Jeremiah 34:20

Jeremiah 34:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth.

Context of Jeremiah 34:20

18I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts 19—the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the officers, the kohanim, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them who seek their life, and their dead bodies will be for food to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth. 21King Zedekiah of Judah and his princes I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, who were withdrawing from you. 22Indeed, I will command,” declares Adonai, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a wasteland, with no one living.”

Jeremiah 34:20 word by word

וְנָתַתִּ֤י אוֹתָם֙ בְּיַ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְהָיְתָ֤ה נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I will even giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• them into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of their enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• of them that seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• their lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• and their dead bodiesנְבֵלָהnebêlâh · carcassH5038
• shall be for meatמַאֲכָלma'ăkâl · foodH3978
• unto the fowlsעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
• of the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• and to the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:20

• Jeremiah 4:30And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Though you dress in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold ornaments though you enlarge your eyes with paint—in vain you make yourself beautiful— your lovers despise you, they seek your life.
• Jeremiah 11:21Therefore thus says Adonai concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, “You must not prophesy in the Name of Adonai, so you would not die by our hand.”
• Jeremiah 21:7“Then afterward,” declares Adonai, “I will deliver King Zedekiah of Judah and his servants, as well as the people—those surviving in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine—into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their foes, yes, into the hand of those who seek their life. So he will smite them with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them, nor have pity or compassion.”
• Jeremiah 22:25and give you over into the hand of those seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
• Jeremiah 38:16So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying: “As Adonai lives, that gave us life, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men seeking your life.”
• Jeremiah 44:30Thus says Adonai: “Soon, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them who seek his life, just as I gave King Zedekiah of Judah into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, his enemy who was seeking his life.”
• Jeremiah 49:37I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those seeking their soul. I will bring calamity on them— My burning anger!” It is a declaration of Adonai, “I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.
• Jeremiah 7:33The carcasses of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth, and no one will frighten them away.
• Jeremiah 16:4They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be lamented or buried, but will be like dung on the surface of the ground. They will be consumed by the sword and famine, and their carcasses will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.
• Jeremiah 19:7So I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will have them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of them that seek their life. I will give their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.
• 1 Samuel 17:44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, so I may give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”
• 1 Kings 14:11Anyone who belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat. For Adonai has spoken it.
• 1 Kings 16:4Anyone of Baasa who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”
• 1 Kings 21:23“Adonai has also spoken about Jezebel saying: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
• 2 Kings 9:34Then he went inside, ate and drank. Then he said, “Attend now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”
• Ezekiel 29:5I will leave you in the desert —you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field. You will not be gathered or picked up. I will give you as food for the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8-22Verses 8-22 It is usual with commentators to say that, the laws dealing with the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves, as also that of the land resting during the sabbatical year, were not observed. The narrative teaches us the exact contrary. The manumission of the slaves on the present occasion was the spontaneous act of Zedekiah and the people. They knew of the law, and acknowledged its obligation. The observance of it was, no doubt, lax: the majority let…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-22Verses 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 sorest judgments. It is just…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-20Because they broke their covenant, the Lord would separate them from his protection. This expression refers to a covenant ceremony where they killed and cut a calf into two parts from head to tail. Those making a covenant walked between the pieces to show they agreed to be cut apart if they broke the covenant (see Genesis 15:9–18). All classes of people in Judah broke their oath, so they would all receive the punishment they agreed to.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. I will even give--resuming the sentence begun, but not completed (Jr 34:18), "I will give," &c. seek their life--implacably: satisfied with nothing short of their blood; not content with booty. dead bodies--The breakers of the covenant shall be cut in pieces, as the calf between whose parts they passed.Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 34:20

• Covenant
• Sabbatic Year
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Zedekiah (2)
• Zedekiah

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings