Jeremiah 34:4
34:4 However, listen to what I, the Lord, promise you, King Zedekiah of Judah. I, the Lord, promise that 1 you will not die in battle or be executed. 2
Jeremiah 52:27
52:27 The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed 3 at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land.
1 tn Heb “However, hear the word of the Lord, Zedekiah king of Judah, ‘Thus says the Lord to you, “You will not die by the sword.”’” The translation has tried to avoid the complexity created by embedding quotes within quotes and has used the first person address within the Lord’s speech as has also been done elsewhere.
2 tn Heb “by the sword.”
sn The contrast is between death in battle or by execution and death in the normal course of life. Zedekiah was captured, had to witness the execution of his sons, had his eyes put out, and was taken to Babylon where he died after a lengthy imprisonment (Jer 52:10-11).
3 tn Heb “struck them down and killed them.”