This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for Jeremiah 34, with leader notes for each one. It is written for small groups, Sunday classes and personal study, and you can use the questions in any order. Each section explains how to use it, so you can move straight from reading to discussion.
Jeremiah 34 at a Glance
Jeremiah 34 comes in two parts. First, the prophet brings a hard message to King Zedekiah: Jerusalem will fall to the army of Babylon, and the king himself will be taken there, though he will die in peace. Second, the chapter tells of a covenant the people made to free their Hebrew servants, a promise they kept only for a short time before taking those servants back.
The chapter closes with God’s judgment on the broken promise. Because the people broke faith with the release of their brothers and sisters, God announces that they will be handed over to the sword, the plague and the famine. The chapter is short, but it shows how seriously God takes both his word and the way his people treat one another.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the text and name what it says, and let silence sit for a moment before you move on. Keep answers grounded in what the verses actually state.
Q: In verses 1-3, what does God tell Jeremiah to say to King Zedekiah about Jerusalem and the king’s own future?
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying: 2 “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, the LORD says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire. 3 You won’t escape out of his hand, but will surely be taken and delivered into his hand. Your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you mouth to mouth. You will go to Babylon.”’
Jeremiah 34:1-3 (WEB)
Look for three things: the city will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, it will be burned, and Zedekiah will not escape. Ask the group to notice the detail that the king will see the eyes of Babylon’s king and speak with him face to face. Point out that the message is specific and personal, not vague. Help the group see how clearly God describes what is coming.
Q: In verses 4-5, how is Zedekiah’s end different from what he might have feared?
4 “Yet hear the LORD’s word, O Zedekiah king of Judah: The LORD says concerning you, ‘You won’t die by the sword. 5 You will die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will make a burning for you. They will lament you, saying, “Ah Lord!” for I have spoken the word,’ says the LORD.”
Jeremiah 34:4-5 (WEB)
Zedekiah will not die by the sword, and he will die in peace, with honor paid at his burial, as the former kings were. The reversal is the point: the judgment is severe, yet God still shows a measure of mercy toward the king personally. Ask the group how it feels to hear a hard word paired with a gentler one.
Q: In verses 8-11, what did the people agree to do, and what did they do afterward?
8 The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them; 9 that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother. 10 All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go; 11 but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
Jeremiah 34:8-11 (WEB)
They made a covenant to proclaim liberty and free their Hebrew servants, and for a time they kept their word. Then they changed their minds and forced the servants back into bondage. Ask the group to notice the pattern: the promise was made publicly, obeyed briefly, and then quietly abandoned. This is a good moment to name how easily resolve fades once the pressure eases.
Q: In verses 13-16, what does God remind the people about the covenant made with their ancestors, and how did they respond?
13 “The LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 14 At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you; but your fathers didn’t listen to me, and didn’t incline their ear. 15 You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor. You had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name; 16 but you turned and profaned my name, and every man caused his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return. You brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.’”
Jeremiah 34:13-16 (WEB)
God recalls the covenant made when he brought the people out of Egypt, including the command to release Hebrew servants after seven years. The ancestors did not listen, and the present generation did what was right for a time before turning again and profaning God’s name. Ask the group to trace how God frames this as a continuing history, not a single event.
Interpretation Questions
These questions move from what the text says to what it means. Encourage the group to reason from the passage itself and to test their ideas against the wider Scripture they know. Allow for more than one reasonable reading, but ask people to explain why they hold their view.
Q: In verses 17-20, why does God describe the people’s punishment as a “liberty” to the sword, the plague and the famine?
17 Therefore 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. 18 I 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, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf; 20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.
Jeremiah 34:17-20 (WEB)
The word is used with bitter irony. The people refused to proclaim liberty to their own brothers, so God proclaims a different kind of liberty, one that sets them free from the protection of their land and sends them into devastation. Ask the group what it reveals that God matches the punishment to the offense. Discuss how the people’s refusal to release others led to their own loss of freedom.
