הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה וּנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְכָל־חֵילֹו וְכָל־מַמְלְכֹות אֶרֶץ   34:1    מֶמְשֶׁלֶת יָדֹו וְכָל־הָעַמִּים נִלְחָמִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעַל־כָּל־עָרֶיהָ לֵאמֹר׃

Jere. 34:1   The word that occurred to Jeremiah from the Lord, with Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the territory of the realm of his power, and all the peoples, fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying,

Notice the spelling of the name of Nebuchadrezzar, with the “r” again as in the previous two chapters.  This chapter takes place at about the same time as those.

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה   34:2     הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וּשְׂרָפָהּ בָּאֵשׁ׃

Jere. 34:2   “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel:  Go and you shall speak to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord:  ‘Behold, I am delivering this city into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.’

וְאַתָּה לֹא תִמָּלֵט מִיָּדֹו כִּי תָּפֹשׂ תִּתָּפֵשׂ וּבְיָדֹו תִּנָּתֵן וְעֵינֶיךָ אֶת־עֵינֵי מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל תִּרְאֶינָה וּפִיהוּ   34:3     אֶת־פִּיךָ יְדַבֵּר וּבָבֶל תָּבֹוא׃

Jere. 34:3   ‘And you not shall escape from his hand, but surely shall be taken and be delivered into his hand, and your eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak with your mouth, and you shall go to Babylon.’                                   [Return to Jere. 32:4]

אַךְ שְׁמַע דְּבַר־יְהוָה צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה עָלֶיךָ לֹא תָמוּת בֶּחָרֶב׃   34:4

Jere. 34:4   ‘Yet hear the word of the Lord, Zedekiah, king of Judah!  Thus says the Lord about you: ‘You shall not die by the sword.’

בְּשָׁלֹום תָּמוּת וּכְמִשְׂרְפֹות אֲבֹותֶיךָ הַמְּלָכִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כֵּן יִשְׂרְפוּ־לָךְ וְהֹוי אָדֹון   34:5  יִסְפְּדוּ־לָךְ כִּי־דָבָר אֲנִי־דִבַּרְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃

Jere. 34:5   In peace you shall die, and according to the burnings of your fathers, the previous kings that were before you, so they will make a burning for you; and ‘Alas, lord!’ they will lament for you, for the thing I have spoken, declares the Lord.’”

וַיְדַבֵּר יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   34:6

Jere. 34:6   So Jeremiah, the prophet, spoke to Zedekiah, king of Judah, all these words in Jerusalem,

וְחֵיל מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל נִלְחָמִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעַל כָּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַנֹּותָרֹות אֶל־לָכִישׁ וְאֶל־עֲזֵקָה כִּי הֵנָּה   34:7 נִשְׁאֲרוּ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה עָרֵי מִבְצָר׃

Jere. 34:7   with the army of the king of Babylon fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were remaining toward Lachish and toward Azekah, for these survived among the cities of Judah, cities of fortifications.

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה אַחֲרֵי כְּרֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בְּרִית אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר   34:8        בִּירוּשָׁלִַם לִקְרֹא לָהֶם דְּרֹור׃

Jere. 34:8   The word that occurred to Jeremiah from the Lord after Zedekiah, the king, had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them,

לְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּו וְאִישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹו הָעִבְרִי וְהָעִבְרִיָּה חָפְשִׁים לְבִלְתִּי עֲבָד־בָּם בִּיהוּדִי   34:9          אָחִיהוּ אִישׁ׃

Jere. 34:9   to release every one his manservant and every one his maid-servant, who is a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, to be free, so would not be a bondsman to them, (with a Jew every one is his brother),

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כָל־הַשָּׂרִים וְכָל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ בַבְּרִית לְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּו וְאִישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹו חָפְשִׁים   34:10  לְבִלְתִּי עֲבָד־בָּם עֹוד וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ וַיְשַׁלֵּחוּ׃

Jere. 34:10   and all the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered in the covenant to release every one his manservant and every one his maid-servant to be free so would not be a bondsman to them any more, so they obeyed and released,

וַיָּשׁוּבוּ אַחֲרֵי־כֵן וַיָּשִׁבוּ אֶת־הָעֲבָדִים וְאֶת־הַשְּׁפָחֹות אֲשֶׁר שִׁלְּחוּ חָפְשִׁים (וַיַּכְבִּישׁוּם) [וַיִּכְבְּשׁוּם   34:11 לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחֹות׃

Jere. 34:11   then they reneged after doing so and brought back the menservants and the maid-servants whom they had let go free and subjugated them for menservants and maid-servants,

Apparently the release and the reneging took place in the same day.  This is revealed to us in vss. 34:15 and 16 below.  In addition, the word in parentheses, translated as and subjugated them, is misspelled with an extra yad.  The correction is in the brackets (please forgive the displacement of the left bracket).

וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹר׃   34:12

Jere. 34:12   so the word of the Lord occurred to Jeremiah from the Lord saying,

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי כָּרַתִּי בְרִית אֶת־אֲבֹותֵיכֶם בְּיֹום הֹוצִאִי אֹותָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם   34:13 מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים לֵאמֹר׃

Jere. 34:13   “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel:  I made a covenant with your fathers at the time of My bringing them out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage saying,

מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים תְּשַׁלְּחוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אָחִיו הָעִבְרִי אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּכֵר לְךָ וַעֲבָדְךָ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁלַּחְתֹּו   34:14      

 חָפְשִׁי חָפְשמֵעִמָּךְ וְלֹא־שָׁמְעוּ אֲבֹותֵיכֶם אֵלַי וְלֹא הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם׃

Jere. 34:14   ‘After seven years you shall release every one his brother. The Hebrew who might have been sold to you and served you six years, then you shall let him go free from you; but your fathers did not listen to Me and did not incline their ear.’”

