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Jeremiah 34:7

in Jeremiah 34

as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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.

KJV

When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

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This verse in Jeremiah 34

Commentary

2 notes on this verse
This marks the exact time, that it was early in the campaign, while the outlying fortresses still occupied the attention of Nebuchadnezzars army. Lachish and Azekah were strong cities in the plain toward Egypt and must be taken before the Chaldseans could march upon Jerusalem: otherwise the Egyptians might collect there and fall upon them.

This site's exposition

Thou shalt not die by the sword

on Jeremiah 34:4-7

Yet the sentence carries a mercy inside it: Zedekiah shall not die by the sword but in peace, honored with the burning of spices the former kings received and mourned with the old cry, Ah lord! Jeremiah delivers this word in person while the siege still presses, and verse 7 marks how far the war had already gone, only Lachish and Azekah still standing beside Jerusalem among the fortified towns of Judah. The mercy is real and also small, a peaceful death for a king who will still watch his sons killed and his own eyes put out, and Keil and Henry both read the pairing of a gentle death and a hard captivity as the whole of what was offered.

The words behind it

22 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְחֵ֣ילand [the] army of

    vecheilH2428 →246 times

  • מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of

    melekh-H4428 →2525 times

  • בָּבֶ֗לBabylon

    bavelH894 →262 times

  • נִלְחָמִים֙[were] fighting

    nilchamimH3898 →177 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem

    yerushalimH3389 →643 times

  • וְעַ֛לand on

    vealH5921 →5755 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • עָרֵ֥י[the] cities of

    ʾareiH5892 →1090 times

  • יְהוּדָ֖הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • הַנּֽוֹתָר֑וֹתwhich were left

    hanotarotH3498 →106 times

  • אֶל־against

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • לָכִישׁ֙Lachish

    lakhishH3923 →

  • וְאֶל־and against

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • עֲזֵקָ֔הAzekah

    ʾazekahH5825 →

  • כִּ֣יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • הֵ֗נָּהthey

    henahH2007 →

  • נִשְׁאֲר֛וּthey remained

    nisharuH7604 →133 times

  • בְּעָרֵ֥יamong [the] cities of

    beareiH5892 →1090 times

  • יְהוּדָ֖הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • עָרֵ֥יcities of

    ʾareiH5892 →1090 times

  • מִבְצָֽר׃ פfortification

    mivtzarH4013 →37 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

16 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Joshua 10:3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,5 works2 Kings 18:13–14In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.3 worksJeremiah 4:5Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’3 works2 Chronicles 11:5–10Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.3 worksJoshua 15:35Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,3 worksJoshua 10:10–11And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.2 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Kings 19:8When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.2 worksJeremiah 8:14Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.2 works2 Chronicles 27:4He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.2 worksDeuteronomy 28:52They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.2 worksJoshua 12:11the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;2 worksJeremiah 34:1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities.2 worksJeremiah 11:12Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.2 worksJoshua 15:39Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,2 worksMicah 1:13Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.2 works1 Samuel 17:1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Joshua 15:35

    Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 17:1

      Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

    • 1 Samuel 22:1

      So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

    • Joshua 10:3

      Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

  • Through

    Jeremiah 4:5

    Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 8:14

      Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink,…

    • Joshua 10:20

      So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.

    • Jeremiah 6:1

      “Run for cover, O sons of Benjamin; flee from Jerusalem! Sound the ram’s horn in Tekoa; send up a signal over Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms from the north, even great destruction.

    • Hosea 8:1

      Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.

  • Through

    Joshua 10:3

    Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

    it leads to

Where this verse is studied

What the record shows

1 entry
  • Lachish Letters (Ostraca)undisputed

    Guardroom of the city gate, Tel Lachish · British Museum and Israel Museum

    Counterpoint: The most quoted line — Letter 4's report that the writer watches for Lachish's fire signals but cannot see Azekah — is broken and ambiguous, and scholars disagree over whether it means Azekah had already fallen or simply lay out of sight. The 'prophet' mentioned in Letter 3 is unnamed, and there is no basis for identifying him with Jeremiah.

About Jeremiah

The Prophet Jeremiah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Prophet Jeremiah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Jeremiah: the study guide →Read Jeremiah 34 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Jeremiah 34 →