34

SLAVES EMANCIPATED AND ENSLAVED AGAIN

This chapter features two prophecies: (1) There is the announcement of a conditional prophecy for Zedekiah (Jeremiah 34:1-8), offering that king certain blessings on condition of his surrender to Babylon. (2) There is the prophecy of doom for the population of Jerusalem as a just reward of their emancipation of slaves according to God's Word in a mocking, hypocritical ceremony enacted in the sacred temple itself, followed at once by their treacherous, perfidious and shameless cancellation of the emancipation and their enslavement of their former slaves again.

There could have been no better justification of God's terrible punishment of the Chosen People than the events recorded in this chapter. In every way, they completely deserved all the sorrows that came upon them.

Regarding the date of the chapter, it is accurately revealed by the historical situation in which it is set. "Both of these prophecies belong to the first period of the final siege of Jerusalem, probably the ninth year of Zedekiah the king."[1] "That year was 589-588 B.C."[2]

Jeremiah 34:1-5

THE PROPHECY REGARDING ZEDEKIAH

"The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shall 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. Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah king of Judah: Thus saith Jehovah concerning thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword; thou shalt die in peace; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee, so shall they make a burning for thee; and they shall lament thee, saying, Ah Lord! for I have spoken the word, saith Jehovah."

"All the kingdoms of the earth ..." (Jeremiah 34:1) This is a reference to the composite nature of Nebuchadnezzar's army, which was made up of numerous detachments from the many nations that had submitted to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar as the suzerain overlord of all those countries had the right to demand troops of all of them to aid in his fight against enemies. He even had that right over Zedekiah who had at this juncture of events rebelled against him.

"And against all the cities thereof ..." (Jeremiah 34:1). This refers to the surrounding cities in Palestine which were fortified towns and would of necessity be captured prior to the assault against Jerusalem the major stronghold. Lachish and Azekah (Jeremiah 34:7) were the last two of these to hold out against the Chaldeans.

"Thou shalt not escape out of his hand ..." (Jeremiah 34:3). This meant that Zedekiah would most certainly he required to give an account to Nebuchadnezzar his overlord, with whom he had negotiated a covenant of obedience, in all probability "cutting a covenant" after the pattern of that mentioned in Jeremiah 34:18, below, and entailing the most terrible consequences upon its violation by the vassal.

"Yet ... thou shalt not die by the sword ... but in peace ..." (Jeremiah 34:4). The very word "yet" in this passage seems to hold out a certain hope for Zedekiah, always contingent, of course, (See Jeremiah 18:7-10) upon his obedience to God's command to deliver the city at once into the hands of his overlord. Whether or not this is actually the true understanding of this place does not appear absolutely certain to this writer; but Barnes, and many others, hold this view.

The city was doomed and Zedekiah's capture was assured, but he was still in a position to procure good terms; and the prophet here laid before him the alternative; but Zedekiah with all the obstinacy of a weak man chose to continue the war, and lost: (1) the kingdom; (2) his eyesight; and (3) his liberty.[3]

This view, in effect, denies that the prophecy here was fulfilled, due to Zedekiah's violation of the condition implied in the prophecy itself. Ash, Dummelow, and others concur with Barnes in this understanding. Dummelow submits as proof of this interpretation that, "Although the key condition of Zedekiah's surrender is omitted in this chapter, it is emphatically stated in Jeremiah 38:17."[4] We accept this understanding of the place and note that, in addition to the benefits to Zedekiah which were conditionally promised here, the lives of his sons would also have been spared if he had obeyed the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 38:17ff).

"Thou shalt die in peace ..." (Jeremiah 34:5). How could one die in peace, after his sons were slain before him, and after he had been blinded, enslaved, and deported to Babylon where he died? We agree with Matthew Henry that one may "die in peace, even though in prison,"[5] and also that to die in peace might have referred to his attaining "peace with God," as did Manasseh at the end of his life. Others have also suggested that, when contrasted with the death of Jehoiachim who died unmourned, receiving the burial of an ass, Zedekiah did indeed "die in peace." If so, then this part of the prophecy was unconditional.

"With the burnings of thy fathers, etc., ..." (Jeremiah 34:5). The Jews never had a custom of cremation, and this refers to the lighting of bonfires upon the death of a beloved monarch, spices also being added to the burning faggots in such lamentations. The expression "Ah Lord" was the customary exclamation upon the death of a king. Barnes and others thought this promise of that kind of a burial for Zedekiah was a pledge (if he had obeyed the Lord) of a successful tenure on the throne of Jerusalem as a vassal of Babylon. However, it is by no means impossible that the captive Jews in Babylon would have been allowed thus to honor their deceased monarch. Still, we favor the view of this whole prophecy as conditional and the conclusion that it was not fulfilled because Zedekiah violated the conditions in it.