Jeremiah 34:18

Jeremiah 34:18 in other versions

• King James Version (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,
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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—
• New King James Version (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—

Context of Jeremiah 34:18

16Yet you backed out [of the covenant] and profaned My Name, and each man took back his servants, male and female, whom had been set free in accordance with their desire, and you brought them into servitude [again] to be your male servants and your female servants.” ’ 17“Therefore says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed liberty to your brother and your countryman. Behold (listen very carefully), I am proclaiming liberty to you—[liberty to be put] to the sword, [liberty] to [be ravaged by] the virulent disease, and [liberty] to [be decimated by] famine,’ says the Lord; ‘and I will make you a horror and a warning to all the kingdoms of the earth. The men who have violated My covenant, who have not kept the terms of the solemn pledge which they made before Me when they split the [sacrificial] calf in half, and then afterwards walked between its separated pieces [sealing their pledge to Me by placing a curse on themselves should they violate the covenant—those men I will make like the calf]! 19The princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the high officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf, 20I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And [like the body of the calf] their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

Jeremiah 34:18 word by word

וְנָתַתִּ֣י אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הָעֹֽבְרִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־הֵקִ֙ימוּ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרְת֖וּ לְפָנָ֑י הָעֵ֙גֶל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּרְת֣וּ לִשְׁנַ֔יִם וַיַּעַבְר֖וּ בֵּ֥ין בְּתָרָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I will giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
• the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• that have transgressedעָבַר‛âbar · to pass: trespassH5674
• my covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• which have not performedקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · word: promisedH1697
• which they had madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• me, when they cutכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• the calfעֵ֫גֶל‛êgel · calfH5695
• in twainשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• and passedעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• between the partsבֶּ֫תֶרbether · partH1335

Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:18

• Deuteronomy 17:2“If there is discovered among you, within any of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does evil in the sight of the Lord your God, by transgressing (violating) His covenant,
• Joshua 7:11Israel has sinned; they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them [to keep]. They have even taken some of the things under the ban, and they have both stolen and denied [the theft]. Moreover, they have also put the stolen objects among their own things.
• Joshua 23:16When you transgress (violate) the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you [to follow], and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”
• Hosea 6:7But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.
• Hosea 8:1Set the trumpet to your lips [announcing impending judgment]! Like a [great] vulture the enemy comes against the house of the Lord, Because they have broken My covenant And transgressed and rebelled against My law.
• Deuteronomy 29:12so that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, and into His oath and agreement which the Lord your God is making with you today,
• Joshua 9:7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you are living within our land; how then can we make a covenant (treaty) with you?”
• Genesis 15:10So Abram brought all these to Him and cut them down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.
• Psalms 50:1The mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting [from east to west].

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18When they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof - This was the ancient and most solemn way of making a covenant. A calf as sacrifice was offered to God to secure his approbation and support. The victim was then exactly divided from the nose to the rump; the spinal marrow being divided longitudinally, in the most careful manner, that the half of it might remain on each side. These divided parts were laid opposite to each other, a…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8-22Verses 8-22 It is usual with commentators to say that, the laws dealing with the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves, as also that of the land resting during the sabbatical year, were not observed. The narrative teaches us the exact contrary. The manumission of the slaves on the present occasion was the spontaneous act of Zedekiah and the people. They knew of the law, and acknowledged its obligation. The observance of it was, no doubt, lax: the majority let…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-22Verses 8-22 A Jew should not be held in servitude above seven years. This law they and their fathers had broken. And when there was some hope that the siege was raised, they forced the servants they had released into their services again. Those who think to cheat God by dissembled repentance and partial reformation, put the greatest cheat upon their own souls. This shows that liberty to sin, is really only liberty to have the sorest judgments. It is just…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-20Because they broke their covenant, the Lord would separate them from his protection. This expression refers to a covenant ceremony where they killed and cut a calf into two parts from head to tail. Those making a covenant walked between the pieces to show they agreed to be cut apart if they broke the covenant (see Genesis 15:9–18). All classes of people in Judah broke their oath, so they would all receive the punishment they agreed to.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. passed between the parts thereof--The contracting parties in the "covenant" (not here the law in general, but their covenant made before God in His house to emancipate their slaves, Jr 34:8, 9) passed through the parts of the animal cut in two, implying that they prayed so to be cut in sunder (Mt 24:51; Greek, "cut in two") if they should break the covenant (Ge 15:10, 17).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 34:18

• Covenant
• Sabbatic Year
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Alliance
• Calf
• Covenant
• Calf, Golden
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Elijah
• Text of the Old Testament
• Zedekiah (2)
• Oath
• Zedekiah

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings