Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 34
Albert Barnes Commentary
Jeremiah 34
Albert Barnes Commentary
Jeremiah 34
"The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying:" — Jeremiah 34:1 (ASV)
People - Peoples, that is, tribes, races, under the rule of one man.
"thou shalt die in peace; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee, so shall they make a burning for thee; and they shall lament thee, [saying], Ah Lord! for I have spoken the word, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 34:5 (ASV)
In peace - See Jeremiah 12:12 note.
Burn odors - "Make a burning." The burning was probably that of piles of wood, and spices were added only as a special honor. It was not a Jewish custom to burn the dead. As these burnings depended upon the estimation in which the dead king was held, the verse implies a prosperous reign, such as Zedekiah might have had as an obedient vassal to Babylon.
I have pronounced the word - I have spoken the word.
"when the king of Babylon`s army was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these [alone] remained of the cities of Judah [as] fortified cities." — Jeremiah 34:7 (ASV)
This marks the exact time: it was early in the campaign, while the outlying fortresses still occupied the attention of Nebuchadnezzar's army. Lachish and Azekah were strong cities in the plain toward Egypt and had to be taken before the Chaldeans could march upon Jerusalem; otherwise, the Egyptians might gather there and attack them.
"The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, [to wit], of a Jew his brother. And all the princes and all the people obeyed, that had entered into the covenant, that every one should let his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, that none should make bondmen of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go: but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids. Therefore the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear. And ye were now turned, and had done that which is right in mine eyes, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: but ye turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and ye brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids. Therefore thus saith Jehovah: ye have not hearkened unto me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim unto you a liberty, saith Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth. And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, that have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof; the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf; I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth. And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon`s army, that are gone away from you. Behold, I will command, saith Jehovah, and 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 inhabitant." — Jeremiah 34:8-22 (ASV)
Commentators usually say that the laws dealing with the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves, as well as the law of the land resting during the sabbatical year, were not observed. The narrative teaches us the exact contrary. The manumission of the slaves on this occasion was the spontaneous act of Zedekiah and the people. They knew of the law and acknowledged its obligation. Its observance was, no doubt, lax: the majority allowed their own selfish interests to prevail, but the minority made might give way to right, and Zedekiah supported their efforts, though only in a weak way.
Early in January, in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the Chaldean army approached Jerusalem. The people made a covenant with the king, who appears as the promoter of the measure, to let their slaves go free. Patriotism possibly had its share in this. Since Jerusalem was strongly fortified, all classes perhaps hoped that if the slaves were manumitted, they too would labor with more heartfelt goodwill in resisting the enemy. In the summer of the same year, the Egyptians advanced to the rescue, and Nebuchadnezzar withdrew to meet their attack. The Jews, with a strange levity that presents them in a most despicable light, at once forced the manumitted slaves back into bondage. With noble indignation, Jeremiah rebukes them for their treachery, assures them that the Chaldean army will return, and warns them of the certainty of the punishment they so richly merited (Jeremiah 34:8).
As the Chaldean army swept over the country, the wealthier classes would all flee to Jerusalem, taking with them their households. And since the Mosaic Law was probably more carefully kept there than in the countryside, the presence in these families of slaves who had grown old in service might have offended the stricter classes at the capital.
To proclaim liberty unto them – These words are from the proclamation of the year of Jubilee to the people, at which time it became their duty to set their slaves free (Jeremiah 34:9).
Should serve himself of them – This means to make them serve him (Jeremiah 34:9).
They turned, and caused ... to return – Afterward, they again made the slaves return (Jeremiah 34:11).
The house of bondmen – This refers to the miserable prison in which the slaves were shut up at night after being worked in the fields all day in gangs (Jeremiah 34:13).
At their pleasure – Literally, for themselves (Jeremiah 34:16).
I will make you to be removed into – This means, “I will cause you to be a terror unto.” Men would shudder at them (Jeremiah 34:17).
The words ... – The Jews spoke of “cutting” a covenant because the contracting parties cut a calf in two and passed between the pieces. Thus, cutting a covenant and cutting a calf in two meant the same thing (Jeremiah 34:18).
Which are gone up from you – i.e., which have departed for the present and have lifted the siege (Jeremiah 34:21).
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