Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
3. thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon ] Cp. Jer 32:4. There is no reason to doubt, with Du., that the blinding of Zedekiah, as related in Jer 52:11; 2Ki 25:7, after his interview with Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah (Jer 39:6 f.), is historical. See Eze 12:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Thou shalt not escape] This, however, he had attempted, but was taken in his flight. See Jer 39:4; Jer 52:7, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
We had all this Jer 32:3,4.
See Poole “Jer 32:3“, See Poole “Jer 32:4“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. (Jer32:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shalt not escape out of his hand,…. Though he would, and did attempt to do it, Jer 52:8;
but shall surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; he was taken on the plains of Jericho, and delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon at Riblah; as may be seen in the place just referred to:
and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon; and that was all; for they were quickly put out by him:
and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon; see Jer 32:3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
As Zedekiah saw the people still doing their duty he despised his enemy; for as the city was very strongly fortified, he hoped to be able to preserve it a little time longer. Hence was the false hope of deliverance; for he thought that the enemy being wearied would return into Chaldea. He was deceived by this expectation. But the Prophet forthwith assailed him, and declared that he would become a captive, which Zedekiah indeed deserved through his ingratitude: for Nebuchadnezzar had put hint in the place of his nephew, when Jeconiah was led away into Babylon and had made him king. He afterwards revolted from the king of Babylon, to whom he had pledged his faith, and to whom he became tributary. But the Prophet did not regard these intermediate causes, but the primary cause, the fountain, even because the people had not ceased to add sins to sins, because they had been wholly untameable and had rejected all promises, and had also closed their ears against all wise counsels. Then God, resolving to inflict extreme punishment on a people so perverse and desperate, blinded their king, as we have before said, so that he revolted from the king of Babylon, and thus brought destruction on himself, and the city, and the whole country. Thus God overruled the intermediate causes which are apparent to us; but he had his hidden purpose which he executed through external means.
He then says, Thou shalt not be freed from his hand, for thou shalt be taken; and then he adds, Thou shalt be delivered into his hand What he says in many words might have been expressed in one sentence: but it was necessary to rouse the king’s sottishness, by which he was inebriated, so that he might be awakened in order that he might dread the punishment which was at hand, which, however, was not the case; but he was thereby rendered more inexcusable. Thus the threatenings which God repeats by his servants are never useless; for if the ears of those who are reproved are deaf, yet what God declares will be a testimony against them, so that every excuse on the ground of ignorance is removed.
He says afterwards, Thine eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon And this happened; but his eyes were afterwards pulled out. He met, indeed, with singular disgrace, for he was taken to Riblah and tried as a criminal. He was not treated as a king, nor did he retain any of his former dignity; but he was taken before the tribunal of the king of Babylon as a thief or a miscreant. Then after he was convicted of ingratitude and treachery, the Chaldean king ordered his children to be slain before his eyes, and also his chief men and counsellors, and himself to be bound with chains and his eyes to be pulled out; and he brought him to Babylon. It was, then, a most cruel punishment which the king of Babylon inflicted on Zedekiah. And the Prophet seems to have indirectly referred to what happened, Thine eyes, he says, shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon: he was forced to look with his eyes on the proud conqueror, and then his eyes were pulled out; but he had first seen his own children slain.
He adds, and his mouth shall speak to thy mouth, that is, “Thou shalt hear the dreadful sentence pronounced upon thee, after thou shalt be convicted of a capital offense; the king himself shall degrade thee with all possible disgrace.” Now, this was a harder fate than if Zedekiah had been secretly put to death. He was dragged into the light; he then underwent many terrible things when led into the presence of his enemy. This, then, the Prophet related, that Zedekiah might understand that he in vain defended the city, for its miserable end was near at hand. He afterwards adds, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
3. Thou shalt not escape Many, as, for instance, Hitzig, Graf, and Payne Smith, in the Speaker’s Commentary, understand this to express a conditional prophecy. The fate set forth in this and the following verses would be inevitable should he persist in resisting, but otherwise might be averted. But this interpretation is unwarranted and unnecessary.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 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.
Ver. 3. And thou shalt not escape. ] Whatever vain hopes thou mayest nourish, and although thou thinkest thou hast a stake in store, howsoever the world goes with the rest. See Jer 32:4-5 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thine eyes shall behold, &c. See note on Jer 32:4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And thou: Jer 34:21, Jer 21:7, Jer 32:4, Jer 37:17, Jer 38:18, Jer 39:4, Jer 39:5, Jer 52:7-9, 2Ki 25:4, 2Ki 25:5
and thine: Jer 39:6, Jer 39:7, Jer 52:10, Jer 52:11, 2Ki 25:6, 2Ki 25:7, Eze 12:13, Eze 17:18-20, Eze 21:25
he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth: Heb. his mouth shall speak to thy mouth
Reciprocal: 2Ki 25:1 – in the ninth Jer 1:18 – against Jer 25:35 – the shepherds Jer 32:3 – Behold Jer 39:16 – Behold Eze 17:15 – shall he escape Eze 17:16 – even
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 34:3. This verse has been thought to contradict another prediction, but it is explained at eh. 32: 4 which the reader should see for the sake of the information.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Zedekiah would not escape, but instead would be captured, and would stand before Nebuchadnezzar face to face (cf. Jer 39:5-7). He would also go to Babylon as a prisoner of war. All this came to pass (cf. Jer 39:4-7; Jer 52:7-11).