Jeremiah 34:3

And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

And thou shalt not escape out {H4422} of his hand {H3027}, but shalt surely {H8610} be taken {H8610}, and delivered {H5414} into his hand {H3027}; and thine eyes {H5869} shall behold {H7200} the eyes {H5869} of the king {H4428} of Babylon {H894}, and he shall speak {H1696} with thee mouth {H6310} to mouth {H6310}, and thou shalt go {H935} to Babylon {H894}.

You will not escape but will surely be captured and handed over to him; your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Bavel, he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Bavel.'

And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.

and thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

Jeremiah 34:3 delivers a stark and personal prophecy directly from the Lord to King Zedekiah of Judah, through the prophet Jeremiah. This verse is a direct divine pronouncement of Zedekiah's inescapable fate at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during the final siege of Jerusalem.

Context

At this point in Judah's history, Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army. King Zedekiah, who had been placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar after the first deportation, had rebelled against Babylon, trusting in aid from Egypt (which proved futile). The prophet Jeremiah had consistently warned Zedekiah and the people that surrender to Babylon was God's will and the only path to survival, but his warnings were largely ignored. This particular prophecy in Jeremiah 34:2-3 is a direct counter to Zedekiah's hopes of escape or victory, reinforcing the certainty of Jerusalem's fall and his personal capture.

Key Themes

  • Divine Sovereignty and Judgment: The verse powerfully illustrates God's absolute control over nations and kings. Zedekiah's capture and exile are not merely outcomes of warfare but a direct fulfillment of God's judgment against Judah's persistent idolatry and disobedience.
  • Inevitable Consequences of Rebellion: Zedekiah's defiance of God's word, as delivered by Jeremiah, led directly to this severe outcome. The prophecy emphasizes that there would be "no escape" from the consequences of his actions and the nation's sin.
  • Personal Humiliation and Exile: The prophecy highlights the deeply personal humiliation awaiting Zedekiah: seeing Nebuchadnezzar face-to-face and being led away into exile in Babylon. This direct encounter underscores the complete subjugation of Judah's monarchy.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "mouth to mouth" (Hebrew: peh el peh) signifies a direct, personal confrontation or conversation, rather than through intermediaries. In this context, it emphasizes the intense, direct interaction between Zedekiah, the defeated king, and Nebuchadnezzar, the conquering emperor. It conveys the personal nature of the humiliation and judgment.

Related Scriptures

The fulfillment of this prophecy is chillingly detailed in 2 Kings 25:4-7 and Jeremiah 39:4-7, where Zedekiah's escape attempt fails, he is captured, forced to watch his sons executed, and then blinded before being taken to Babylon. This echoes earlier warnings about the consequences of covenant disobedience.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 34:3 serves as a powerful reminder of several timeless truths:

  • The Seriousness of Disobedience: God's warnings are not idle threats. Disregarding divine counsel, whether individually or nationally, leads to inevitable consequences.
  • God's Word Always Prevails: Despite human resistance or schemes, God's prophetic word is always fulfilled. This instills confidence in the reliability of scripture and God's ultimate plan.
  • Humility Before God: Zedekiah's pride and refusal to humble himself before God and submit to His will led to his downfall. It encourages believers to cultivate a spirit of humility and obedience.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 32:4

    And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

  • Jeremiah 21:7

    And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

  • 2 Kings 25:4

    And the city was broken up, and all the men of war [fled] by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which [is] by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees [were] against the city round about:) and [the king] went the way toward the plain.

  • 2 Kings 25:7

    And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 34:21

    And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you.

  • Jeremiah 39:4

    And it came to pass, [that] when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.

  • Jeremiah 39:7

    Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

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