Jeremiah 34 · Verse 17

Jeremiah 34:17

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.
Jeremiah 34:17, King James Version

Jeremiah 34:17 in other translations

BSBTherefore 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.
WEBTherefore the LORD says: “You have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim to you a liberty,” says the LORD, “to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. I will make you be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.
ASVTherefore 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.
YLT‘Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Ye have not hearkened unto Me to proclaim freedom, each to his brother, and each to his neighbour; lo, I am proclaiming to you liberty--an affirmation of Jehovah--unto the sword, unto the pestilence, and unto the famine, and I have given you for a trembling to all kingdoms of the earth.
DARBYTherefore thus saith Jehovah: Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will give you over to be driven hither and thither among all the kingdoms of the earth.
BBEAnd so the Lord has said, You have not given ear to me and undertaken publicly, every man to let loose his countryman and his neighbour: see, I undertake to let loose against you the sword and disease and need of food; and I will send you wandering among all the kingdoms of the earth.
WebsterTherefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened to me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: 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.

What does Jeremiah 34:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. not ... proclaiming liberty--Though the Jews had ostensibly emancipated their bond-servants, they virtually did not do so by revoking the liberty which they had granted. God looks not to outward appearances, but to the sincere intention. I proclaim a liberty--retribution answering to the offense (Mt 7:2; 18:32, 33; Ga 6:7; Jas 2:13). 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 (Psa 121:3), which is real "liberty" (Psa 119:45; Joh 8:36; 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 Jr 15:4). Compare De 28:25, 48, 64, 65, as to the restless agitation of the Jews in their ceaseless removals from place to place in their dispersion.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 I 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. You promised to give liberty to your enslaved brethren; I was pleased, and bound the sword in its sheath. You broke your promise, and brought them again into bondage; I gave liberty to the sword, pestilence, and famine, to destroy multitudes of you, and captivity to take the rest. Thus you are punished according to your crimes, and in the punishment you may see the crime. Sword, pestilence, and famine are frequently joined together, as being often the effects of each other. The sword or war produces famine; famine, the pestilence.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 34:8-22

A Jew should not be held in servitude above seven years. This law they and their fathers had broken. And when there was some hope that the siege was raised, they forced the servants they had released into their services again. Those who think to cheat God by dissembled repentance and partial reformation, put the greatest cheat upon their own souls. This shows that liberty to sin, is really only liberty to have the…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 34:8-22 →

Jeremiah 34:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לָכֵן֮la.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
כֹּה\־koh-thusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָה֒Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אַתֶּם֙'a.TemyouH859
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
שְׁמַעְתֶּ֣םshe.ma'.Temyou have listenedH8085
אֵלַ֔י'e.Laito meH413
לִקְרֹ֣אlik.Ro'by proclaimingH7121
דְר֔וֹרde.RorlibertyH1865
אִ֥ישׁ'isheveryoneH376
לְאָחִ֖יוle.'a.Chivto brother hisH251
וְאִ֣ישׁve.'Ishand everyoneH376
לְרֵעֵ֑הוּle.re.'E.huto neighbor hisH7453
הִנְנִ֣יhi.Nihere IH2005
קֹרֵא֩ko.Re'[am] about to proclaimH7121
לָכֶ֨םla.Khemto <the> you
דְּר֜וֹרde.RorlibertyH1865
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ha.Che.revthe swordH2719
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַדֶּ֣בֶרha.De.ver<the> pestilenceH1698
וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
הָרָעָ֔בha.ra.'Av<the> famineH7458
וְנָתַתִּ֤יve.na.ta.Tiand I will makeH5414
אֶתְכֶם֙'et.Khem<obj.> youH853
לְזַעֲוָ֔הliz.va.'ahinto a terrorH2189
לְכֹ֖לle.Kholto allH3605
מַמְלְכ֥וֹתmam.le.Khot[the] kingdoms ofH4467
הָאָֽרֶץ\׃ha.'A.retzthe earthH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 34:17

  • Matthew 7:2

    For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

  • Jeremiah 29:18

    And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

  • Deuteronomy 28:25

    The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

  • Galatians 6:7

    Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

  • Esther 7:10

    So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

  • James 2:13

    For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

  • Deuteronomy 28:64

    And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

  • Daniel 6:24

    And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

  • Jeremiah 15:4

    And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

  • Leviticus 26:34-35

    Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

  • Lamentations 1:8

    Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

  • Jeremiah 15:2

    And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
behold.When they proclaimed liberty to their slaves, God restrained the sword from cutting them off; but now having resumed their authority over them, He proclaimed liberty to these dire judgments to seize upon, and destroy them.
Le 26:34,35; De 19:19; Jud 1:6,7; Es 7:10; Da 6:24; Mt 7:2
Lu 6:37,38; Ga 6:7; Jas 2:13; Re 16:6
to the sword.
15:2; 21:7; 24:10; 32:24,36; 47:6,7; Eze 14:17-21
I will.
15:4; 24:9,10; 29:18; De 28:25,64
to be removed. Heb. for a removing.
La 1:8; *marg:

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 34:16

    But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

  • Jeremiah 34:17

    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.

  • Jeremiah 34:18

    And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,

Read all of Jeremiah 34

Jeremiah 34:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, así ha dicho Jehová: Vosotros no me habéis oído en promulgar cada uno libertad á su hermano, y cada uno á su compañero: he aquí que yo os promulgo libertad, dice Jehová, á cuchillo y á pestilencia y á hambre; y os pondré en remoción á todos los reinos de la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
C’est pourquoi, ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Vous ne m’avez point écouté pour proclamer la liberté chacun à son frère, et chacun à son prochain; voici, je proclame, dit l’ Éternel, la liberté contre vous à l’épée, à la peste, et à la famine; et je vous livrerai pour être chassés çà et là par tous les royaumes de la terre.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Darum spricht Jehova also: Ihr habt nicht auf mich gehört, Freiheit auszurufen, ein jeder seinem Bruder und ein jeder seinem Nächsten; siehe, so rufe ich euch Freiheit aus, spricht Jehova, für das Schwert, für die Pest und für den Hunger, und gebe euch zur Mißhandlung hin allen Königreichen der Erde.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Propterea hæc dicit Dominus: Vos non audistis me, ut prædicaretis libertatem unusquisque fratri suo et unusquisque amico suo: ecce ego prædico vobis libertatem, ait Dominus, ad gladium, ad pestem, et ad famem, et dabo vos in commotionem cunctis regnis terræ.