Jeremiah 34:11 kjv
But afterward 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 34:11 nkjv
But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.
Jeremiah 34:11 niv
But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.
Jeremiah 34:11 esv
But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.
Jeremiah 34:11 nlt
but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again.
Jeremiah 34 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 34:13 | "Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ... you did not obey me by proclaiming liberty each to his brother." | Jeremiah 34:17 (Repetition) |
| Jer 34:15-16 | "and you yourselves have claimed to be called by my name. Yet you have profaned me by sending back..." | Jeremiah 34:15 (Related theme) |
| Exo 20:7 | "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God..." | Exodus 20:7 (Misuse of God's Name) |
| Lev 25:39-43 | "If your brother becomes so poor that he sells himself to you..." | Leviticus 25:39-43 (Slavery Laws) |
| Deut 15:12-18 | "If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you..." | Deuteronomy 15:12-18 (Release Laws) |
| Neh 5:1-12 | Records a similar situation where people were oppressing others. | Nehemiah 5:1-12 (Social Injustice) |
| Isa 58:3-9 | Criticizes fasting when injustice prevails. | Isaiah 58:3-9 (True Fasting) |
| Ezek 18:5-9 | Describes a righteous person who keeps God's statutes. | Ezekiel 18:5-9 (Righteousness) |
| Ezek 22:23-31 | Condemns social and religious corruption in Israel. | Ezekiel 22:23-31 (Condemnation) |
| Luke 4:18-19 | Jesus proclaims liberty to the captives. | Luke 4:18-19 (Jesus' Ministry) |
| Gal 5:1,13 | Exhorts believers to stand fast in liberty. | Galatians 5:1,13 (Christian Liberty) |
| Phil 2:4 | "Let each of you look not to his own interests, but each of you to the interests of others." | Philippians 2:4 (Mutual Care) |
| Jas 2:13 | "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy..." | James 2:13 (Mercy and Judgment) |
| Jas 5:1-6 | Warns the rich against oppressing the poor. | James 5:1-6 (Woes to the Rich) |
| Acts 7:51 | Stephen condemns his hearers for resisting the Holy Spirit. | Acts 7:51 (Resisting Truth) |
| Jer 7:9-11 | God condemns breaking the covenant through theft and murder. | Jeremiah 7:9-11 (Covenant Breaking) |
| Jer 22:3 | "Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness..." | Jeremiah 22:3 (Call to Justice) |
| Hos 4:1-3 | Condemns the people for lack of faithfulness and knowledge. | Hosea 4:1-3 (Loss of Knowledge) |
| Mal 3:5 | God witnesses against those who oppress. | Malachi 3:5 (God's Witness) |
| Heb 12:29 | "For our God is a consuming fire." | Hebrews 12:29 (God's Judgment) |
Jeremiah 34 verses
Jeremiah 34 11 Meaning
The people of Judah had freed their Hebrew slaves, an act which seemed commendable. However, they then brought them back into bondage. This act demonstrated their disregard for their covenant with God and their fellow Israelites. God declares that He has not made a covenant with them in this manner.
Jeremiah 34 11 Context
This verse is part of Jeremiah's prophecy during the reign of King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. The people of Judah had, under a national oath, proclaimed liberty for their Hebrew slaves, returning to a covenant observance. However, when the Babylonian army temporarily retreated from Jerusalem, they immediately reneged on their promise and forced the freed slaves back into servitude. This chapter vividly portrays the betrayal of a covenant made before the Lord, leading to God's pronouncement of judgment.
Jeremiah 34 11 Word Analysis
- וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ (wa’ăšer): And which; this conjunction links the preceding statement to the declaration that follows. It points to the covenant being the subject.
- כָּרְת֣וּ (kārətū): They made (a covenant); from the root כָּרַת (karat), meaning to cut. This is the standard Hebrew idiom for making a covenant, signifying a solemn and binding agreement, often sealed by cutting an animal in two.
- אֲנִ֤י (’ănī): I; emphasizing God's direct involvement and authority.
- וְלֹא֙ (wəlō): And not; a strong negation.
- יַעֲשׂ֤וּ (ya‘ăśū): They shall do, or they did (in this context, it refers to the actions that did not align with the covenant); the Hiphil conjugation implies causing something to be done, or making a covenant to be done in a certain way. The sense here is that their actions contradicted the stipulated nature of the covenant.
- אֶת־ (’et): A direct object marker.
- בְּרִית־ (bərit-): Covenant; the singular form refers to the specific covenant agreement they were to uphold.
- הַבְּרִ֜ית (habərîṯ): The covenant; the definite article emphasizes this particular, formal agreement, referencing the one made in God's name and in accord with His law concerning freeing slaves.
Group of words analysis:
- "ואשר כרתו" (wa’ăšer kārətū): "And which they made" – refers to the covenant the people had entered into with each other to release their servants.
- "ואנכי לא יעשו את ברית הברית" (wa’ănī wəlō ya‘ăśū ’et bərit habərîṯ): "And I have not made [with you] the covenant which was done" (or better understood as, "and I did not make a covenant for them to act this way with this covenant") – God distances Himself from their flawed covenant-making and enforcement. It's a declaration that He did not institute or endorse the covenant in the way they executed it, specifically in its violation of the principles of liberty they proclaimed. The implication is that their covenant with each other, while sounding righteous, was not aligned with God's covenant principles.
Jeremiah 34 11 Bonus Section
The temporary retreat of the Babylonian army, as mentioned in the context, played a crucial role. It served as the test of their sincerity. Faced with what seemed like an easing of immediate danger, they abandoned the ethical commitment, revealing their self-serving motives. This situation echoes the temptation to revert to sinful patterns when perceived threats subside. The verse implicitly calls for consistent faithfulness, not just situational righteousness, and reveals a shallow understanding of the gravity of covenant commitments made before God.
Jeremiah 34 11 Commentary
Jeremiah 34:11 highlights a critical failure in the covenant faithfulness of Judah. They initiated an action aligned with biblical principles (freeing slaves) but then corrupted its implementation by re-enslaving them. This was a hypocrisy that God, the ultimate covenant maker and keeper, could not overlook. Their covenant was a betrayal of God's own covenant of liberty and justice. It underscores that outward acts of religious observance are meaningless if not accompanied by genuine righteousness and justice in practice. Their act was not merely a social misstep; it was a violation of their commitment to the LORD and His covenant law. This mirrors situations where external religious acts are performed without internal change or just action.