Jeremiah 34 19

Jeremiah 34:19 kjv

The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

Jeremiah 34:19 nkjv

the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf?

Jeremiah 34:19 niv

The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf,

Jeremiah 34:19 esv

the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf.

Jeremiah 34:19 nlt

Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people ? for you have broken your oath.

Jeremiah 34 verses

Jeremiah 34 19 meaning

Jeremiah 34:19 explicitly names the various societal groups within Judah—the officials from both Judah and Jerusalem, palace eunuchs, priests, and the influential "people of the land"—who were culpable in breaking a solemn covenant they had made before the LORD. This covenant involved freeing their Hebrew slaves. The verse pinpoints their participation in the ritual act of "passing between the parts of the calf," which symbolized a binding oath invoking a self-curse for unfaithfulness. By re-enslaving those they had freed once the Babylonian threat temporarily receded, these individuals universally and flagrantly violated their sacred vow and God’s law.

Jeremiah 34 19 Context

Jeremiah 34 focuses on the LORD’s judgment against King Zedekiah and Judah during the final Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. In a moment of severe desperation, as Nebuchadnezzar's forces pressed in, King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem made a covenant with the LORD. This solemn agreement involved setting free all Hebrew men and women whom they had enslaved, in accordance with the Mosaic Law (Exod 21; Deut 15). The act of making this covenant was formalized through a ancient, sacred ritual: a calf was cut in two, and the covenanting parties passed between the severed pieces, implicitly invoking a severe curse upon themselves should they break their word—"May I be cut in two like this animal." However, as soon as the Babylonian army temporarily withdrew from Jerusalem (perhaps to confront an Egyptian relief force), the very people who had sworn this oath flagrantly reneged, recapturing and re-enslaving those they had just freed. Jeremiah 34:19 names these prominent groups, emphasizing the widespread and grievous nature of this betrayal of a sacred oath and the Law of God.

Jeremiah 34 19 Word analysis

• the officials of Judah:
  • "הַשָּׂרִים" (ha-śārim): Literally "the princes" or "the chiefs."
  • Significance: These were the political and military leaders responsible for governance. Their involvement highlights that the covenant, and its subsequent breach, was an official act sanctioned by the highest authority in the land, underscoring collective governmental guilt.
• the officials of Jerusalem:
  • Significance: Refers to the specific administrative and judicial authorities within the capital city. Their distinct mention emphasizes that the decision-making body in Jerusalem was centrally involved in both making and breaking this pivotal covenant.
• the eunuchs:
  • "הַסָּרִיסִים" (ha-sārisīm): "the eunuchs." In ancient Near Eastern courts, these were often high-ranking administrative or trusted royal officials, not necessarily castrated in every instance, but occupying positions of significant power and influence in the king's household.
  • Significance: Their inclusion points to the participation of those who formed the intimate circle of the king, the inner apparatus of state power. Their betrayal demonstrates a pervasive corruption even within the royal court.
• the priests:
  • "הַכֹּהֲנִים" (ha-kohănīm): "the priests." Ministers of God, guardians of the Law and religious rituals.
  • Significance: Their role was to uphold the sanctity of God's word and covenants. Their direct involvement in the covenant and its breach indicates a severe spiritual corruption, suggesting a betrayal of their sacred office and a mockery of their religious duties.
• and all the people of the land:
  • "וְכֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ" (wə-khol ‘am hā’ārets): "and all the people of the land." This typically refers to the free citizenry, often specifically the landed gentry, leading citizens, or men of substance who formed the influential majority, rather than the entire population including foreigners or slaves.
  • Significance: This group represented the broader civic and economic powers. Their complicity illustrates that the breach was not just a top-down decision but was supported, participated in, and benefited by a significant segment of society.
• who passed between the parts of the calf:
  • "אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ בֵּין בִּתְרֵי הָעֵגֶל" (ăsher ‘āvrū bein bitrē hā-‘ēgel): "who passed between the cut-apart pieces of the calf."
  • Significance: This phrase refers to an ancient covenant-making ritual (as seen in Gen 15), where parties to an oath would divide an animal and walk between the halves. It signified a solemn vow, an auto-curse that essentially said, "May I become like these slaughtered pieces if I fail to keep my word." This detail highlights the profound seriousness and binding nature of the covenant these individuals made. Their subsequent actions were therefore an open and intentional invocation of a self-curse, demonstrating audacious disregard for both God and their own sacred oath.

Jeremiah 34 19 Bonus section

The ritual of "cutting a covenant" (כָּרַת בְּרִית, karath berith) itself stems from this ancient practice of dismembering animals. This phrase emphasizes the severity of the act and the unbreakable nature of the vow, as illustrated in Jeremiah 34. The leaders and people effectively called a curse upon themselves when they passed between the split calf. By reneging on their oath, they willingly invited the very judgment that the ritual symbolized: that they too should be 'cut off' or destroyed like the calf. The covenant concerning freeing Hebrew slaves, which was mandated by the Torah (Exod 21:2, Deut 15:12-18), reflects God’s heart for justice and mercy, especially towards the vulnerable and oppressed, making their actions not just a broken promise, but a defiance of fundamental divine principles.

Jeremiah 34 19 Commentary

Jeremiah 34:19 lays bare the moral and spiritual bankruptcy of Judah's leadership and society during a critical moment. It precisely identifies the individuals across the spectrum of power—political, religious, and civic—who publicly and ritually pledged allegiance to God's law by freeing their Hebrew slaves. This sacred covenant was sealed through an archaic yet powerful ceremony, invoking a self-imprecation if broken. Their subsequent reversal of this oath, driven by self-interest once the immediate threat subsided, was an act of profound hypocrisy and sacrilege. This deliberate flouting of divine law, after making a public display of obedience, provoked God's wrath and underscored the deep-seated spiritual malaise that plagued Judah, directly leading to the devastating judgment of exile. It reveals that outward performance without genuine inward transformation is not only futile but brings heavier condemnation.