Q: What does the image of cutting the calf in two and passing between its parts (verses 18-19) signify in this covenant?
18 I 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, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf…
Jeremiah 34:18-19 (WEB)
This was a solemn ritual in the ancient world, where the parties in a covenant walked between the divided parts of an animal, calling down a similar fate on whoever broke their word. Ask the group what it means that the princes, officials and people all took part in this oath. Help them see that breaking the covenant was not a minor failure but a serious violation of a sacred promise made in God’s presence.
Q: Why does the chapter name God’s covenant with the people as something God himself remembers and holds them to?
13 “The LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 14 At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you; but your fathers didn’t listen to me, and didn’t incline their ear.
Jeremiah 34:13-14 (WEB)
The chapter presents the covenant as God’s own commitment, grounded in his deliverance from Egypt. Ask the group how this shapes the meaning of their disobedience. A broken agreement between people is one thing, but a broken covenant with the God who rescued them is a deeper betrayal. Let the group consider how God’s faithfulness is the foundation of the people’s obligation.
Q: In verses 21-22, what does the chapter teach about how God’s word comes to pass?
21 “I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their life and into the hands of the king of Babylon’s army, who has gone away from you. 22 Behold, I will command,” says the LORD, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, take it, and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”
Jeremiah 34:21-22 (WEB)
The final verses restate God’s announcement and add that he will command the return of the army and the burning of the city. The judgment is not left to chance; it unfolds because God has spoken. Ask the group what it means to trust that God’s word, both of warning and of promise, will be fulfilled. Discuss how this should shape the way we take his words seriously.
Application Questions
These questions bring the chapter into daily life. Give people time to think quietly before sharing, and encourage honest, specific answers rather than general ones. Remind the group that the goal is faithfulness in ordinary choices, not perfect performance.
Q: How can we treat people who depend on us, such as employees, family members or those in our care, with the justice God requires?
9 That every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother. 10 All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go…
Jeremiah 34:9-10 (WEB)
The chapter is about the release of people who had been held in servitude against the law of God. Ask the group to think about the people with less power in their own circles and how fairness and mercy appear in daily decisions. Discuss concrete ways to honor others’ dignity, such as paying fairly, keeping promises, and not using our advantage against those who are vulnerable.
Q: What does it look like to take God’s word seriously when it warns us, not only when it comforts us?
2 “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, the LORD says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire. 3 You won’t escape out of his hand, but will surely be taken and delivered into his hand. Your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you mouth to mouth. You will go to Babylon.”’
Jeremiah 34:2-3 (WEB)
Zedekiah heard a hard word from God and could have responded with humility. Ask the group how they tend to react when Scripture corrects them. Encourage them to identify one area where they might be resisting a clear command. Discuss how receiving correction with an open heart is a sign of trust in God’s wisdom.
Q: How can we remember God’s past faithfulness so that we keep our commitments to him and to others?
“The LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying…
Jeremiah 34:13 (WEB)
God reminded the people of how he had brought them out of Egypt, and that memory was meant to shape their obedience. Ask the group to name a moment when God clearly rescued or provided for them. Discuss how recalling that history can strengthen our resolve to live faithfully when life grows difficult.
Key Verses to Read Aloud
Jeremiah 34:17
Therefore 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.
(WEB)
This verse is the turning point of the chapter’s judgment. Reading it slowly lets the irony of God’s proclaimed liberty land with full weight.
Jeremiah 34:18-20
18 I 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, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf; 20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.
(WEB)
These verses explain the covenant ritual and its consequences. Reading them together helps the group understand why breaking this oath was so grave.
Memory Verse for Jeremiah 34
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that your word is true, whether it warns us or comforts us. Forgive us for the promises we have made and then quietly abandoned, and for the times we have held others to less than your justice. Help us to keep our word, to treat the people in our care with fairness and mercy, and to remember your faithfulness when life is hard. Teach us to listen when you speak, even when what you say is difficult to hear. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