I believe the second-person pronouns in this verse offer some insight into the meaning behind this verse.  There are six in all, five yous and one your.  The first you is plural, but the remaining four yous are singular, and the your is plural.  So according to my theory about second-person pronouns when a group is being spoken to, the first you (plural) indicates that everyone must release any of his purchased servants (slaves) who is Hebrew in the Jubilee year.  The next four yous (singular) indicate that the Lord is speaking to the entire group because not all Hebrews had slaves.  The final your (plural) indicates that everyone had a father who did not listen.

וַתָּשֻׁבוּ אַתֶּם הַיֹּום וַתַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינַי לִקְרֹא דְרֹור אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ וַתִּכְרְתוּ בְרִית לְפָנַי בַּבַּיִת   34:15 אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא שְׁמִי עָלָיו׃

Jere. 34:15   “But you have turned back today and done the right thing in My eyes, proclaiming liberty every one to his neighbor, and you have made a covenant before Me in the house that is called My name because of it.”

וַתָּשֻׁבוּ וַתְּחַלְּלוּ אֶת־שְׁמִי וַתָּשִׁבוּ אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּו וְאִישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹו אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתֶּם חָפְשִׁים   34:16            לְנַפְשָׁם וַתִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֹתָם לִהְיֹות לָכֶם לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחֹות׃

Jere. 34:16   “Now you have gone back and profaned My name and returned every one his servant and every one his handmaid whom you had let go free at their pleasure, and subjugated them to be to you for servants and for handmaids.”

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אַתֶּם לֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם אֵלַי לִקְרֹא דְרֹור אִישׁ לְאָחִיו וְאִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ הִנְנִי קֹרֵא לָכֶם   34:17 דְּרֹור נְאֻם־יְהוָה אֶל־הַחֶרֶב אֶל־הַדֶּבֶר וְאֶל־הָרָעָב וְנָתַתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִזְוָעָה לְכֹל מַמְלְכֹות הָאָרֶץ׃

Jere. 34:17   “Therefore thus says the Lord:  ‘You have not listened to Me to proclaim liberty one to his brothers and every one to his neighbor.  Behold, I have proclaimed liberty for you, says the Lord, by the sword, by the pestilence, and by the famine, and I will set you to be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁים הָעֹבְרִים אֶת־בְּרִתִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הֵקִימוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לְפָנָי   34:18       הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לִשְׁנַיִם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָיו׃

Jere. 34:18   “And I will deliver the men ignoring My covenant who do not honor the words of the covenant that they made before Me, the calf, which they cut in half and passed between its parts,

שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וְשָׂרֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם הַסָּרִסִים וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְכֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ הָעֹבְרִים בֵּין בִּתְרֵי הָעֵגֶל׃   34:19

Jere. 34:19   princes of Judah and princes of Jerusalem, the officers and the priests, and all the people of the land passing between the parts of the calf,

וְנָתַתִּי אֹותָם בְּיַד אֹיְבֵיהֶם וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וְהָיְתָה נִבְלָתָם לְמַאֲכָל לְעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְבֶהֱמַת   34:20 הָאָרֶץ׃

Jere. 34:20   also them I will deliver into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of the seekers of their life, and their corpses shall be for food to the fowl of the skies and to the beasts of the earth.”

וְאֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־שָׂרָיו אֶתֵּן בְּיַד אֹיְבֵיהֶם וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וּבְיַד חֵיל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל   34:21 הָעֹלִים מֵעֲלֵיכֶם׃

Jere. 34:21   “And I will deliver Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his princes into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of the seekers of their life and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon departing from you.”

In this verse the Lord (through Jeremiah) is finishing a speech He began in v. 34:17.  In these five verses He seems to be speaking to a number of people (as revealed by the plural you at the end of this verse.  Who do you suppose they are?  I can guess, have you made one?  My guess is the group being addressed consists of the remnant that will stay in Jerusalem after its fall.  I believe that belief is supported by the words departing from you.  That’s why, in my opinion, He refers to the others mentioned in the five verses in the third person.  They are the ones to be killed or taken off.

By the way, the description of the divided calf between whose halves they walked (vss. 34:18 and 19) seems to represent a custom of the times by which people made covenants.  I suspect that the description here was used symbolically as meaning a very strong and solemn oath between parties.  However, this story appears to be an echo of the description of a covenant between God and Abram that appears in Genesis Chapter 15.  If you want to read about that, the story starts in Gene. 15:9 and continues to Gene. 15:18.

הִנְנִי מְצַוֶּה נְאֻם־יְהוָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים אֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְנִלְחֲמוּ עָלֶיהָ וּלְכָדוּהָ וּשְׂרָפֻהָ בָאֵשׁ וְאֶת־עָרֵי   34:22 יְהוּדָה אֶתֵּן שְׁמָמָה מֵאֵין יֹשֵׁב׃

Jere. 34:22   “Behold, I am commanding, declares the Lord, that I will cause them to return to this city, and they shall fight against it and take it and burn it with fire, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.”

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