This chapter includes two prophecies.
1. The announcement of another conditional prophecy to Zedekiah, offering him certain blessings if he surrenders to the Babylonians, Jeremiah 34:1-8.
2. A prophecy of doom because by breaking the covenant to the slaves they had made a mockery of God’s word, Jeremiah 34:9-22.
The end is near for Judah. It is around 587 B.C. and the final assault on Jerusalem is going on. The Babylonians are reducing the fortified towns in Judah, as quickly as possible, Jeremiah 34:1. That is the reason why Lachish and Azekah are mentioned in Jeremiah 34:7.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘His army was composed of soldiers gathered out of Babylon, and out of all his tributary dominions: one hundred and twenty provinces.’
Jeremiah hears from God and God tells him to go to Zedekiah and tell him that God is about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down, Jeremiah 34:2. Zedekiah will not escape from his grasp but will be captured and given into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands. He will see Nebuchadnezzar with his own eyes and he will speak with you face to face and you will go to Babylon, Jeremiah 34:3 / Jeremiah 39:4 / Jeremiah 52:7.
Notice the words, ‘Yet hear the promise of the Lord,’ Jeremiah 34:4. The very word ‘yet’ suggests that there is still hope for Zedekiah, he is still in a position to put things fight with God. The Babylonian armies were made up of armies from countries that had already become subject to the might of Babylon. Zedekiah is reminded of his end, he would not be executed but would die in peace, Jeremiah 34:4-5. The customary respect and tribute that should be made to a king would be paid to him, Jeremiah 34:5 / Jeremiah 22:18 / 2 Chronicles 16:14.
How could he die peacefully?
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘His sons are going to be slain while he watches and then he himself will be blinded, enslaved, 2 Kings 25:7, and deported to Babylon, Jeremiah 32:5. That is where he will die, Ezekiel 12:13. But you can die in peace even when you are in prison. This could mean that he eventually died at peace with God. Certainly, he did not die by the sword.’
Jeremiah told all this to Zedekiah in Jerusalem, Jeremiah 34:6. Lachish was around thirty miles from Jerusalem and Azekah about fifteen miles, Jeremiah 34:7.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These were two cities of Judah of considerable importance: they had been strongly fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chronicles 11:9-11 / 2 Chronicles 32:9.’
A man on a look-out tower, upon a hill, would be able to see, quite clearly, the smoke of a town that was being destroyed nearby. And as these two towns are falling, Jeremiah brings the next message from God, which is free the slaves, Deuteronomy 15:12.
It is truly wonderful how archaeologists have been able to prove the Bible to people who don’t believe some of the stories of the Bible. Details of the siege of Jerusalem have been confirmed by the spade. Pieces of pottery, with inscriptions upon them, were discovered in the 1930s and have proved the ruins of Lachish and this pottery has been positively dated to the time of the siege.
Zedekiah makes a covenant with the people, Jeremiah 34:8, but later he then breaks it, Jeremiah 34:11.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The existence of the Pentateuch, and the Jews’ familiarity with its teachings, is emphatically evident in the events of this prophecy. The laws appealed to here were those of Exodus 21:2 / Exodus 21:7 and Leviticus 25:39-55. The Jews knew all about those laws but simply refused to obey them.’
The king gets the owners of slaves to swear an oath to free those who were Jews because of the crisis at hand, Jeremiah 34:7-8. I guess that he did this in the hope that he would impress God and that because of his charitable action, God would step in and prevent the siege.
So, the slave owners agree and make the oath, Jeremiah 34:10. At this point we have to rely on secular history, because we are not told this here. But secular history tells us that an army is marching north from Egypt to relieve Jerusalem. Word of this reached the city and the Babylonian armies. So, the Babylonian forces withdrew with the intention of regrouping before the final onslaught. So, Zedekiah believed that his action, regarding the oath, had worked.
Tension in the city eased off and that being the case, the slave owners brought the slaves back into slavery and those who had been freed were made slaves again. Notice afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again, Jeremiah 34:11.
We can’t overstate the extent of Judah’s crime here. It was God who made a covenant with their ancestors when He brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, Jeremiah 34:12-13. It was God who said that every seventh year each of they must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to them and after they have served them six years, they must let them go free, Jeremiah 34:14. God says, their ancestors, however, did not listen to Him or pay attention to Him, Jeremiah 34:14. By breaking the vow, they had broken the Law, the Law of release, Exodus 21:1-6 / Deuteronomy 15:12-18.
This was deceit, and to this, they also added perjury, i.e., deliberately giving false evidence whilst under oath. How come? They made this vow in the temple, and called upon God to witness it, Jeremiah 34:15. By going back on their word, they had brought shame on God’s name, Jeremiah 34:16.
They had violated a commandment of God, they had mocked God Himself, they had made a covenant in God’s house and God’s presence, they profaned the name of God by using His Holy name, it was an inhuman, unfeeling crime against the defenceless slaves, it was a violation of the promises that they had themselves made, under oath, it was a crime against both God and Mankind, and it was a crime against their nation, for which they deserved the punishment that God gave them.
And so, we have this message from God, who says he has broken the covenant, the oath and have violated it, Jeremiah 34:17. So, what will Zedekiah lose?
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘His liberty, his freedom, his city will be destroyed by fire, his life and his kingdom.’
God says, ‘you have not proclaimed freedom to your fellow countryman, Jeremiah 34:17. So, I now proclaim freedom for you, ‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague, and famine,’ Jeremiah 34:17. Wow! What a proclamation this is! I am freeing you from my love, says God. Instead, I am giving you over to be destroyed, by war, disease, and starvation.
They are going to pay for this, Jeremiah 34:18. This cutting up of an animal was the ancient way of giving full assent to a covenant or oath, Genesis 15:9-17. Those who violated such an oath could then expect the same end as the animal that had been sacrificed, Jeremiah 34:18.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was the ancient and most solemn way of making a covenant.
1. A calf as sacrifice was offered to God to secure his approbation and support.
2. The victim was then exactly divided from the nose to the rump; the spinal marrow being divided longitudinally, in the most careful manner, that the half of it might remain on each side.
3. These divided parts were laid opposite to each other, a passage being left between them.
4. The contracting parties entered this passage at each end, met in the middle, and there took the covenant oath, adjudging themselves to death should they break this covenant.
5. Then they both feasted on the victim. In reference to this last circumstance, God says he will give their bodies for meat to the fowls of heaven and to the beasts. This is a farther conformity between the crime and the punishment, Genesis 15:9-17.
This is a death sentence for those who violated the covenant, Jeremiah 34:19. This death sentence would be fully executed with a year’s famine when the Babylonians returned to complete the job Jeremiah 34:20. God says that He will hand them over to the king of Babylon, ‘which has withdrawn from you,’ Jeremiah 34:21.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘We have already seen that the Babylonian army withdrew to regroup when the Egyptians were coming up from the south. So, these two verses give us the date for the events in this chapter, when the Egyptian army caused Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw for a while. During that time, the Jews brought back the slaves that they had just recently given their freedom.’
God says, beware, the Babylonians will be back, Jeremiah 34:22, and so, God announced the sentence of death upon them, Jeremiah 34:22.
There are certain basic lessons that we can learn from this chapter.
1. Only God can set man free.
2. You, in the capacity or position you may hold in this world, can take the liberty from someone, but God can take your liberty from you.
3. Every person and nation are subject to God.