¶ 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,
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},
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:
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.
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:
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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.
Jeremiah 34:1 sets the historical stage for a significant prophecy delivered by the prophet Jeremiah. It immediately plunges the reader into a moment of extreme national crisis for the Kingdom of Judah: the final siege of Jerusalem by the powerful Babylonian Empire.
Context
This verse describes the precise historical moment when the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. It was during the critical period when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, along with his vast army and forces from various conquered kingdoms, was actively engaged in besieging Jerusalem and all the remaining fortified cities of Judah. This siege, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of the city and the temple in 586 BC, was not merely a geopolitical event but, from a biblical perspective, a direct act of divine judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and disobedience to God's covenant. The phrase "all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion" emphasizes the overwhelming might of the Babylonian war machine and the comprehensive nature of the assault on Judah.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD" is crucial. In Hebrew, this is davar Yahweh (דבר יהוה), emphasizing that the message is not Jeremiah's own opinion or political analysis, but a direct, authoritative, and divinely inspired communication from God Himself. This phrase authenticates the prophetic message that follows, grounding it in divine revelation rather than human insight.
Practical Application
Jeremiah 34:1 serves as a stark reminder that God's warnings are serious and His word is always fulfilled. While the historical context is specific to ancient Judah, the underlying principles resonate today: