Jeremiah 34:8 After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD

◄ Jeremiah 34:8 ►

New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves.

English Standard Version
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,

Berean Standard Bible
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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:

New American Standard Bible
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, to proclaim release to them:

NASB 1995
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them:

NASB 1977
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them:

Legacy Standard Bible
The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after King Zedekiah had cut a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them:

Amplified Bible
The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant (solemn pledge) with all the [Hebrew] people who were [slaves] in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them:

Christian Standard Bible
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom to them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom to them,

American Standard Version
The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

English Revised Version
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;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves.

Good News Translation
King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem had made an agreement to set free

International Standard Version
This is this message from the LORD that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem proclaiming release for them.

Majority Standard Bible
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD

NET Bible
The LORD spoke to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to grant their slaves their freedom.

New Heart English Bible
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;

Webster's Bible Translation
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;

World English Bible
The word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, after the making of a covenant by King Zedekiah with all the people who [are] in Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,

Young's Literal Translation
The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after the making by the king Zedekiah of a covenant with all the people who are in Jerusalem, to proclaim to them liberty,

Smith's Literal Translation
The word which was to Jeremiah from Jehovah after king Zedekiah cut out a covenant with all the people which were in Jerusalem, to call to them liberty;

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, after that king Sedecias had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem making a proclamation:

Catholic Public Domain Version
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after king Zedekiah had struck a pact with all the people in Jerusalem, proclaiming

New American Bible
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom:

New Revised Standard Version
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—

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were in Jerusalem: Proclaim liberty to them;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The word that came on Jeremiah from before LORD JEHOVAH saying: “After King Tsedeqia covenanted a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem: “They shall be called ‘Set free’

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
The word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias, after king Sedekias had concluded a covenant with the people, to proclaim a release;

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Freedom for Hebrew Slaves
8After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD 9that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 21:2-6
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything. / If he arrived alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrived with a wife, she is to leave with him. / If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. ...

Deuteronomy 15:12-18
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. / And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. / You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. ...

Leviticus 25:39-46
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. / Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. / Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. ...

Nehemiah 5:1-13
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. / Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” / Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” ...

Isaiah 58:6
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?

Ezekiel 46:17
But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will belong to that servant until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs only to his sons; it shall be theirs.

2 Kings 23:3
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

2 Chronicles 34:31
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

Romans 6:18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

John 8:32-36
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” / “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?” / Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ...

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, / to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Matthew 18:27
His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

Philemon 1:15-16
For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— / no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:21-23
Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity. / For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. / You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Treasury of Scripture

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;

had.

2 Kings 11:17
And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king also and the people.

2 Kings 23:2,3
And the king went up into the house of the LORD, 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 the LORD…

2 Chronicles 15:12-15
And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; …

to proclaim.

Jeremiah 34:14,17
At 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 21:2-4
If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing…

Exodus 23:10,11
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: …

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Jeremiah 34

1. Jeremiah prophesies the captivity of Zedekiah and the city.
8. The princes and the people having dismissed their bond-servants,
11. contrary to the covenant of God, re-assume them.
12. Jeremiah gives them and Zedekiah into the hands of their enemies.

Berean Study Bible

After King Zedekiah had made a covenant
The phrase "After King Zedekiah had made a covenant" introduces us to a significant moment in the history of Judah. The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "בְּרִית" (berit), which implies a solemn agreement or promise, often with divine implications. In the ancient Near Eastern context, covenants were binding and sacred, often sealed with rituals or sacrifices. King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, is attempting to align his actions with the will of God, reflecting a moment of potential repentance and reform. This covenant is a pivotal point, as it shows Zedekiah's acknowledgment of the need for change and obedience to God's laws, particularly concerning the treatment of Hebrew slaves.

with all the people in Jerusalem
The phrase "with all the people in Jerusalem" indicates that this covenant was not a private or isolated event but involved the entire community. The inclusion of "all the people" suggests a communal responsibility and a collective return to the covenantal laws given by God. Jerusalem, the spiritual and political center of Judah, is the focal point of this reform. This highlights the importance of community in the biblical narrative, where the actions of the leaders and the people are intertwined. The covenant's communal nature underscores the biblical principle that societal change requires collective commitment and action.

to proclaim liberty
The phrase "to proclaim liberty" is rooted in the Hebrew word "דְּרוֹר" (deror), which means freedom or release. This proclamation is reminiscent of the Year of Jubilee described in Leviticus 25, where liberty was to be proclaimed throughout the land, and slaves were to be set free. This act of proclaiming liberty is a powerful symbol of God's desire for justice and freedom for His people. It reflects the heart of God, who hears the cries of the oppressed and calls for their liberation. In a spiritual sense, this liberty points to the ultimate freedom found in Christ, who liberates us from the bondage of sin.

to the slaves
The phrase "to the slaves" refers to the Hebrew slaves who were to be set free as part of this covenant. In the ancient world, slavery was a common practice, but the Mosaic Law provided specific regulations to protect Hebrew slaves, including their release in the seventh year (Exodus 21:2). The mention of "slaves" here highlights the social injustices that had crept into Judah, as the people had failed to observe these laws. This call to free the slaves is a call to return to God's righteous standards and to restore dignity and freedom to those who had been oppressed. It serves as a reminder of God's compassion and justice, urging His people to reflect His character in their societal structures.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) After that the king Zedekiah had made? a covenant . . .--The remainder of the chapter brings before us an historical episode of considerable interest. The law of Moses did not allow in the case of a free-born Hebrew more than a temporary bondage of seven years (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12-18), extended (but under the form of serfage rather than slavery) in the later regulations of Leviticus 25:39-40 to the time that might intervene between the date of purchase and the commencement of the next year of jubilee. In 2Kings 4:1 we have an instance of the working of the law, as bringing even the sons of a prophet into this modified slavery. Only if the man preferred his state as a slave to the risks of freedom could his master retain him after the appointed limit (Exodus 21:5-6). The law had apparently fallen into disuse, and the nobles of Judah, like those of Athens before Solon, and Rome before the institution of the Tribunate, had used the law of debt to bring a large number of their fellow citizens into slavery, just as their successors did after the return from Babylon (Nehemiah 5:5). Under the pressure of the danger from the Chaldaean invasion, and that he might have the ready service of freemen instead of the forced work of slaves, perhaps also in consequence of the revival of the law, that followed on its discovery, probably in the form of the Book of Deuteronomy, in the days of Josiah (2Kings 22:8), Zedekiah had been led to promise freedom to all the slave population of this class that were within the walls of Jerusalem, either as a celebration of a Sabbatic year, or jubilee, or, irrespective of any such observance, as a reparation for past neglect. The step was probably not without its influence in giving fresh energy to the defenders of the city. The Chaldaeans, threatened by the approach of an Egyptian army (Jeremiah 37:5), raised the siege (Jeremiah 34:21). When the danger was past, however, the princes who had agreed to the emancipation returned to their old policy of oppression (Jeremiah 34:11), and those who had been liberated were brought under a bondage all the more bitter for the temporary taste of freedom. Against this perfidious tyranny the prophet, stirred by "the word of the Lord," bears his protests. His sympathies, like those of true prophets at all times, were with the poor and the oppressed. The phrase "proclaim liberty" was closely connected with the year of jubilee, as in Leviticus 25:10, Isaiah 61:1. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - A covenant. The scene of this "covenant" was the temple (veto. 15, 18). Solemn agreements of this kind were not uncommon (comp. 2 Chronicles 15:12; 2 Kings 11:17; 2 Kings 23:3; Nehemiah 10.). To proclaim liberty unto them. The phrase, a very peculiar one, is taken from the law of jubilee (Leviticus 25:10), though the prescription on which the covenant was based refers exclusively to the seventh year of the slave's servitude.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

After
אַחֲרֵ֡י (’a·ḥă·rê)
Preposition
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

King
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Zedekiah
צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ (ṣiḏ·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6667: Zedekiah -- 'Yah is righteousness', six Israelites

had made
כְּרֹת֩ (kə·rōṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

a covenant
בְּרִ֗ית (bə·rîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

with
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the people
הָעָם֙ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

in Jerusalem
בִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם (bî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

to proclaim
לִקְרֹ֥א (liq·rō)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

liberty,
דְּרֽוֹר׃ (də·rō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1865: Freedom, spontaneity of outflow, clear

the word
הַדָּבָ֛ר (had·dā·ḇār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

came
הָיָ֥ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

to
אֶֽל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Jeremiah
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ (yir·mə·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3414: Jeremiah -- 'Yah loosens', the name of a number of Israelites

from
מֵאֵ֣ת (mê·’êṯ)
Preposition-m | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 34:8 The word that came to Jeremiah (Jer.)