Jeremiah 34:9

Jeremiah 34:9 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.
• English Standard Version (ESV)that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.
• New King James Version (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.

Context of Jeremiah 34:9

7while the king of Babylon’s army was attacking Jerusalem and all of Judah’s remaining cities — that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they were the only ones left of Judah’s fortified cities. 8This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom to them. As a result, each was to let his male and female Hebrew slaves go free, and no one was to enslave his fellow Judean. 10All the officials and people who entered into covenant to let their male and female slaves go free — in order not to enslave them any longer — obeyed and let them go free. 11Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had let go free and forced them to become slaves again.

Jeremiah 34:9 word by word

לְ֠שַׁלַּח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּ֞וֹ וְאִ֧ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָת֛וֹ הָעִבְרִ֥י וְהָעִבְרִיָּ֖ה חָפְשִׁ֑ים לְבִלְתִּ֧י עֲבָד־בָּ֛ם בִּיהוּדִ֥י אָחִ֖יהוּ אִֽישׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• That every manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• should let his manservantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• his maidservantשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• an Hebrewעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
• goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
• that none should serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• of a Jewיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
• his brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251

Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:9

• Genesis 14:13One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with Abram.
• Genesis 40:15For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”
• Exodus 2:6opened it, and saw him, the child — and there he was, a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”
• Exodus 3:18They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
• Deuteronomy 15:12“If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.
• 1 Samuel 4:6The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the Lord had entered the camp,
• 1 Samuel 14:11They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding!”
• 2 Corinthians 11:22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I.
• Philippians 3:5circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee;
• Jeremiah 34:10All the officials and people who entered into covenant to let their male and female slaves go free — in order not to enslave them any longer — obeyed and let them go free.
• Jeremiah 25:14For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’”
• Jeremiah 27:7All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him.
• Jeremiah 30:8On that day — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies — I will break his yoke from your neck and tear off your chains, and strangers will never again enslave him.
• 1 Corinthians 6:8Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat — and you do this to brothers and sisters!

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:9

• 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. 8-22Zedekiah told the people to free their slaves. He wanted to gain favor with God by following the covenant rules about Hebrew slave ownership (Exodus 21:2–4). These rules had been ignored since the time of Moses. However, the order was useless because the people soon broke this new promise. They had also broken their agreement with Nebuchadnezzar (see Ezekiel 21:23–24) and their original covenant with the Lord. The Lord would punish them for their betrayal.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. none ... serve himself of a Jew--(Le 25:39-46).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 34:9

• Brother
• Constitution
• Covenant
• Emancipation
• King
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Hebrew; Hebrewess
• Jew, Jewess, Jewish
• Slave; Slavery
• Zedekiah (2)
• 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