Jeremiah 34:2 kjv
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
Jeremiah 34:2 nkjv
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Jeremiah 34:2 niv
"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
Jeremiah 34:2 esv
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Jeremiah 34:2 nlt
"Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
Jeremiah 34 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 14 | But the prophets prophesy falsely... say unto them, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish... | Jeremiah 14:14 (False prophecy) |
| Jeremiah 23 | For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard his word? Who has marked his word, and heard it? | Jeremiah 23:18 (Unheard Word) |
| Jeremiah 27 | Then said the prophets unto the priests and unto all the people, saying, These beds are not yours, but the rest of the king... | Jeremiah 27:10 (False claims) |
| Jeremiah 28 | For they prophesy falsely unto me in my name: I have not sent them, says the LORD. | Jeremiah 28:15 (Deception) |
| Ezekiel 13 | Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! | Ezekiel 13:3 (Foolish prophets) |
| Ezekiel 13 | My hand also against the prophets of those of Israel, that prophesy, and thou shalt cause my people of Israel to err by their means. | Ezekiel 13:9 (Leading astray) |
| Ezekiel 14 | When the land sinneth against me through offending... my hand shall be stretched out upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it. | Ezekiel 14:13 (Consequences) |
| Isaiah 9 | The prophets prophesy falsely by his prophets... peace: and they prophesy a thing that cometh not. | Isaiah 9:15 (False peace) |
| Hosea 6 | They have driven away their priests and their holy places. | Hosea 6:9 (Neglect of clergy) |
| 1 Timothy 4 | Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; | 1 Timothy 4:1 (Departing faith) |
| 2 Timothy 4 | For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; | 2 Timothy 4:3 (Unsound teachers) |
| Romans 10 | How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? | Romans 10:14 (Hearing the Word) |
| Acts 20 | For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. | Acts 20:29 (Grievous wolves) |
| John 8 | Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. | John 8:44 (Lying nature) |
| Proverbs 19 | Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that is hasty with his feet sinneth. | Proverbs 19:2 (Lack of knowledge) |
| Revelation 13 | And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. | Revelation 13:15 (False speaking) |
| 1 Kings 22 | So the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Behold, I know him; he is one against whom I have evil, therefore he is hated by me: but Micaiah son of Imlah the LORD has not said it. | 1 Kings 22:8 (Micaiah's truth) |
| Matthew 24 | For many false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. | Matthew 24:24 (Deception) |
| Galatians 1 | I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: | Galatians 1:6 (Different Gospel) |
| Colossians 2 | Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. | Colossians 2:8 (Vain deceit) |
Jeremiah 34 verses
Jeremiah 34 2 Meaning
The prophecy concerning the king of Babylon directly addresses the pronouncements made against the king of Jerusalem, calling them as utterers of false prophecies to his people. It declares that he has lied to them, proclaiming peace when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 34 2 Context
Jeremiah 34 takes place during the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This chapter records a pivotal moment where Zedekiah, the king of Judah, makes a covenant with his people to free their Hebrew slaves. This act is presented as a response to Jeremiah's prophetic message, seemingly an attempt to appease God by adhering to the Law. However, this covenant is immediately broken as the freed slaves are re-enslaved when the Babylonian threat momentarily recedes.
This particular verse, Jeremiah 34:2, functions as a divine indictment against the false prophets and leadership of Judah. It directly addresses the pronouncements made to the people concerning their king, Zedekiah, and their perceived safety from the Babylonian invasion. The essence of the condemnation is that these pronouncements were lies, promising a peace that was not in accordance with God's decree. The chapter and its preceding context highlight a deep-seated corruption and disobedience within Jerusalem, where leadership and prophets alike had become conduits of deception rather than truth.
Jeremiah 34 2 Word Analysis
"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,"
- Thus says (Ko amar - כֹּה אָמַר): This is a standard prophetic formula introducing divine speech. It signifies the absolute authority and origin of the message being spoken.
- LORD of hosts (YHWH tsevaot - יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת): This title emphasizes God's supreme power and sovereignty over all heavenly armies and earthly powers. It conveys that God is the ultimate commander and controller of all forces, including nations and armies like Babylon.
- the God of Israel (Elohe Yisrael - אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל): This title underscores God's covenantal relationship with His chosen people, Israel. It reminds them that the message comes from the God who established this unique relationship and has a plan for them, even in judgment.
"I will punish you, and your companions, and the king of Judah,"
- I will punish (P qad - פָּקַדְתִּי): This Hebrew word often carries a broader meaning than just punishment; it can mean "to visit," "to attend to," or "to reckon with." Here, it signifies God's intentional and directed intervention to deal with their actions, which in this context is punitive.
- you (Atah - אַתָּה): The singular "you" likely refers directly to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, making the indictment personal and specific to him as the head of state and recipient of the false prophecies.
- and your companions (V`avreka - וְעוֹבְרֶיךָ): "Companions" or "associates." This refers to those who were allied with the king, likely his advisors, officials, and possibly even the false prophets he was listening to or being influenced by.
- and the king of Judah (Umelech Yehudah - וּמֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה): This repetition reinforces the focus on the leadership. Even though "you" likely already refers to Zedekiah, explicitly including "the king of Judah" ensures the corporate responsibility and judgment of the monarchy is understood.
"in this place,"
- in this place (Ba` makom hazeh - בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה): This phrase pinpoints the immediate location – Jerusalem. It emphasizes that the judgment will fall upon them right where they stand, in the heart of their kingdom, the very place they believe to be secure.
Jeremiah 34 2 Bonus Section
The "companions" referred to might also encompass the false prophets mentioned later in the chapter and in other prophetic writings, who profited from their lies or genuinely believed their own deceptive messages. The failure to deliver true peace points to a spiritual sickness within the leadership, which often influences the people's understanding of God's favor and will. This verse underscores the principle that genuine peace can only come from obedience to God's word and covenant, not from hollow promises or superficial religious acts. The condemnation of Zedekiah here sets the stage for his eventual downfall and the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem, a stark example of the consequences of leading a nation into spiritual delusion.
Jeremiah 34 2 Commentary
This verse serves as a stark warning from God to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and to all who supported him in propagating falsehoods. The prophets and leaders of Judah had misled the people into believing that they would remain safe from Nebuchadnezzar. This deceptive peace, however, was not of God's making but rather a product of their own false assurances and perhaps a misinterpretation of God's continued covenant with Israel. The mention of "hosts" highlights God's supreme authority over all nations, including Babylon, underlining that their perceived safety was illusory against His ultimate will. The promise of punishment, a "visiting" or "reckoning," is directed at the king and his inner circle, signifying accountability for leading the nation astray through false prophecy and the violation of covenant faithfulness, specifically regarding the liberation of Hebrew slaves as mentioned in the broader context of the chapter.