Jeremiah 34
DOYLYJeremiah 34:2
- — Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give this city, &c.] This prophecy was fulfilled in all its parts. “I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:” so says the Prophet; the history relates, “They,” that is, the forces of the king of Babylon, “burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire.” 2 Chron. xxxvi. 19. “Thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken and delivered into his hand:” so says the Prophet; the history relates, “The men of war fled by night, and the king went the way toward the plain, and the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army were scattered from him: so they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah, 2 Kings xxv. 4—6. The Prophet goes on: “Thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth.” No pleasant circumstance this to Zedekiah, who had provoked the king of Babylon, by revolting from him. The history says, “The king of Babylon gave judgment upon Zedekiah,” or, as it is more literally rendered from the Hebrew, “spake judgment with him at Riblah.” The Prophet concludes this part with, “and thou shalt go to Babylon;” the history says, “The king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death,” Jer. lii. 11. “Thou shalt not die by the sword.” He did not die by the sword, he did not fall in battle. “But thou shalt die in peace.” He did die in peace; he expired neither on the rack nor on the scaffold; was neither strangled, nor poisoned; no unusual fate of captive kings: he died peaceably in his bed, though that bed was in a prison. “And with the burnings of thy fathers shall they burn odours for thee.” It cannot be proved from history, that this part of the prophecy was accomplished; though the probability is, that it was so; the probability is grounded on these two reasons. Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Ahed-nego, to say nothing of other Jews, were men of great authority in the court of the king of Babylon, before and after the commencement of the imprisonment of Zedekiah; and Daniel continued in power till the subversion of the kingdom of Babylon by Cyrus. Now it seems very probable, that Daniel and the other Jews would have both inclination to request, and influence enough with the king of Babylon to obtain, permission to bury their deceased prince Zedekiah after the manner of his fathers. But if there had been no Jews at Babylon of consequence enough to make such a request, still it is probable that the king of Babylon would have ordered the Jews to bury and lament their departed prince after the manner of their country. Monarchs, like other men, are conscious of the instability of human condition; and when the pomp of war has ceased, when the insolence of conquest is abated, and the fury of resentment is subsided, they seldom fail to revere royalty even in its ruins, and grant without reluctance proper obsequies to the remains of captive kings. Bp. Watson.
Jeremiah 34:5
- — so shall they burn odours for thee;] It was customary among the Jews, at the funeral of their kings, to prepare “a bed of spices,” 2 Chron. xvi. 14, of which they made a perfume by burning them, and therein to deposit the body of the deceased prince. Compare 2 Chron. xxi. 19. W. Louth.
Jeremiah 34:8
- — to proclaim liberty unto them;] By the law of Moses, (Exod. xxv. 2; Deut. xv. 12,) the Israelites were not allowed to detain their brethren of the Hebrew race in perpetual bondage, but were required to let them go free after having served six years. This law had, it seems, fallen into disuse; but king Zedekiah, upon the approach of the Chaldean army, whether from religious motives, or a political view to employ the men, who were set free, in the service of the war, engaged the people to act conformably to the law; and they released their brethren accordingly. But no sooner were their fears abated by the retreat of the Chaldeans, than, in defiance of every principle of religion, honour, and humanity, they imposed the yoke of servitude anew upon those unhappy persons, ver. 11. Dr. Blayney.
Jeremiah delivereth Zedekiah into the hands of his enemies. Before CHRIST about 591.
Jeremiah 34:14
- At the end of seven years] The seventh year was the year of release, Deut. xv. 9; consequently servants were to continue in service but six years, and at the beginning of the seventh were to be let go free; see ver. 12. For this reason some criticks render the phrase here, “within the term of seven years.” And the words mean no more, as appears by a like form of speech, Deut. xiv. 28, where it is said, “At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year:” which is to be explained by what is said chap. xxvi. 12, where every “third year” is called “the year of tithing.” So Christ is said to “rise again after three days,” Mark viii. 31; which is elsewhere explained by his rising the “third day.” W. Lowth.
Jeremiah 34:17
- — I proclaim a liberty for you,—to the sword, &c.] I give full liberty to the sword, and to the pestilence, and to the famine, to seize upon you. Bp. Hall.
Jeremiah 34:18
- — when they cut the calf in twain,] See the note on Gen. xv. 10.