Jeremiah 34 18

Jeremiah 34:18 kjv

And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,

Jeremiah 34:18 nkjv

And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it?

Jeremiah 34:18 niv

Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.

Jeremiah 34:18 esv

And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts ?

Jeremiah 34:18 nlt

Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows.

Jeremiah 34 verses

Jeremiah 34 18 meaning

Jeremiah 34:18 pronounces divine judgment upon the men of Judah who had entered into a solemn covenant before the Lord, then brazenly violated its terms. This covenant specifically mandated the liberation of Hebrew slaves, echoing the ancient Mosaic law. The verse highlights the gravity of their transgression by referencing the traditional and most binding form of covenant initiation: "cutting the calf in two and passing between its parts." This ritual served as a self-maledictory oath, implicitly inviting the fate of the divided animal upon any party who broke the agreement, thus making their treachery a direct affront to God who witnessed and guaranteed the oath.

Jeremiah 34 18 Context

Jeremiah 34 is set during the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army. King Zedekiah, Judah's last king, was in power. Faced with imminent destruction, a desperate attempt to gain divine favor occurred. The people of Jerusalem, including Zedekiah and various officials, made a covenant before God. The terms of this covenant specifically mandated the release of all Hebrew male and female slaves, in accordance with the sabbatical release laws found in Exodus and Deuteronomy. This act of "justice" was intended to show a commitment to God's law. However, a temporary respite from the Babylonian siege occurred when the Egyptian army advanced, causing the Babylonians to withdraw. Tragically, in this moment of perceived relief, the people and their leaders shamelessly reneged on their oath, recapturing and re-enslaving those they had just freed. Jeremiah 34:18-20 is God's direct and severe condemnation through the prophet for this blatant hypocrisy and violation of both a specific divine law and a solemn oath made before Him, explicitly detailing the judgment that will befall them.

Jeremiah 34 18 Word analysis

• And I will give (וְנָתַתִּי, wə-nātattî): The verb "to give" here functions idiomatically in Hebrew, meaning "to hand over" or "to deliver over" for punishment. It emphasizes God's active, intentional role as the divine judge who carries out the sentence, not merely a passive observer. It signifies a decisive, punitive action.
• the men (אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁים, et hā-’ǎnāšîm): Refers to the specific individuals who participated in and consented to the broken covenant. In context, this would include King Zedekiah, his officials, and the slave-owners mentioned in the surrounding verses. It’s a targeted judgment.
• who have transgressed My covenant (הָעֹבְרִים אֶת־בְּרִיתִי, hā-ʿōvərîm et bə-rîtî): The Hebrew verb עָבַר (‘avar) means "to pass over" or "to cross." In the context of a covenant, "to transgress" means to cross the boundaries or violate the terms of the agreement. "My covenant" underscores God's ownership and the divine authority behind the covenant they breached.
• who have not performed (אֲשֶׁר לֹא הֵקִימוּ, ’ăšer lō’ hēqîmû): The verb קוּם (qum), in the Hiphil stem, means "to establish" or "to carry out." They not only broke the covenant but actively failed to fulfill their part, implying both omission and commission of wrong.
• the words of the covenant (אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית, et diḇrê ha-bə-rît): This specifies that the breach was not just general but concerned the precise stipulations and requirements that they themselves agreed to uphold. It highlights their selective obedience.
• which they made before Me (אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לְפָנַי, ’ăšer kārtû lə-fānay):
  • "made" (כָּרְתוּ, kārat): This verb literally means "to cut," and is the idiom for "making a covenant" (karat berit). It points directly to the physical act of cutting animals in the covenant ritual.
  • "before Me" (לְפָנַי, lə-fānay): Emphasizes God's personal presence and witness to the entire event, rendering their treachery a direct offense against Him. It imbues the oath with sacred authority and solemnity.
• when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts (הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לִשְׁנַיִם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָיו, hā-ʿēgel ’ăšer kārtû lišna-yim wayyaʿavrû bên bə-tārāw): This is the core symbolic act referenced.
  • "the calf" (הָעֵגֶל, hā-ʿēgel): The sacrificial animal, commonly used in such rituals.
  • "cut in two" (כָּרְתוּ לִשְׁנַיִם, kārtû lišna-yim): The act of dividing the animal's body into halves.
  • "passed between its parts" (וַיַּעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָיו, wayyaʿavrû bên bə-tārāw): This symbolic act sealed the oath. By walking between the sacrificed animal's divided parts, the covenanting parties implicitly invoked a self-malediction: "If I break this covenant, may I be cut in two like this animal." It was the strongest possible oath, placing their very lives and existence on the line.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant": Highlights divine agency in judgment. God holds covenant breakers directly accountable, treating their betrayal of His covenant as a personal affront. This act is not an accidental oversight but a deliberate crossing of His established boundaries.
• "who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me": Distinguishes between the external act of making a covenant and the internal commitment to fulfill its terms. Their failure to perform what they made and swore before God showcases hypocrisy and a profound lack of reverence for the sacred. The "words" of the covenant specify the legal and ethical requirements they so clearly ignored.
• "when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts": This crucial phrase points to the binding, self-invoking oath. It’s a powerful literary and cultural reference that underscores the solemnity and dire consequences associated with their covenant. The people, by performing this ritual, knowingly and willingly put their future at stake, agreeing to suffer the animal's fate should they fail to uphold their vows. This ritual roots their present judgment in their own past, explicit declaration.

Jeremiah 34 18 Bonus section

The "cutting a covenant" ritual referenced in Jeremiah 34:18 has a profound parallel and contrast with the foundational covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15. In Genesis, Abraham prepared the animals, but when it came time to pass between the parts, God Himself, symbolized by a smoking oven and a flaming torch, passed through while Abraham was in a deep sleep. This highlighted God taking full responsibility for the covenant, placing the curse upon Himself if He were to break it – which, being God, He would not. It demonstrated God's unilateral commitment and grace. In Jeremiah 34, however, it was the human parties who walked between the pieces, indicating they were invoking the self-maledictory curse upon themselves if they failed. The Judahites of Jeremiah's time, having fully participated in this grave ritual, had therefore implicitly called down their own judgment by their subsequent breach of the covenant, confirming their faithlessness to their merciful God.

Jeremiah 34 18 Commentary

Jeremiah 34:18 vividly condemns the profound covenantal infidelity of the people of Judah, exposing their hypocrisy and the severe consequences of taking God's name in vain through a false oath. Their act of freeing slaves was a performative, transient show of piety, not born of genuine obedience. By invoking the ancient and incredibly solemn ritual of "cutting a covenant"—passing between the severed halves of an animal as a self-imprecatory oath—they committed themselves in the strongest possible way. This act symbolized that the fate of the animal would befall them should they breach the agreement. Their subsequent re-enslavement of those they had freed, immediately upon the temporary relief of the siege, was not merely a social injustice but a direct, audacious affront to the God who witnessed their oath. God, therefore, ensures that the very curse they invoked upon themselves will come to pass, mirroring their faithlessness with a judgment tailored to their own covenant ritual. This serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of vows made before God and the importance of genuine obedience over performative religion.