Jeremiah 34:8

Jeremiah 34:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
• New International Version (NIV)The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them,
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them:

Context of Jeremiah 34:8

6The prophet Jeremiah told all this to King Zedekiah of Judah, in Jerusalem. 7This happened when the king of Babylon's army were attacking Jerusalem and the cities of Lachish and Azekah. Those were the only strong cities in Judah that were not yet under his power. At another time, the Lord gave Jeremiah another message for King Zedekiah. Zedekiah had made an agreement with the people of Jerusalem. They all agreed to let their slaves go free. 9Everyone in Judah who had a Hebrew slave must let their slave go free, both male and female slaves. Nobody should keep another Israelite person as their slave. 10All the officers and the people agreed with the king that they would do this. They would not continue to have male or female slaves. They let them go free, as they had promised.

Jeremiah 34:8 word by word

הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה אַחֲרֵ֡י כְּרֹת֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ בְּרִ֗ית אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִקְרֹ֥א לָהֶ֖ם דְּרֽוֹר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• that came unto Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
• from the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• that the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
• had madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• with all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• at Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• to proclaimקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• libertyדְּרוֹרderôr · libertyH1865

Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:8

• 2 Kings 11:17Jehoiada prepared a covenant with the Lord. All the people and the king agreed to serve the Lord as his people. The people also agreed to serve the king faithfully.
• 2 Kings 23:2He went up to the Lord's temple. All the people who lived in Jerusalem and in the rest of Judah went with him. They included the priests, the prophets, young people and old people. Everyone went to the temple. They all listened while the king read to them all the words in the Book of God's Covenant. That was the book that Hilkiah had found in the Lord's temple.
• 2 Chronicles 15:12They made a serious promise that they would faithfully serve the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
• 2 Chronicles 23:16Jehoiada prepared a covenant with the Lord. He, all the people and the king agreed to serve the Lord as his people.
• 2 Chronicles 29:10Now I want to make a covenant with the Lord, Israel's God. Then he will stop being angry with us.
• 2 Chronicles 34:30He went up to the Lord's temple. All the people who lived in Jerusalem and in the rest of Judah went with him. They included the priests, the Levites, young people and old people. Everyone went to the temple. They all listened while the king read to them all the words in the book of God's covenant. That was the book that Hilkiah had found in the Lord's temple.
• Nehemiah 9:38‘Because of this we Israelite people are all making a promise. We are writing down our agreement to serve the Lord. Our leaders, our Levites and our priests will write their names on it to give it their authority.’
• Nehemiah 10:1These people put their mark of authority on the promise that they had written: Hacaliah's son, Nehemiah (the government officer), and Zedekiah.
• Jeremiah 34:14I 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.
• Exodus 21:2If you buy an Israelite slave, he must work for you for six years. But in the seventh year he will become a free man. He can leave you. He does not have to pay you any money.
• Exodus 23:10You must plant seed in your fields for six years. Then you can bring your crops home at harvest time.
• Leviticus 25:10The year will be special. It is a Jubilee year. It is a time for every one of my people to become free. Everyone can return to his own land and to his family.
• Deuteronomy 15:12You may buy another Israelite to be your servant, a man or a woman. Let that servant work for you for six years. Then in the seventh year, you must let him go free.
• Nehemiah 5:1Some men and their wives were upset, because of the things that some other Jews were doing.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is on me, because he has chosen me to serve him. He has sent me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort people who are very upset. He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are now free. They can go out of their prisons!

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The word that came unto Jeremiah - Here the second discourse begins, which was delivered probably a short time, even a few days, after the former. Zedekiah had made a covenant - We find no account elsewhere of this covenant: "Every man should let his man-servant and his maid-servant go free;" i.e., as we learn from Jeremiah 34:14, on the sabbatical year; for the seventh year was the year of release. See Deuteronomy 15:12.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. 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. 88. By the law a Hebrew, after having been a bond-servant for six years, on the seventh was to be let go free (Ex 21:22; De 15:12). Zedekiah made a covenant--with solemn ceremonial in the temple (Jr 34:15, 18, 19). them--bond-servants (Jr 34:9).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 34:8

• Constitution
• Covenant
• Emancipation
• King
• Liberty
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Jeremiah
• Jerusalem
• Zedekiah
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Creditor
• Slave; Slavery
• Zedekiah (2)

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