Focused Passage

Jeremiah 34:12-16

Broken Covenant, Re-Enslaved Servants, and the Liberty of Judgment

The chapter moves from a word of judgment and limited mercy to Zedekiah, to the covenant reform releasing Hebrew servants, to Judah's reversal and re-enslavement, to the LORD's indictment, and finally to the judgment of sword, plague, famine, corpse shame, and Babylon's return.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

13 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:

14 Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

15 Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name.

16 But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

Then the word דְבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular came וַיְהִ֤י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Jeremiah יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ H3414 Noun - proper - masculine singular - מֵאֵ֥ת H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker from the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular saying לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 13

Cross-references

Joshua 24:17 Classic cross-references Judges 6:8 Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:10 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 5:2 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 5:27 Classic cross-references

Original words

This is what כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the God אֱלֹהֵ֣י H430 Noun - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֥ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular I אָנֹכִ֗י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular made כָּרַ֤תִּֽי H3772 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular a covenant בְרִית֙ H1285 Noun - feminine singular with אֶת־ H854 Preposition your forefathers אֲב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural when בְּי֨וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct I brought them out הוֹצִאִ֤י H3318 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | first person common singular - אוֹתָם֙ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural of the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֔יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular out of the house מִבֵּ֥ית H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of slavery עֲבָדִ֖ים H5650 Noun - masculine plural saying לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 14

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 15:12 Classic cross-references 1 Kings 9:22 Classic cross-references 1 Samuel 8:7 Classic cross-references 2 Kings 17:13 Classic cross-references

Original words

Every מִקֵּ֣ץ H7093 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct seventh שֶׁ֣בַע H7651 Number - feminine singular year שָׁנִ֡ים H8141 Noun - feminine plural each אִישׁ֩ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker of you must free תְּֽשַׁלְּח֡וּ H7971 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural his Hebrew הָעִבְרִ֜י H5680 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular brother אָחִ֨יו H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular who אֲשֶֽׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative has sold himself יִמָּכֵ֣ר H4376 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to you לְךָ֗ Preposition | second person masculine singular He may serve וַעֲבָֽדְךָ֙ H5647 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular you six שֵׁ֣שׁ H8337 Number - feminine singular construct years שָׁנִ֔ים H8141 Noun - feminine plural but then you must let him go וְשִׁלַּחְתּ֥וֹ H7971 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular free חָפְשִׁ֖י H2670 Adjective - masculine singular - מֵֽעִמָּ֑ךְ H5973 Preposition-m | second person feminine singular But your fathers אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural . . . אֵלַ֔י H413 Preposition | first person common singular . . . וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle did not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle listen שָׁמְע֤וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural or incline הִטּ֖וּ H5186 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their ear אָזְנָֽם׃ H241 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural

Verse 15

Cross-references

Jeremiah 34:8 Classic cross-references 2 Kings 23:3 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 7:10 Classic cross-references Nehemiah 10:29 Classic cross-references

Original words

Recently הַיּ֗וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular you אַתֶּ֜ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural repented וַתָּשֻׁ֨בוּ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural and did וַתַּעֲשׂ֤וּ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker what pleased הַיָּשָׁר֙ H3477 Article | Adjective - masculine singular Me בְּעֵינַ֔י H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | first person common singular each אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular of you proclaimed לִקְרֹ֥א H7121 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct freedom דְר֖וֹר H1865 Noun - masculine singular for his neighbor לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ H7453 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular You made וַתִּכְרְת֤וּ H3772 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural a covenant בְרִית֙ H1285 Noun - feminine singular before Me לְפָנַ֔י H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular in the house בַּבַּ֕יִת H1004 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative bears נִקְרָ֥א H7121 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular My Name שְׁמִ֖י H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular . . . עָלָֽיו׃ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular

Verse 16

Cross-references

Leviticus 19:12 Classic cross-references Proverbs 21:13 Classic cross-references Exodus 20:7 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 18:24 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 3:20 Classic cross-references

Original words

But now you have changed your minds וַתָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural and profaned וַתְּחַלְּל֣וּ H2490 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My name שְׁמִ֔י H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Each of you אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker has taken back וַתָּשִׁ֗בוּ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural the menservants and maidservants עַבְדּוֹ֙ H5650 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְאִ֣ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker - שִׁפְחָת֔וֹ H8198 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular whom אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative you had set שִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם H7971 Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine plural at liberty חָפְשִׁ֖ים H2670 Adjective - masculine plural to go wherever they wanted לְנַפְשָׁ֑ם H5315 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural and you have again forced וַתִּכְבְּשׁ֣וּ H3533 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural them אֹתָ֔ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural to be לִֽהְי֣וֹת H1961 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct your לָכֶ֔ם Preposition | second person masculine plural slaves לַעֲבָדִ֖ים H5650 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural . . . וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ס H8198 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural

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