Jeremiah 34:16

Jeremiah 34:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
• New International Version (NIV)But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.
• English Standard Version (ESV)but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then you turned around and profaned My name, and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves, whom you had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.’

Context of Jeremiah 34:16

14I told them, “When any Hebrew slave has worked for you for six years, you must let them go free. In the seventh year after they sold themselves to you, you must set them free.” But your ancestors did not listen to me. They did not obey me. 15But now, you yourselves agreed to do what pleases me. You decided to obey me. You made a serious agreement with me in the temple which is my home. You let your slaves go free. But now you have turned back to your old ways. You have refused to give me honour. You had let your slaves go free, as they wanted to do. But now you have forced them to work for you as your slaves again. 17So I, the Lord, tell you this: You have not obeyed me. You have not let your Israelite slaves become free men and women. So now I will make you free! Yes, you will be free to let war, famine or disease kill you. People of all the kingdoms in the world will see how disgusting you are. 18I will punish the people who did not obey the agreement that they made with me. When they made that agreement, they cut a young cow into two pieces and they walked between the pieces. Because they have not obeyed their agreement, I will now cut them into pieces, like the young cow.

Jeremiah 34:16 word by word

וַתָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ וַתְּחַלְּל֣וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֔י וַתָּשִׁ֗בוּ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ֙ וְאִ֣ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם חָפְשִׁ֖ים לְנַפְשָׁ֑ם וַתִּכְבְּשׁ֣וּ אֹתָ֔ם לִֽהְי֣וֹת לָכֶ֔ם לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But ye turnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• and pollutedחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
• my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• and caused every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• his handmaidשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• whom ye had setשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• at libertyחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
• at their pleasureנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
• to returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• and brought them into subjectionכָּבַשׁkâbash · to subdueH3533

Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:16

• Jeremiah 34:11But later, they decided that they would not do that. They took the men and women back to work for them as slaves again. They forced them to do that.
• 1 Samuel 15:11‘I am sorry that I chose Saul to be king. He has turned away from me. He has not obeyed my commands.’ When Samuel heard that, he was very upset. He prayed aloud to the Lord all that night.
• Ezekiel 3:20A righteous person may stop doing things that are right. He may start to do bad things. Then I will put him in danger. He will die as punishment for his sins. I will not remember the good things that he did. But if you have not warned him of the danger, I will say that you are guilty. It is as if you killed him yourself.
• Ezekiel 18:24A righteous person may stop doing things that are good and right. He may start to do the same disgusting things that wicked people do. Then he will not continue to live. I will not remember any of the good things that he did. Instead, I will punish him because of the sins that he has done. He has not been faithful to me, so he will die.
• Ezekiel 33:12Son of man, you must say to your people, “If a righteous person refuses to obey me, I will punish him. The good things that he has done will not save him. And if a wicked person stops doing bad things, he will no longer be guilty. Righteous people will not continue to live if they start to do bad things.”
• Luke 8:13Some seeds fell on ground with rocks in it. This is like people who hear the message from God and they are very happy for a time. But they are like plants that have not grown down well into the soil. They believe in God for a short time. But when they have problems, they stop believing.
• Exodus 20:7You must not speak the name of the Lord your God in a wrong way. The Lord will punish anyone who speaks his name in a wrong way.
• Leviticus 19:12You must not use the name of your God to say a promise. This will make my name unclean. I am the Lord.
• Ezekiel 17:16I promise you this, as surely as I live, says the AlmightyLord. That man that the king of Babylon made king in Jerusalem will die! He will die in Babylon because he did not obey the agreement he had made with the king of Babylon. He thought that his promise was not important.
• Ezekiel 20:39Israel's people, this is what the Almighty Lord says to you: Now, every one of you, go to serve your idols! But after that, you will listen to me. You will no longer insult my holy name. You will no longer give gifts to your idols.
• Ezekiel 39:7My people, Israel will know that my name is holy. No longer will I let them say bad things about me. And the nations round you will know that I, the Lord am the holy God in Israel.
• Malachi 1:7You insult my name when you offer unclean sacrifices to me on my altar. But you ask, “How have we offered unclean sacrifices to you?” You have shown that you do not respect the Lord's altar as important.
• Matthew 18:28But then that same servant went away and he met another servant of the king. This other servant had to pay back a debt of 100 silver coins to the first servant. The first servant took hold of the neck of the other servant to hurt him. He said, “Give me the money that is mine.”

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Ye - polluted my name - Had made the covenant in my name, calling me to witness it; now ye have dishonored my name, by breaking that covenant, and acting contrary to my law.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. 15-16The slaveholders did the right thing by freeing their slaves; they followed God's command. However, they made their promise in the Temple, and when they broke it, they disrespected God's name and showed contempt (breaking the rule in Deuteronomy 5:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. polluted my name--by violating your oath (Ex 20:7).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 34:16

• Covenant
• Liberty
• Sabbatic Year
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Handmaid
• Pleasure
• 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