Jeremiah 34:11

Jeremiah 34:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
• New International Version (NIV)But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.

Context of Jeremiah 34:11

9Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. 10All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free. But afterwards, they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again. 12The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said, 13“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I put a condition on the promise I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said,

Jeremiah 34:11 word by word

וַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙ אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּשִׁ֗בוּ אֶת־הָֽעֲבָדִים֙ וְאֶת־הַשְּׁפָח֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר שִׁלְּח֖וּ חָפְשִׁ֑ים וַֽיִּכְבְּשׁ֔וּם לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But afterwardאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• they turnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• and caused the servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and the handmaidsשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• whom they had let goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
• to returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• and brought them into subjectionכָּבַשׁkâbash · to subdueH3533

Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:11

• Jeremiah 34:21I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them and to the army of the king of Babylon, the army that has withdrawn from you.
• Jeremiah 37:5Pharaoh’s army had come from Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were blockading Jerusalem heard this news, they retreated from Jerusalem.
• Exodus 8:8Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray that the Lord will take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
• Exodus 9:28Pray to the Lord. We’ve had enough of God’s thunder and hail. I’ll let you go; you don’t have to stay here any longer.”
• Exodus 10:17Please forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
• Exodus 14:3Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are ⌞just⌟ wandering around. The desert is blocking their escape.’
• 1 Samuel 19:6Saul listened to Jonathan, and he promised, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, he will not be killed.”
• 1 Samuel 24:19When a person finds an enemy, does he send him away unharmed? The Lord will repay you completely for what you did for me today.
• 1 Samuel 26:21“My servant David,” Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back. I will not harm you again, because you valued my life today. I’ve acted like a fool and made a terrible mistake.”
• Psalms 36:3The words from his mouth are ⌞nothing but⌟ trouble and deception. He has stopped doing what is wise and good.
• Psalms 78:34When he killed ⌞some of⌟ them, ⌞the rest⌟ searched for him. They turned from their sins and eagerly looked for God.
• Psalms 125:5But when people become crooked, the Lord will lead them away with troublemakers. Let there be peace in Israel!
• Proverbs 26:11As a dog goes back to its vomit, ⌞so⌟ a fool repeats his stupidity.
• Ecclesiastes 8:11When a sentence against a crime isn’t carried out quickly, people are encouraged to commit crimes.
• Hosea 6:4“What should I do with you, Ephraim? What should I do with you, Judah? Your love is like fog in the morning. It disappears as quickly as the morning dew.
• Hosea 7:16They don’t return to the Most High. They are like a defective bow. Their officials will die in battle because they curse. The people in Egypt will ridicule them for this.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11But afterward they turned - They had agreed to manumit them at the end of the seventh year; but when the seventh year was ended, they recalled their engagement, and detained their servants. This, I believe, is what is here meant.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. 1111. During the interruption of the siege by Pharaoh-hophra (compare Jr 34:21, 22, with Jr 37:5-10), the Jews reduced their servants to bondage again.Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 34:11

• Constitution
• Covenant
• Emancipation
• King
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Handmaid
• 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