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

6Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, 7When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah. This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from Yhwh, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; 9That 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. 10Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.

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

• the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• that came unto Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
• from Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 11:17And Jehoiada made a covenant between Yhwh and the king and the people, that they should be the Yhwh’s people; between the king also and the people.
• 2 Kings 23:2And the king went up into the house of Yhwh, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Yhwh.
• 2 Chronicles 15:12And they entered into a covenant to seek Yhwh God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
• 2 Chronicles 23:16And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be Yhwh's people.
• 2 Chronicles 29:10Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with Yhwh God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
• 2 Chronicles 34:30And the king went up into the house of Yhwh, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Yhwh.
• Nehemiah 9:38And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.
• Nehemiah 10:1Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the governor, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
• Jeremiah 34:14At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
• Exodus 21:2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
• Exodus 23:10And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
• Leviticus 25:10And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
• Deuteronomy 15:12And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
• Nehemiah 5:1And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord Yhwh is upon me; because Yhwh hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

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