Jeremiah 34 9

Jeremiah 34:9 kjv

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.

Jeremiah 34:9 nkjv

that every man should set free his male and female slave?a Hebrew man or woman? that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage.

Jeremiah 34:9 niv

Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.

Jeremiah 34:9 esv

that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.

Jeremiah 34:9 nlt

He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves ? both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage.

Jeremiah 34 verses

Jeremiah 34 9 Meaning

This verse denounces the failure of the princes and the people of Judah to uphold their covenant to free their Hebrew slaves, a commitment made during a solemn ceremony involving the carcass of a sacrificed heifer. Their action signifies a grave betrayal of their obligations to God and man.

Jeremiah 34 9 Context

This verse appears in Jeremiah chapter 34, which records a historical event during the reign of King Zedekiah in Judah. The Babylonian siege of Jerusalem was ongoing. In response to this crisis, King Zedekiah and the princes made a covenant to free their Hebrew slaves, mirroring an earlier Deuteronomic law regarding such freedoms. This action was intended as a repentance and an appeal for divine intervention. However, as soon as the Babylonian threat temporarily receded, the princes and people reneged on their solemn promise, re-enslaving those they had just freed. This betrayal is seen as a violation of their covenant with God and a continuation of the sinfulness that brought the judgment of Babylon upon them.

Jeremiah 34 9 Word Analysis

• and (וְ – wə) - A conjunction used here to link clauses and indicate sequence or connection.
• commanded (צִוָּה – ṣiwwâ) - Root meaning to charge, to give an order, to command. It emphasizes the authoritative nature of the instruction.
• Zedekiah (צִדְקִיָּהוּ – Ṣiḏəqîyâḇû) - Name of the last king of Judah, meaning "Yahweh is my righteousness."
• king (מֶלֶךְ – méleḵ) - Sovereign ruler.
• of (o.) - Preposition indicating possession or relation.
• and (וְ – wə) - Conjunction.
• his (וְ – wə) - Possessive pronoun suffix.
• princes (שָׂרָיו – śāráyw) - From שַׂר (śār), meaning chief, leader, captain, prince. It signifies the ruling elite alongside the king.
• and (וְ – wə) - Conjunction.
• all (כָּל – kōl) - Totality, entirety.
• the (הַ – ha) - Definite article.
• people (הָעָם – hā‘ām) - The populace, the nation.
• in (בְּ – bə) - Preposition indicating location or manner.
• Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלָםַיִם – Yərûšā·lā·yim) - The capital city of Judah, Zion.
• by (בְּ – bə) - Preposition, here indicating the means or agency.
• a (a.) - Indefinite article.
• decree (מִשְׁפָּט – mišpāṭ) - Justice, judgment, ordinance, decree. It signifies a formal legal decision or law.
• to (לְ – lə) - Preposition indicating purpose or direction.
• proclaim (קָרָא – qārāʾ) - To call out, to proclaim, to announce.
• liberty (דְּרוֹר – dərôr) - Freedom, liberty. This term carries connotations of a public proclamation of release.
• that (לְמַעַן – ləmaʿan) - For the purpose, in order that.
• none (אִישׁ – ʾîš) - Man, person, anyone.
• should (e.) - Modal auxiliary verb indicating obligation.
• hold (תַּחַת – taḥaṯ) - Under, beneath. Used metaphorically here for dominion or control.
• as (e.) - Conjunction for comparison or role.
• master (אָדוֹן – ʾāḏôn) - Lord, master, owner.
• over (עַל – ʿal) - Upon, over, against.
• his (e.) - Possessive pronoun suffix.
• brother (אָח – ʾāḥ) - Brother.
• a (e.) - Indefinite article.
• Hebrew (עִבְרִי – ʿiḇərî) - Hebrew, referring to the Israelite people by their ethnic name.
• man (אִישׁ – ʾîš) - Man.
• or (אוֹ – ʾō) - Conjunction connecting alternatives.
• woman (אִשָּׁה – ʾiššāh) - Woman.
• who (אֲשֶׁר – ʾăšer) - Relative pronoun.
• had (e.) - Past perfect auxiliary verb.
• been (e.) - Past participle auxiliary verb.
• sold (נִמְכַּר – nimḵar) - Passive form of מכר (māḵar), to sell. Indicates being bought and sold.
• as (e.) - Conjunction for role or function.
• property (כְּנַעֲנִי – kəna‘ănî) - Canaanim, here likely referring to property or belonging. However, some interpret it as a more general term for sale, implying a property of ownership in a Canaanite sense of servitude.
• unto (אֶל – ʾel) - To, toward.
• them (הֶם – hem) - Plural pronoun.
• none (אִישׁ – ʾîš) - Man, person.
• should (e.) - Modal auxiliary verb.
• hold (תַּחַת – taḥaṯ) - Under, beneath.
• as (e.) - Conjunction.
• master (אָדוֹן – ʾāḏôn) - Lord, master.
• over (עַל – ʿal) - Upon, over.
• his (e.) - Possessive pronoun suffix.
• brother (אָח – ʾāḥ) - Brother.
• a (e.) - Indefinite article.
• Hebrew (עִבְרִי – ʿiḇərî) - Hebrew.
• Judean (יְהוּדִי – yəḇûḏî) - Judean, a person from Judah.

Group analysis: The phrase "that none should hold as master over his brother a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman" underscores the intent of the decree to restore familial and communal bonds disrupted by slavery, adhering to the principle of sibling-like treatment among Israelites. The additional clause "...but that his brother Hebrew men and women might be property" (implied in the full context of their failure to uphold it, despite the verse stating the intent of the decree to prevent this, the subsequent actions showed their internal disregard for the humane aspect) shows a contradiction or the superficiality of their intended release; the language suggests a return to an un-enslaved but not necessarily equal state. The structure emphasizes a dual release: not only from forced servitude but from the oppressive system that permitted it. The use of "Hebrew" rather than "Israelite" might point to their ethnic identity as the basis for this familial bond and prohibition.

Jeremiah 34 9 Bonus Section

The ceremony described, involving the cutting of a heifer, is a vivid enactment of the covenant they were making. This ritual was understood in ancient Near Eastern practice to signify that the oath-bound parties would be cut in two like the calf if they broke their agreement. The immediate reversal of their decree shows that the fear of the Babylonians, which prompted the initial act, was stronger than their fear of God or their commitment to justice and brotherhood. This chapter serves as a severe warning against outward religious acts that lack inner sincerity and a commitment to righteousness.

Jeremiah 34 9 Commentary

This verse is critical in understanding the spiritual state of Judah during Jeremiah's ministry. The covenant to free Hebrew slaves was a direct response to a dire situation and an attempt to seek God's favor. Their subsequent failure to uphold this, and worse, the act of re-enslaving those they had promised to release, is a stark indictment of their hypocrisy. It illustrates a pattern of seeking God's deliverance without genuine repentance or commitment to justice. The covenant made by the slain heifer was meant to invoke a curse upon the breakers, and their violation invoked this curse. This lapse reveals a deep-seated disregard for divine law and human dignity, which would ultimately lead to Judah's destruction and exile. The repeated use of "brother" emphasizes the violation of kinship and the covenantal relationship God established with His people.