Jeremiah 34:9
7 as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.
8 After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD
that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.
10 So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,
11 but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.
- 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.
- WEB
- that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother.
- ASV
- that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, [to wit], of a Jew his brother.
- DARBY
- that every man should let his bondman, and every man his bondmaid, the Hebrew and the Hebrewess, go free, that none should exact service of them, [that is,] of a Jew his brother.
- BLB
- that each man should send forth free his manservant and his maidservant, a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, that none of them should lay service on a Jew, his fellow man.
- ÅB
- så at enhver skulle gi sin slave og sin slavekvinne fri, om de var hebreere, så ikke noen skulle holde sin jødiske bror som slave.
- OTB
- Hver person skulle frigjøre sine hebraiske slaver, både mannlige og kvinnelige, slik at ingen skulle holde en medhebraer i trelldom.
- B1930
- så at enhver skulde gi sin træl og sin trælkvinne fri, om de var hebreere, så ikke nogen skulde holde sin jødiske bror i trældom.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 34:10
So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,
Read in contextGenesis 40:15
For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”
Read in context1 Samuel 14:11
So the two of them showed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, who exclaimed, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding!”
Read in contextDeuteronomy 15:12
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free.
Read in contextJeremiah 27:7
All nations will serve him and his son and grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will enslave him.
Read in contextJeremiah 30:8
On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will break the yoke off their necks and tear off their bonds, and no longer will strangers enslave them.
Read in context1 Samuel 4:6
On hearing the noise of the shout, the Philistines asked, “What is this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they realized that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp,
Read in contextGenesis 14:13
Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram.
Read in context