Jer. 34 The captivity of Zedekiah and the city, Jer. 34:1–7. The princes and people by solemn covenant, according to the law, dismiss their bond-servants, but the Babylonians leaving the siege, they reassume them, Jer. 34:8–11.

The revelation of the will of God to Jeremiah, to be published to the people during the time of the siege. The seven first verses are plainly a distinct prophecy from that in the latter part of the chapter.

We had all this Jer. 32:3–4. See Poole “Jer. 32:3”, See Poole “Jer. 32:4”.

This only place informeth us concerning the manner of Zedekiah’s death, and that both negatively and positively. Negatively, that he did not die by the sword, the king of Babylon took him, killed his sons before his eyes, then put out his eyes, and bound him in chains, Jer.

The prophet was not afraid to go and do the message God had intrusted him with to the king, upon which he was imprisoned, as we read before, Jer. 32:3; the time it should seem was after that the king of Babylon had invaded the country, and, taken the greatest part of it; only three fortified places…

This verse plainly beginneth a new prophecy, but at what particular time this revelation or the publication of it was we are not told, only the occasion of it is recorded.

This was the tenor of God’s law mentioned in the above named texts; and it seemeth Zedekiah, taking notice of the common violation of this law, and the Jews’ ordinary oppressing those of their own nation this way, judging that this might be one of those sins for which the wrath of God was at this…

The princes and the people, having first with the king agreed to the thing, upon the issuing out of his proclamation they at first yielded obedience to it.

Like a company of wretched hypocrites, they reformed this abuse only to serve a turn, which when it was served they returned again to their old oppression; and in this thing not the people alone, but the government, was to be blamed, for their judges in the courts of justice ought to have executed…

The law of God is called often a covenant, because it containeth the will of God which he would have them do, to which (whether they express their consent or no), they are bound to consent and agree.

This is but a repetition of the law, Ex. 21:2, Deut. 15:12, which concerned such persons as were sold by others, or had sold themselves. God would not have his people take advantage of the sudden and rash acts of their brethren, which were the effects of passion.

Ye were now turned; that is, reformed in this particular, in which you had done the thing which I commanded you, proclaiming a liberty to your servants. And you made a covenant in my presence to that purpose, and that in the temple, where it seemeth this covenant was made.

You again licked up your vomit, and profaned my name, swearing by it to do that which you have not done, and forced your servants, though dismissed, to return again unto their former bondage and subjection to you.

They had turned and given a liberty, Jer. 34:20; how doth God say here they had not? So God accounteth none to have done those good acts which they do in a fit, or merely to serve themselves of God; he saith they had not done it, because they did not persist to do it; in such a case men’s…

This was a ceremony which they used in making of covenants, not without something of a warrant from a Divine precedent, Gen. 15:9–10; it is said, Jer. 34:18, that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham (that covenant was a promise that Abraham’s seed should possess the land of Canaan). Gen.

God doth not threaten all the Jews, but those only who had made this covenant, and formally confirmed it, by killing a beast, and passing through the parts of it thus divided and laid opposite one to another.

Here is nothing in this verse but what was said before, save only in the last clause, where mention is made of the king of Babylon’s army, which was gone up from them, the occasion of which we shall meet with Jer. 37:5, because there was an army came out of Egypt to assist the Jews.

I will put it into their hearts to return, saith the Lord, and they shall come back again to the siege, and shall rise up no more till they have taken the city, and burned it with fire, and made the whole country desolate.