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

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

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

10 So 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,

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

Original words

After אַחֲרֵ֡י H310 Preposition King הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ H4428 Article | Noun - masculine singular Zedekiah צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ H6667 Noun - proper - masculine singular had made כְּרֹת֩ H3772 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct a covenant בְּרִ֗ית H1285 Noun - feminine singular with אֶת־ H854 Preposition all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the people הָעָם֙ H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative in Jerusalem בִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם H3389 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular to proclaim לִקְרֹ֥א H7121 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct . . . לָהֶ֖ם Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural liberty דְּרֽוֹר׃ H1865 Noun - masculine singular the word הַדָּבָ֛ר H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative came הָיָ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Jeremiah יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ H3414 Noun - proper - masculine singular from מֵאֵ֣ת H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 9

Original words

that each man אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker should free לְ֠שַׁלַּח H7971 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct . . . חָפְשִׁ֑ים H2670 Adjective - masculine plural his Hebrew הָעִבְרִ֥י H5680 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular slaves עַבְדּ֞וֹ H5650 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular [both male] and female וְהָעִבְרִיָּ֖ה H5680 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . שִׁפְחָת֛וֹ H8198 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and no לְבִלְתִּ֧י H1115 Preposition-l one וְאִ֧ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker should hold עֲבָד־ H5647 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct his fellow אָחִ֖יהוּ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Jew {in bondage} בִּיהוּדִ֥י H3064 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular - אִֽישׁ׃ H376 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

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

Original words

So all כָל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the officials הַשָּׂרִ֨ים H8269 Article | Noun - masculine plural and all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct the people הָעָ֜ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative entered בָּ֣אוּ H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural into this covenant בַבְּרִ֗ית H1285 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular agreed וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ֩ H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural that they would free לְ֠שַׁלַּח H7971 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct . . . אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker - חָפְשִׁ֔ים H2670 Adjective - masculine plural their menservants עַבְדּ֞וֹ H5650 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְאִ֤ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker and maidservants שִׁפְחָתוֹ֙ H8198 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and no longer לְבִלְתִּ֥י H1115 Preposition-l hold them in bondage עֲבָד־ H5647 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - ע֑וֹד H5750 Adverb They obeyed וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural and released them וַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ H7971 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 11

Cross-references

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

Original words

but later אַחֲרֵי־ H310 Preposition - כֵ֔ן H3651 Adverb they changed their minds וַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural and took back וַיָּשִׁ֗בוּ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the menservants הָֽעֲבָדִים֙ H5650 Article | Noun - masculine plural and וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker maidservants הַשְּׁפָח֔וֹת H8198 Article | Noun - feminine plural - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative they had freed שִׁלְּח֖וּ H7971 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural . . . חָפְשִׁ֑ים H2670 Adjective - masculine plural and they forced them וַיַּכְבִּישׁוּם H3533 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural to become slaves לַעֲבָדִ֖ים H5650 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural again וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ס H8198 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural

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