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

16But 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. I 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. 19I will punish the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the king's officers and the priests. I will punish all the people of Judah who refused to obey the agreement that they made with me. 20I will put them under the power of their enemies. Their enemies will kill them. Birds and wild animals will eat their dead bodies as food.

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 17:2The Lord your God will give you towns to live in. You may hear that a man or a woman who lives in one of your towns has done a bad thing. He has done a sin that is against the covenant of the Lord your God.
• Joshua 7:11Israel has done a bad thing. They have not obeyed the command of the covenant that I made with them. That have taken for themselves some of the valuable things that belong to me. They have taken them and they have tried to deceive me. They have hidden them among their own things.
• Joshua 23:16You must obey the rules that he commanded you to obey in his covenant. You must not serve or worship other gods. If you turn against him, the Lord your God will be very angry with you. Then very soon none of you will remain in this good land that he has given to you.’
• Hosea 6:7Like Adam, my people did not obey the covenant that I had made with them. They did not serve me faithfully.
• Hosea 8:1The Lord says, ‘Warn the people of danger! My people have not obeyed the covenant that I made with them. They have refused to obey my laws. So an enemy army will come to attack their land, like an eagle that is ready to fly down and catch them.
• Deuteronomy 29:12You are standing here to agree to the covenant that the Lord your God is making with you today. You must promise to obey it.
• Joshua 9:7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, ‘Perhaps you live near to us. So we could not make a promise not to fight against you.’
• Genesis 15:10Abram brought the three animals and the two birds to offer to God. Abram cut each animal in two pieces. He put the halves opposite each other. But he did not cut the birds in two pieces.
• Psalms 50:1God, the great God, the Lord, is speaking. He is calling everybody on the earth, from where the sun rises in the east, to where it goes down in the 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