New King James Version
Jeremiah 34:9
9that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage.
Jeremiah 34:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
- New International Version (NIV)Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.
- English Standard Version (ESV)that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.
- New Living Translation (NLT)He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves—both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage.
Context of Jeremiah 34:9
7when the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and Azekah; for only these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah. 8This 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: that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage. 10Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go. 11But 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.
Read all of Jeremiah 34Jeremiah 34:9 word by word
לְ֠שַׁלַּח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּ֞וֹ וְאִ֧ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָת֛וֹ הָעִבְרִ֥י וְהָעִבְרִיָּ֖ה חָפְשִׁ֑ים לְבִלְתִּ֧י עֲבָד־בָּ֛ם בִּיהוּדִ֥י אָחִ֖יהוּ אִֽישׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- That every manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- should let his manservantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- his maidservantשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
- an Hebrewעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
- goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
- freeחׇפְשִׁיchophshîy · freeH2670
- that none should serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
- of a Jewיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
- his brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
Cross-references for Jeremiah 34:9
- Genesis 14:13Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
- Genesis 40:15For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”
- Exodus 2:6And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
- Exodus 3:18Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’
- Deuteronomy 15:12“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
- 1 Samuel 4:6Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
- 1 Samuel 14:11So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.”
- 2 Corinthians 11:22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
- Philippians 3:5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
- Jeremiah 34:10Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go.
- Jeremiah 25:14(For many nations and great kings shall be served by them also; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)’ ”
- Jeremiah 27:7So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.
- Jeremiah 30:8‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
- 1 Corinthians 6:8No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!
Commentaries on Jeremiah 34:9
- 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. 99. none ... serve himself of a Jew--(Le 25:39-46).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 34:9
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries