Focused Passage

Jeremiah 34:17-22

Broken Covenant, Re-Enslaved Servants, and the Liberty of Judgment

The chapter moves from a word of judgment and limited mercy to Zedekiah, to the covenant reform releasing Hebrew servants, to Judah's reversal and re-enslavement, to the LORD's indictment, and finally to the judgment of sword, plague, famine, corpse shame, and Babylon's return.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17 Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.

19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,

20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

21 And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.

22 Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

Therefore לָכֵן֮ H3651 Adverb this is what כֹּה־ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָה֒ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular You אַתֶּם֙ H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural have not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle obeyed שְׁמַעְתֶּ֣ם H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Me אֵלַ֔י H413 Preposition | first person common singular you have not proclaimed לִקְרֹ֣א H7121 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct freedom דְר֔וֹר H1865 Noun - masculine singular each man אִ֥ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular for his brother לְאָחִ֖יו H251 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְאִ֣ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and for his neighbor לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ H7453 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular So now הִנְנִ֣י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I proclaim קֹרֵא֩ H7121 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular freedom דְּר֜וֹר H1865 Noun - masculine singular for you לָכֶ֨ם Preposition | second person masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular [freedom] to [fall] אֶל־ H413 Preposition by sword הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ H2719 Article | Noun - feminine singular by אֶל־ H413 Preposition plague הַדֶּ֣בֶר H1698 Article | Noun - masculine singular and by וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition famine הָרָעָ֔ב H7458 Article | Noun - masculine singular I will make you וְנָתַתִּ֤י H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - אֶתְכֶם֙ H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural a horror לִזְוָעָה H2113 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular to all לְכֹ֖ל H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct the kingdoms מַמְלְכ֥וֹת H4467 Noun - feminine plural construct of the earth הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

And those who have transgressed הָעֹֽבְרִים֙ H5674 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My covenant בְּרִתִ֔י H1285 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative and have not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle fulfilled הֵקִ֙ימוּ֙ H6965 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the terms דִּבְרֵ֣י H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct of the covenant הַבְּרִ֔ית H1285 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative they made כָּרְת֖וּ H3772 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural before Me לְפָנָ֑י H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular I will treat וְנָתַתִּ֣י H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker - הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים H582 Article | Noun - masculine plural like the calf הָעֵ֙גֶל֙ H5695 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative they cut כָּרְת֣וּ H3772 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in two לִשְׁנַ֔יִם H8147 Preposition-l | Number - md in order to pass וַיַּעַבְר֖וּ H5674 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural between בֵּ֥ין H996 Preposition its pieces בְּתָרָֽיו׃ H1335 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

The officials שָׂרֵ֨י H8269 Noun - masculine plural construct of Judah יְהוּדָ֜ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . וְשָׂרֵ֣י H8269 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct and Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular the court officials הַסָּֽרִסִים֙ H5631 Article | Noun - masculine plural the priests וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים H3548 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural and all וְכֹ֖ל H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct the people עַ֣ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct of the land הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular who passed הָעֹ֣בְרִ֔ים H5674 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural between בֵּ֖ין H996 Preposition the pieces בִּתְרֵ֥י H1335 Noun - masculine plural construct of the calf הָעֵֽגֶל׃ H5695 Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

I will deliver וְנָתַתִּ֤י H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - אוֹתָם֙ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural into the hands בְּיַ֣ד H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of their enemies אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural . . . וּבְיַ֖ד H3027 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct who seek מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י H1245 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct their lives נַפְשָׁ֑ם H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Their corpses נִבְלָתָם֙ H5038 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural will become וְהָיְתָ֤ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular food לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל H3978 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular for the birds לְע֥וֹף H5775 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of the air הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and the beasts וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת H929 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of the earth הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 21

Original words

And וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker I will deliver אֶתֵּן֙ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Zedekiah צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ H6667 Noun - proper - masculine singular king מֶֽלֶךְ־ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Judah יְהוּדָ֜ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and his officials שָׂרָ֗יו H8269 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular into the hands בְּיַ֣ד H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of their enemies אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural - וּבְיַ֖ד H3027 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct who seek מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י H1245 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct their lives נַפְשָׁ֑ם H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural . . . וּבְיַד H3027 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct to the army חֵ֚יל H2428 Noun - masculine singular construct of the king מֶ֣לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular of Babylon בָּבֶ֔ל H894 Noun - proper - feminine singular that had withdrawn הָעֹלִ֖ים H5927 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural from you מֵעֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ H5921 Preposition-m | second person masculine plural
Verse 22

Original words

Behold הִנְנִ֨י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I am going to give the command מְצַוֶּ֜ה H6680 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and I will bring them back וַהֲשִׁ֨בֹתִ֜ים H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition this הַזֹּאת֙ H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular city הָעִ֤יר H5892 Article | Noun - feminine singular They will fight וְנִלְחֲמ֣וּ H3898 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural against it עָלֶ֔יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular capture it וּלְכָד֖וּהָ H3920 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular and burn it down וּשְׂרָפֻ֣הָ H8313 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular . . . בָאֵ֑שׁ H784 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular And וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker I will make אֶתֵּ֥ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular the cities עָרֵ֧י H5892 Noun - feminine plural construct of Judah יְהוּדָ֛ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular a desolation שְׁמָמָ֖ה H8077 Noun - feminine singular without מֵאֵ֥ין H369 Preposition-m | Adverb inhabitant יֹשֵֽׁב׃פ H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.