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Jeremiah 34:17

in Jeremiah 34

Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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.

KJV

Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

This verse in Jeremiah 34

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

I proclaim a liberty for you - Ye proclaimed liberty to your slaves, and afterward resumed your authority over them; and I had in consequence restrained the sword from cutting you off: but now I give liberty to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine, and to the captivity, to destroy and consume you, and enslave you: for ye shall be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth. The prophet loves to express the conformity between the crime and its punishment.

This site's exposition

Therefore this is what the LORD

on Jeremiah 34:17-20

The LORD says, “So now I proclaim freedom for you,” and names it “freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine.” They had sealed the covenant by passing “between the pieces of the calf,” the rite of Genesis 15.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

This prophecy concerning Zedekiah was delivered to Jeremiah, and by him to the parties concerned, before he was shut up in the prison, for we find this prediction here made the ground of his commitment, as appears by the recital of some passages out of it, ch. xxxii.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

But this shows what liberty to sin really--it is but a liberty to the sorest judgments. That, since they had brought their servants back into confinement in their houses, God would make them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, where they should live in servitude, and, being strangers, could not expect the privileges of free-born subjects.
Therefore thus saith the Lord,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The Jews who would not give liberty to their brethren shall themselves receive "a liberty" calamitous to them. God will manumit them from His happy and safe service (Ps 121:3), which is real "liberty" (Ps 119:45; 2Co 3:17), only to pass under the terrible bondage of other taskmasters, the "sword," &c. to be removed--The Hebrew expresses agitation (see on Jer 15:4).

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

behold I proclaim freedom to you from Me, that I am not your master to save you, and you shall be free to the sword and to the famine.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Jeremiah 34:17:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

32 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.

  • לָכֵן֮<to> therefore

    lakhenH3651 →771 times

  • כֹּה־thus

    koh-H3541 →577 times

  • אָמַ֣רhe says

    ʾamarH559 →5305 times

  • יְהוָה֒Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אַתֶּם֙you

    ʾatemH859 →1094 times

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • שְׁמַעְתֶּ֣םyou have listened

    shema'temH8085 →1159 times

  • אֵלַ֔יto me

    ʾelaiH413 →5510 times

  • לִקְרֹ֣אby proclaiming

    likro'H7121 →733 times

  • דְר֔וֹרliberty

    derorH1865 →8 times

  • אִ֥ישׁeveryone

    ʾishH376 →1663 times

  • לְאָחִ֖יוto brother his

    leachivH251 →630 times

  • וְאִ֣ישׁand everyone

    veishH376 →1663 times

  • לְרֵעֵ֑הוּto neighbor his

    lereehuH7453 →188 times

  • הִנְנִ֣יhere I

    hiniH2005 →316 times

  • קֹרֵא֩[am] about to proclaim

    kore'H7121 →733 times

  • לָכֶ֨םto <the> you

    lakhem

  • דְּר֜וֹרliberty

    derorH1865 →8 times

  • נְאֻם־[the] utterance of

    neum-H5002 →376 times

  • יְהוָ֗הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַחֶ֙רֶב֙the sword

    hacherevH2719 →413 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַדֶּ֣בֶר<the> pestilence

    hadeverH1698 →49 times

  • וְאֶל־and to

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָרָעָ֔ב<the> famine

    haraavH7458 →101 times

  • וְנָתַתִּ֤יand I will make

    venatatiH5414 →2011 times

  • אֶתְכֶם֙<obj.> you

    ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times

  • לְזַעֲוָ֔הinto a terror

    lizvaahH2189 →7 times

  • לְכֹ֖לto all

    lekholH3605 →5413 times

  • מַמְלְכ֥וֹת[the] kingdoms of

    mamlekhotH4467 →117 times

  • הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

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

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

    Galatians 6:7

    Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 9:6

      Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

    • Hosea 10:12

      Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

    • Job 4:8

      As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.

    • Romans 2:6–10

      God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”

    • 1 Corinthians 15:33

      Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

  • Through

    Matthew 7:2

    For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

    it leads to

    • James 2:13

      For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

    • Mark 4:24

      He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.

    • Obadiah 1:15

      For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.

Where this verse is studied

About Jeremiah

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630. Public domain.
Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.