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 these things to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem. 7He did this when the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the cities of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities of Judah that were left. The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. 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.

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 made a promise to the Lord on behalf of the king and his people that they would be the Lord’s people. He made other promises between the king and the people.
• 2 Kings 23:2The king, everyone in Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people (young and old) went to the Lord’s temple. Josiah read everything written in the Book of the Promise found in the Lord’s temple so that they could hear it.
• 2 Chronicles 15:12They made an agreement with one another to dedicate their lives to serving the Lord God of their ancestors with all their heart and soul.
• 2 Chronicles 23:16Jehoiada made a promise to the Lord on behalf of the king and his people that they would be the Lord’s people.
• 2 Chronicles 29:10Now I intend to make a pledge to the Lord God of Israel so that he may turn his burning anger away from us.
• 2 Chronicles 34:30The king, everyone in Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people (young and old) went up to the Lord’s temple. He read everything written in the Book of the Promise found in the Lord’s temple so that they could hear it.
• Nehemiah 9:38“We are making a binding agreement ⌞and putting it⌟ in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document.”
• Nehemiah 10:1The following people sealed the agreement: Governor Nehemiah (son of Hacaliah), Zedekiah,
• Jeremiah 34:14‘Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free.’ But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me.
• Exodus 21:2“Whenever you buy a Hebrew slave, he will be your slave for six years. In the seventh year he may leave as a free man, without paying for his freedom.
• Exodus 23:10“For six years you may plant crops in your fields and harvest them,
• Leviticus 25:10Set apart the fiftieth year as holy, and proclaim liberty to everyone living in the land. This is your jubilee year. Every slave will be freed in order to return to his property and to his family.
• Deuteronomy 15:12Whenever Hebrew men or women are sold to you as slaves, they will be your slaves for six years. In the seventh year you must let them go free.
• Nehemiah 5:1Then some of the people, the men and their wives, complained publicly about their Jewish relatives.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released.

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