Jeremiah 34

Parashot

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex. Jeremiah 34 contains the "Thirteenth prophecy" in the section of Prophecies interwoven with narratives about the prophet's life (26-45). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.

{P} 34:1-5 {S} 34:6-7 {P} 34:8-11 {P} 34:12-16 {S} 34:17-22 {P}

Verse numbering

The order of chapters and verses of the Book of Jeremiah in the English Bibles, Masoretic Text (Hebrew), and Vulgate (Latin), in some places differs from that in Septuagint (LXX, the Greek Bible used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and others) according to Rahlfs or Brenton. The following table is taken with minor adjustments from Brenton's Septuagint, page 971.

The order of Computer Assisted Tools for Septuagint/Scriptural Study (CATSS) based on Alfred Rahlfs' Septuaginta (1935), differs in some details from Joseph Ziegler's critical edition (1957) in Göttingen LXX. Swete's Introduction mostly agrees with Rahlfs' edition (=CATSS).

A prophecy against Zedekiah (34:1–7)

Verse 3

And you shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, he shall speak with you face to face, and you shall go to Babylon.

According to the narrative in the second Book of Kings, Zedekiah tried to flee to the plains of Jericho, but he was captured by the force of Nebuchadnezzar and brought to Riblah, to have a "face to face" meeting with the Babylonian king.

2 Kings 25:7, Jeremiah 39:7 and Jeremiah 52:11 record that Zedekiah's sons were killed before his eyes and then his eyes were put out and he was deported to Babylon.

Verse 7

When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and Azekah; for only these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.

"Against Lachish, and against Azekah": The two cities, Lachish (45 km or 23 miles southwest of Jerusalem) and Azekah (18 km or 11 miles north-northwest of Lachish; 29 km (18 mi) southwest of Jerusalem). Book of Joshua noted that Lachish was one of the strongest towns of the Amorites in the time of Joshua and, as Azekah, was situated in the Shfela, or lowland district. Rehoboam restored and fortified both cities as a defence against the northern kingdom. Amaziah escaped to Lachish from Jerusalem. Sennacherib conquered the city during his conquest to Egypt, made it his headquarters and commemorated the event in his palace (at Nineveh) in a huge wall relief, now known as the Lachish reliefs. Lachish and Azekah are close to Egyptian border. Letter Number 4 of Lachish letters, found between 1935 and 1938, seems to indicate the fall of Azekah, reported by an official stationed outside the city to his commander in Lachish.

Freedom for Hebrew slaves (34:8–22)

Verse 14

"At the end of seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you." But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear.

• "Has been sold to him": translated from the Hebrew phrase ימכר לך, yim-mā-ḵêr lə-ḵā, which can also be rendered as "sold himself".

The cited statement is the first part of the law written in Deuteronomy 15:12–18.