Chapter 34: Broken Promises and Coming Judgment
Overview
During Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem, Hashem sends Yermiyahu to deliver two messages: one to King Tzidkiyahu about his fate, and another condemning Judah’s leaders for breaking a covenant of freedom. The chapter highlights the seriousness of violating Hashem’s commands and the inevitability of judgment.
- Message to King Tzidkiyahu
- Hashem declares:
- Jerusalem will fall to Babylon; the city will be burned.
- Tzidkiyahu will not escape—he will meet Nebuchadnezzar face-to-face and be taken to Babylon.
- Yet a measure of mercy:
- He will not die by the sword but in peace, with funeral honors like former kings.
- Covenant of Freedom
- Under siege, Tzidkiyahu makes a covenant:
- All Hebrew slaves—men and women—must be released.
- Initially, the people obey and free their servants.
- Later, they reverse course, re-enslaving those they had liberated.
- Hashem’s Indictment
- Hashem reminds them:
- The law of release every seventh year was given at the Exodus, but their ancestors ignored it.
- Their recent act of freeing slaves was right—but breaking that covenant profaned His Name.
- Therefore:
- “You refused to proclaim liberty, so I proclaim liberty—to the sword, famine, and plague.”
- Judah will become a horror among nations.
- Judgment on Leaders
- Those who violated the covenant—princes, priests, and people—will face death.
- Their bodies will be food for birds and beasts.
- Tzidkiyahu and his officials will fall into Babylon’s hands.
- The Babylonian army will return, capture Jerusalem, and burn it; Judah’s cities will become desolate.
- Takeaway
Chapter 34 teaches:
- Obedience matters—even under pressure.
- Breaking covenants with Hashem invites severe consequences.
- True freedom comes from faithfulness, not convenience.
Key message:
When liberty is promised before Hashem, it must not be revoked—justice and mercy are His commands.
