ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Jeremiah 34

Jer. 34:1–45:5 God Judges Judah. Having declared Judah and Israel’s current sins (chs. 2–29) and future renewal (chs. 30–33), Jeremiah now depicts Judah’s final days. He does so while declaring God’s faithfulness and Judah’s infidelity (chs. 34–35), Judah’s rejection of God’s word (ch. 36), Judah’s last days before Jerusalem’s destruction (chs. 37–39), Judah’s pointless rebellion against Babylon after the city’s fall (chs. 40–41), and Judah’s useless rebellion against God (chs. 42–45).

Jer. 34:1 This message came when Babylon’s invasion was in full force (c. 587 b.c.).

Jer. 34:3–5 Zedekiah will lose the battle and his freedom. He will go to Babylon with many of his people (21:7). Second Kings 25:6–7 records the fulfillment of this prophecy. Zedekiah meets the king of Babylon eye to eye (in Riblah), his sons are slain, his eyes are put out, and he is led to Babylon. Nonetheless, God will allow Zedekiah to die in peace, for he is David’s descendant (see Jer. 52:11).

Jer. 34:6–7 With only weeks remaining before Jerusalem’s fall, Jeremiah speaks to Zedekiah again.

Jer. 34:8–11 When Jerusalem feared that defeat was imminent, the people freed all Hebrew slaves, or bondservants, so they could fight, but afterward, when the threat subsided, they took away their freedom again.

Jer. 34:13 covenant with your fathers. The Mosaic covenant, which was based on God freeing Israel from the house of slavery (see Ex. 20:2).

Jer. 34:14 Israelites could become indentured servants of other Israelites for a period of six years, but then were to be set free (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12).

Jer. 34:15 repented. Of not obeying God’s word on indentured persons. made a covenant. Performed a solemn covenant ceremony in the temple, setting the servants free.

Jer. 34:16 turned around. Repented of repenting. profaned my name. Invoked in the ceremony. took back. Enslaved again those who had been set free.

Jer. 34:17 Because the servants have not been set free, God sets the nation “free” to be consumed by sword, pestilence, and famine. See 14:1–12; 15:1–4; 29:17–18; 32:24.

Jer. 34:18–20 make them like the calf. Put the covenant breakers to death by the sword. passed between its parts. Covenant-ratification ceremonies (vv. 16–17) often included cutting a sacrifice in two and having the parties walk between the halves of the sacrifice (Gen. 15:7–17). Presumably the cutting of the sacrifice warned the parties of the consequences of breaking the covenant. Judah and its leaders have broken the covenant and must suffer the consequences of their actions.