The Meaning of Jeremiah 34:3 Explained

Jeremiah 34:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: and thou, thou dost not escape out of his hand, for thou art certainly caught, and into his hand thou art given, and thine eyes see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth with thy mouth speaketh, and Babylon thou enterest.

Darby: And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt certainly be taken, and given into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak with thy mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 34:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Zedekiah would not escape, but instead would be captured, and would stand before Nebuchadnezzar face to face (cf. Jeremiah 39:5-7). He would also go to Babylon as a prisoner of war. All this came to pass (cf. Jeremiah 39:4-7; Jeremiah 52:7-11).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 34

1  Jeremiah prophesies the captivity of Zedekiah and the city
8  The princes and the people having dismissed their bond-servants,
11  contrary to the covenant of God, re-assume them
12  Jeremiah gives them and Zedekiah into the hands of their enemies

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 34:3 mean?

And you not shall escape from his hand but surely shall be taken and into his hand delivered and your eyes - the eyes of the king of Babylon shall see and face to face he shall speak with you and to Babylon you shall go
וְאַתָּ֗ה לֹ֚א תִמָּלֵט֙ מִיָּד֔וֹ כִּ֚י תָּפֹ֣שׂ תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ וּבְיָד֖וֹ תִּנָּתֵ֑ן וְֽ֠עֵינֶיךָ אֶת־ עֵינֵ֨י מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֜ל תִּרְאֶ֗ינָה וּפִ֛יהוּ אֶת־ פִּ֥יךָ יְדַבֵּ֖ר וּבָבֶ֥ל תָּבֽוֹא

וְאַתָּ֗ה  And  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
תִמָּלֵט֙  shall  escape 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
מִיָּד֔וֹ  from  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
תָּפֹ֣שׂ  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ  shall  be  taken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
וּבְיָד֖וֹ  and  into  his  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
תִּנָּתֵ֑ן  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וְֽ֠עֵינֶיךָ  and  your  eyes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵינֵ֨י  the  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֜ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
תִּרְאֶ֗ינָה  shall  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וּפִ֛יהוּ  and  face 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
פִּ֥יךָ  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
יְדַבֵּ֖ר  he  shall  speak  with  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וּבָבֶ֥ל  and  to  Babylon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
תָּבֽוֹא  you  shall  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.