Jeremiah 34 3

Jeremiah 34:3 kjv

And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

Jeremiah 34:3 nkjv

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.' " '

Jeremiah 34:3 niv

You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

Jeremiah 34:3 esv

You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.'

Jeremiah 34:3 nlt

You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.

Jeremiah 34 verses

Jeremiah 34 3 Meaning

The prophecy in Jeremiah 34:3 declares that Zedekiah, king of Judah, will not escape the Babylonians. He will be brought to Babylon, and there he will die. This verse is a direct consequence of Zedekiah's actions and foreshadows the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people. It emphasizes God's unwavering judgment on disobedience and broken covenants, even against royalty.

Jeremiah 34 3 Context

Jeremiah 34 occurs during the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. King Zedekiah of Judah had made a covenant with his people to proclaim liberty to the Hebrew slaves (slaves owned by fellow Israelites), a move prompted by Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the impending doom from Babylon. However, Zedekiah and the officials rescinded this proclamation once the Babylonian army temporarily retreated. This broken covenant and defiance against God's prophet led to God's severe judgment. Jeremiah 34:3 specifically addresses Zedekiah, foretelling his capture and demise in Babylon, a consequence of his faithlessness and the violation of the oath sworn before God. The chapter as a whole reflects a period of profound spiritual and political crisis for Judah, marked by broken promises and unheeded divine warnings.

Jeremiah 34 3 Word Analysis

• "and" (וְ – we): A common conjunction indicating sequence, continuation, or addition. Here, it connects the consequence to Zedekiah with the previous statement about the people.
• "you" (אַתָּה – attah): Second person masculine singular pronoun, directly addressing King Zedekiah.
• "shall not" (לֹא – lo): A strong negation.
• "escape" (תְּמַלֵּט – temalet): From the root מָלַט (malat), meaning to escape, to be delivered, to flee. The form used indicates future tense, you shall be escaped/delivered, but here used in a negative sense to mean "you will not escape." It implies being rescued from danger or capture.
• "but" (כִּי־ – ki): Often translated as "for" or "because," but here it functions adversatively, similar to "but" or "rather." It introduces the certain consequence of his inability to escape.
• "surely" (בְּהָבֵל – behabhel): Literally "in vain" or "futilely." However, in this context, it emphatically stresses the certainty and inevitability of the subsequent clause. It’s an adverbial use suggesting the utter futility of any attempt to escape. Some scholars suggest it can intensify, meaning "truly" or "certainly."
• "you shall be given" (תִּנָּתֵן – tinnaten): Passive future tense of נָתַן (nathan), meaning to give. This indicates Zedekiah will be handed over to his enemies, an involuntary act.
• "into" (בְּיַד – beyad): Literally "into the hand of." This idiom signifies being under the power, control, or possession of someone.
• "his" (יָדוֹ – yado): Possessive pronoun, "his hand," referring to the hand of the King of Babylon.

Group Analysis:

• "you shall not escape, but surely you shall be given": This phrase starkly contrasts Zedekiah's presumed hope of deliverance with the grim reality of his fate. The prophetic "you shall not escape" followed by the definitive "but surely you shall be given" underscores God's assured decree. The emphasis on "surely" (בְּהָבֵל) amplifies the inevitability, painting a picture of absolute surrender to fate and divine judgment. The passive construction "you shall be given" highlights Zedekiah's helplessness; he will not escape on his own accord but will be delivered into the hands of his enemy by a higher power.

Jeremiah 34 3 Bonus Section

The Hebrew word translated as "surely" (בְּהָבֵל – behabhel) is quite distinctive here. While often meaning "in vain" or "futile," its placement and the surrounding context suggest an intensification of certainty, akin to "utterly" or "most certainly." This subtle nuance underscores the finality of God's pronouncement over Zedekiah, indicating that any hope of evasion would be rendered utterly futile by God's predetermined judgment. This emphasis aligns with other prophetic pronouncements where God assures the inevitability of His decrees.

Jeremiah 34 3 Commentary

This verse is a powerful and personal prophetic declaration against King Zedekiah. It directly contradicts any perceived security he might have felt, due to political alliances or the temporary withdrawal of the Babylonian army. The Lord declares with absolute certainty that Zedekiah's fate is sealed: he will be captured and handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. The emphasis is on divine sovereignty in judgment. Zedekiah's violation of his oath, his faithlessness, and the reneging on the proclamation of freedom for slaves all contribute to this pronouncement of inescapable judgment. His story serves as a somber example of the consequences of compromising with evil, breaking solemn vows, and ultimately defying the Almighty.