Jeremiah 34:17
in Jeremiah 34Therefore 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 verseI 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
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.
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 & Brown1802–1910
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.
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 wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵן֮ | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֹּה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֒ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אַתֶּם֙ | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שְׁמַעְתֶּ֣ם | shema'tem | you have listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לִקְרֹ֣א | likro' | by proclaiming | H7121 → | 733 times |
| דְר֔וֹר | deror | liberty | H1865 → | 8 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְאָחִ֖יו | leachiv | to brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְאִ֣ישׁ | veish | and everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ | lereehu | to neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
| הִנְנִ֣י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| קֹרֵא֩ | kore' | [am] about to proclaim | H7121 → | 733 times |
| לָכֶ֨ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| דְּר֜וֹר | deror | liberty | H1865 → | 8 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ | hacherev | the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַדֶּ֣בֶר | hadever | <the> pestilence | H1698 → | 49 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָרָעָ֔ב | haraav | <the> famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| וְנָתַתִּ֤י | venatati | and I will make | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶתְכֶם֙ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְזַעֲוָ֔ה | lizvaah | into a terror | H2189 → | 7 times |
| לְכֹ֖ל | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַמְלְכ֥וֹת | mamlekhot | [the] kingdoms of | H4467 → | 117 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
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 stopsEach 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 6:7Do 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.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:6
Through
Matthew 7:2For 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.
- James 2:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Jeremiah

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.
