Jeremiah 34 15

Jeremiah 34:15 kjv

And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

Jeremiah 34:15 nkjv

Then you recently turned and did what was right in My sight?every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.

Jeremiah 34:15 niv

Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.

Jeremiah 34:15 esv

You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name,

Jeremiah 34:15 nlt

Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name.

Jeremiah 34 verses

Jeremiah 34 15 Meaning

The Lord declared that His people, in their rebellious and disobedient actions, had previously proclaimed themselves to be free men by releasing their servants. However, when facing distress, they reneged on this covenant and recaptured those servants. This act demonstrated their hypocrisy and their failure to honor God's covenant, revealing their lack of true freedom in Him and their servitude to their own selfish desires and fear.

Jeremiah 34 15 Context

This verse is found within the book of Jeremiah, specifically during the final days of the kingdom of Judah before the Babylonian conquest. The context is the prophet Jeremiah's confrontation with the princes and people of Jerusalem who had broken a covenant they made before the Lord. This covenant involved freeing their Hebrew slaves (servants) as stipulated by the Law during the Sabbatical year and Jubilee. They enacted this release during a time of crisis (likely the siege of Jerusalem) to seek God's favor, but as soon as the immediate threat seemed to recede, they reverted to their oppressive practices. Jeremiah's message here is a denunciation of their false repentance and their hypocritical observance of God's commands, highlighting their ultimate servitude to sin and defiance of God.

Jeremiah 34 15 Word Analysis

• "For" (כִּי - ki): Conjunction indicating cause or explanation, linking this statement to previous actions or accusations.
• "when" (בִּהְיוֹתָם - bihyotam): Temporal conjunction, "in their being," referring to a specific time.
• "I brought them out" (הֹצֵאתִי - hotzeti): Verb "yatsa" (to go out, bring out), Hiphil (causative) form, first person singular. Refers to God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
• "of the land of Egypt" (מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם - me'erets Mitzrayim): Literal location of Israel's exodus.
• "concerning" (לְבֵית - l'veit): Preposition, "to the house of," signifying the household or people of Israel.
• "the house of Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael): The nation of Israel.
• "that ye had proclaimed yourselves free" (תַּמְלִיכוּ - tamlichu): Verb "malak" (to reign, to be king), Niphal (passive) form, second person plural. Literally, "that ye were made kings" or "that ye were consecrated/established." In this context, it carries the sense of declaring or establishing freedom, often associated with setting men as princes or lords over others. The context strongly implies establishing freedom, similar to liberating slaves who would then potentially have their own authority. It's not a direct word for "free," but signifies the authoritative state achieved by freeing them.
• "and then" (וְאָז - v'az): Temporal conjunction, "and then," marking the subsequent action.
• "ye did turn again" (וַתָּשֻׁבוּ - v'tashuvu): Verb "shuv" (to turn, return), Qal (simple active) form, second person plural. Indicates a reversal of their prior action.
• "and made them your servants" (וַתַּעֲשׂוּם - v'ta'asu'em): Verb "asah" (to do, make), Qal form, second person plural, followed by the plural pronoun "hem" (them). Means to cause them to become something.
• "and your bondmen" (וַעֲבָדִים - v'avadim): Noun "avad" (servant, slave). Refers to enslaved people.
• "and bondwomen" (וּשְׁפָחוֹת - ushfachot): Noun "shifchah" (female slave, maidservant). Refers to female slaves.

Group Analysis:

• "When I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning the house of Israel...": This phrase recalls the foundational covenant act of God, the Exodus. It's not just a historical event but the very basis of Israel's identity and their relationship with God, emphasizing divine obligation.
• "...that ye had proclaimed yourselves free, and then ye did turn again...": This highlights the cyclical nature of their disobedience. They acted righteously (proclaimed freedom for their slaves) but then reversed their righteous actions (made them servants again). This turn back signifies a deliberate violation of their covenant and a betrayal of their declared commitment.
• "...and made them your servants and your bondwomen.": This is the direct consequence of their turning again, re-establishing the very state of bondage they had temporarily relinquished. It underlines the reversal of the Lord's liberating act and the restoration of oppression.

Jeremiah 34 15 Bonus Section

The action described in Jeremiah 34 relates directly to the Mosaic Law concerning the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:39-43 explicitly details that Israelite slaves were to be released every seventh year and under special provisions during the Jubilee year. Jeremiah confronts them for their deliberate violation of these statutes, which were meant to preserve a sense of family and prevent perpetual servitude among God's people. Their failure to uphold this aspect of the Law indicated a deeper systemic injustice and disregard for God's character, which is intrinsically just and compassionate. This verse serves as a stark reminder that true worship involves practicing righteousness in all aspects of life, not merely performing outward religious rituals.

Jeremiah 34 15 Commentary

The Lord indicts Israel for a profound act of spiritual adultery. Their covenant to free Hebrew slaves, mandated by God’s law (Exodus 21:2, Deuteronomy 15:12-15), was initiated out of fear during a time of national crisis. However, this outward act was not rooted in genuine obedience or love for God, but in self-preservation. As soon as external pressure eased, they shamefully rescinded their commitment, re-enslaving those they had declared free. This demonstrated a core spiritual sickness: their freedom was a legalistic compliance, not a transformative experience of God's grace. They profited from a temporary show of righteousness while secretly harboring a persistent desire for exploitation. Their actions exposed their true masters: not God, but their own greed and unfaithfulness. God uses this broken covenant to illustrate the emptiness of their religious practices when divorced from true heart-change and a commitment to justice and mercy. Their proclaimed freedom was superficial; their true state remained bondage to sin.