Focused Passage

Jeremiah 34:8-11

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

8After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD

9that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.

10So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,

11but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Cross-references

Isaiah 61:1Classic cross-references Isaiah 58:6Classic cross-references Leviticus 25:10Classic cross-references Jeremiah 34:15Classic cross-references 2 Kings 11:17Classic cross-references

Original words

Afterאַחֲרֵ֡יH310PrepositionKingהַמֶּ֨לֶךְH4428Article | Noun - masculine singularZedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֜הוּH6667Noun - proper - masculine singularhad madeכְּרֹת֩H3772Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructa covenantבְּרִ֗יתH1285Noun - feminine singularwithאֶת־H854Prepositionallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe peopleהָעָם֙H5971Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativein Jerusalemבִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֔םH3389Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singularto proclaimלִקְרֹ֥אH7121Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct. . .לָהֶ֖םPreposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plurallibertyדְּרֽוֹר׃H1865Noun - masculine singularthe wordהַדָּבָ֛רH1697Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativecameהָיָ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singulartoאֶֽל־H413PrepositionJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֖הוּH3414Noun - proper - masculine singularfromמֵאֵ֣תH854Preposition-m | Direct object markerthe LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 9

Original words

that each manאִ֣ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markershould freeלְ֠שַׁלַּחH7971Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct. . .חָפְשִׁ֑יםH2670Adjective - masculine pluralhis Hebrewהָעִבְרִ֥יH5680Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularslavesעַבְדּ֞וֹH5650Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular[both male] and femaleוְהָעִבְרִיָּ֖הH5680Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular. . .שִׁפְחָת֛וֹH8198Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularand noלְבִלְתִּ֧יH1115Preposition-loneוְאִ֧ישׁH376Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markershould holdעֲבָד־H5647Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructhis fellowאָחִ֖יהוּH251Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularJew {in bondage}בִּיהוּדִ֥יH3064Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular-אִֽישׁ׃H376Noun - masculine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

Jeremiah 26:10Classic cross-references Jeremiah 26:16Classic cross-references Jeremiah 34:19Classic cross-references

Original words

So allכָל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe officialsהַשָּׂרִ֨יםH8269Article | Noun - masculine pluraland allוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructthe peopleהָעָ֜םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularwhoאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeenteredבָּ֣אוּH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralinto this covenantבַבְּרִ֗יתH1285Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularagreedוַיִּשְׁמְעוּ֩H8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralthat they would freeלְ֠שַׁלַּחH7971Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct. . .אִ֣ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object marker-חָפְשִׁ֔יםH2670Adjective - masculine pluraltheir menservantsעַבְדּ֞וֹH5650Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular. . .וְאִ֤ישׁH376Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerand maidservantsשִׁפְחָתוֹ֙H8198Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularand no longerלְבִלְתִּ֥יH1115Preposition-lhold them in bondageעֲבָד־H5647Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct-ע֑וֹדH5750AdverbThey obeyedוַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland released themוַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃H7971Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 11

Cross-references

2 Peter 2:20Classic cross-references Jeremiah 34:16Classic cross-references Ecclesiastes 8:11Classic cross-references Matthew 12:43Classic cross-references Proverbs 26:11Classic cross-references

Original words

but laterאַחֲרֵי־H310Preposition-כֵ֔ןH3651Adverbthey changed their mindsוַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙H7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland took backוַיָּשִׁ֗בוּH7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe menservantsהָֽעֲבָדִים֙H5650Article | Noun - masculine pluralandוְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markermaidservantsהַשְּׁפָח֔וֹתH8198Article | Noun - feminine plural-אֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativethey had freedשִׁלְּח֖וּH7971Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural. . .חָפְשִׁ֑יםH2670Adjective - masculine pluraland they forced themוַיַּכְבִּישׁוּםH3533Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine pluralto become slavesלַעֲבָדִ֖יםH5650Preposition-l | Noun - masculine pluralagainוְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃סH8198Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural

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