Jeremiah 34:1

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

¶ The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,

Complete Jewish Bible:

This word came to Yirmeyahu from ADONAI when N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel, his whole army, all his vassal kingdoms and all the peoples fought against Yerushalayim and all its cities:

Berean Standard Bible:

This 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.

American Standard Version:

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:

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

The word{H1697} which came unto Jeremiah{H3414} from the LORD{H3068}, when Nebuchadnezzar{H5019} king{H4428} of Babylon{H894}, and all his army{H2428}, and all the kingdoms{H4467} of the earth{H776} of his dominion{H3027}{H4475}, and all the people{H5971}, fought{H3898} against Jerusalem{H3389}, and against all the cities{H5892} thereof, saying{H559},

Cross-References (KJV):

Jeremiah 1:15

  • For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

2 Kings 25:1

  • ¶ And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, [that] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.

2 Kings 25:9

  • And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great [man's] house burnt he with fire.

Daniel 2:37

  • Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

Daniel 2:38

  • And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold.

Jeremiah 32:2

  • For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah's house.

2 Chronicles 36:12

  • And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God, [and] humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet [speaking] from the mouth of the LORD.

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Commentary for Jeremiah 34:1

Jeremiah 34:1 sets the stage for a significant moment in the history of Judah, as it introduces a prophecy given to Jeremiah during a time of great turmoil. The verse specifies that this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was waging war against Jerusalem and its surrounding cities. Nebuchadnezzar's military campaign was part of a larger geopolitical struggle, as he sought to expand his empire and assert dominion over various kingdoms, which at this time included Judah.

The historical context of this verse is the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, around 588-587 BCE. Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians, and the situation was dire for its inhabitants. Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," had been warning the people of Judah about the impending destruction due to their disobedience to God and their failure to uphold covenantal laws, including the proper treatment of slaves.

The themes present in this verse include divine communication, as God is speaking directly to His prophet; impending judgment, as the Babylonian siege is a manifestation of God's promised discipline for Judah's unfaithfulness; and the sovereignty of God over the nations, as Nebuchadnezzar's dominion is portrayed as being under God's ultimate control. This verse serves as an introduction to a larger section where God instructs Jeremiah to convey a message that could potentially alter the course of events if the people would heed it, which includes a call to free the Hebrew slaves as per the Mosaic Law (Jeremiah 34:8-22). The unfolding narrative highlights the tension between God's justice and mercy, as well as the consequences of the people's actions in the face of divine instruction.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H1697
    There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: דָּבָר
    Transliteration: dâbâr
    Pronunciation: daw-baw'
    Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.
  2. Strong's Number: H3414
    There are 133 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יִרְמְיָה
    Transliteration: Yirmᵉyâh
    Pronunciation: yir-meh-yaw'
    Description: or יִרְמְיָהוּ; from רוּם and יָהּ; Jah will rise; Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites; Jeremiah.
  3. Strong's Number: H3068
    There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהֹוָה
    Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
    Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
    Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
  4. Strong's Number: H5019
    There are 59 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר
    Transliteration: Nᵉbûwkadneʼtstsar
    Pronunciation: neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar'
    Description: or נְבֻּכַדְנֶאצַּר; (2 Kings 24:1,10), or נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר; (Esther 2:6; Daniel 1:18), or נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר; or נְבוּכַדְרֶאצּוֹר; (Ezra 2:1; Jeremiah 49:28), or foreign derivation; Nebukadnetstsar (or -retstsar, or -retstsor), king of Babylon; Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar.
  5. Strong's Number: H4428
    There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
    Transliteration: melek
    Pronunciation: meh'-lek
    Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
  6. Strong's Number: H894
    There are 233 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בָּבֶל
    Transliteration: Bâbel
    Pronunciation: baw-bel'
    Description: from בָּלַל; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire; Babel, Babylon.
  7. Strong's Number: H2428
    There are 228 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חַיִל
    Transliteration: chayil
    Pronunciation: khah'-yil
    Description: from חוּל; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength; able, activity, ([phrase]) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ([phrase]) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).
  8. Strong's Number: H4467
    There are 113 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מַמְלָכָה
    Transliteration: mamlâkâh
    Pronunciation: mam-law-kaw'
    Description: from מָלַךְ; dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm); kingdom, king's, reign, royal.
  9. Strong's Number: H776
    There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֶרֶץ
    Transliteration: ʼerets
    Pronunciation: eh'-rets
    Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
  10. Strong's Number: H3027
    There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָד
    Transliteration: yâd
    Pronunciation: yawd
    Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
  11. Strong's Number: H4475
    There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֶמְשָׁלָה
    Transliteration: memshâlâh
    Pronunciation: mem-shaw-law'
    Description: feminine of מִמְשָׁל; rule; also (concretely in plural) a realm or a ruler; dominion, government, power, to rule.
  12. Strong's Number: H5971
    There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עַם
    Transliteration: ʻam
    Pronunciation: am
    Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people.
  13. Strong's Number: H3898
    There are 171 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: לָחַם
    Transliteration: lâcham
    Pronunciation: law-kham'
    Description: a primitive root; to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by implication, to battle (as destruction); devour, eat, [idiom] ever, fight(-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war(-ring).
  14. Strong's Number: H3389
    There are 600 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם
    Transliteration: Yᵉrûwshâlaim
    Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
    Description: rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of יְרוּשָׁלֵם)); probably from (the passive participle of) יָרָה and שָׁלַם; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine; Jerusalem.
  15. Strong's Number: H5892
    There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עִיר
    Transliteration: ʻîyr
    Pronunciation: eer
    Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
  16. Strong's Number: H559
    There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָמַר
    Transliteration: ʼâmar
    Pronunciation: aw-mar'
    Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.