Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

Jeremiah 34:14

"At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself [into servitude] or who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall release him from [serving] you; but your forefathers did not listen [submissively] to Me or obey Me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covenant;   Sabbatic Year;   Servant;   Thompson Chain Reference - Land;   Nebuchadnezzar;   Sabbatic Year;   Year;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Feast of Sabbatical Year, the;   Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Servant;   Zedekiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Sabbatical year;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Israel;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Covenant;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Jubilee;   Kings, the Books of;   Slave;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hebrew (Descendent of Eber);   Jeremiah;   Sabbatical Year;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Slave, Slavery;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hebrews;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hebrew ;   Zedekiah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah (2);   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Ear;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Year;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Covenant, in the Old Testament;   Hebrew;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Agrarian Laws;   Brother;   Gedallah;   Slaves and Slavery;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
‘At the end of seven years, each of you must let his fellow Hebrew who sold himself to you go. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free from your service.’ But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention.
Hebrew Names Version
At the end of seven years you shall let go every man his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you: but your fathers didn't listen to me, neither inclined their ear.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.' But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
New American Standard Bible
"At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you for six years, and you shall send him out free from you." But your forefathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear to Me.
New Century Version
I said to your ancestors: ‘At the end of every seven years, each one of you must set his Hebrew slaves free. If a fellow Hebrew has sold himself to you, you must let him go free after he has served you for six years.' But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to me.
World English Bible
At the end of seven years you shall let go every man his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you: but your fathers didn't listen to me, neither inclined their ear.
Geneva Bible (1587)
At the terme of seuen yeres let ye go, euery man his brother an Ebrewe which hath bene solde vnto thee: and when he hath serued the sixe yeres, thou shalt let him go free fro thee: but your fathers obeyed me not, neither inclined their eares.
Legacy Standard Bible
"At the end of seven years each of you shall let his Hebrew brother go who has been sold to you and has served you six years, and you shall let him go to be free from you; but your fathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.
Berean Standard Bible
Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.
Contemporary English Version
As part of this agreement, you must let a Hebrew slave go free after six years of service. Your ancestors did not obey me,
Complete Jewish Bible
"At the end of seven years every one of you is to set free his brother Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years. You are to let him go free from you." But your ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention.
Darby Translation
At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother, a Hebrew, who hath sold himself unto thee; 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.
Easy-to-Read Version
I said to your ancestors, "At the end of every seven years, everyone must set their Hebrew slaves free. If you have fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you, you must let them go free after they have served you for six years." But your ancestors did not listen to me or pay attention to me.
George Lamsa Translation
At the end of seven years you shall set free every man his brother, a Hebrew, who has been sold to you; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you; but your fathers did not hearken to me nor incline their ear.
Good News Translation
every seven years they were to set free any Hebrew slave who had served them for six years. But your ancestors would not pay any attention to me or listen to what I said.
Lexham English Bible
"At the end of seven years you must let go each one his fellow countryman, the Hebrew who has been sold to you and who has served you six years, and you must let him go free from you." But your ancestors did not listen to me, and they did not incline their ears.
Literal Translation
At the end of seven years each man should let go his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to him. When he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you. But your fathers did not listen to Me nor stretch out their ear.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
When seuen yeares are out, euery man shal let go fre his bought seruaunte an Hebrue, yf he haue serued him sixe yeares. But yor fathers obeied me not & herkened not vnto me
American Standard Version
At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
Bible in Basic English
At the end of seven years every man is to let go his countryman who is a Hebrew, who has become yours for a price and has been your servant for six years; you are to let him go free: but your fathers gave no attention and did not give ear.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee'; but your fathers hearkened not unto Me, neither inclined their ear.
King James Version (1611)
At the end of seuen yeeres, let ye go euery man his brother an Hebrew which hath bene sold vnto thee: and when he hath serued thee sixe yeeres, thou shalt let him goe free from thee, but your fathers hearkened not vnto me, neither inclined their eare.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When seuen yeres are out, euery man shall let his bought seruaunt an Hebrue go free, if he haue serued hym sixe yeres: but your fathers obayed me not, and hearkened not vnto me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For they prophesy unrighteous words to you,
English Revised Version
At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
ech man delyuere his brother, an Ebreu man, which is seeld to hym, and he schal serue thee sixe yeer, and thou schalt delyuere hym fro thee; and youre fadris herden not me, nether bowiden her eere.
Update Bible Version
At the end of the seven year period you shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that has been sold to you, and has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you: but your fathers did not listen to me, neither inclined their ear.
Webster's Bible Translation
At the end of seven years dismiss ye every man his brother a Hebrew, who hath been sold to thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not to me, neither inclined their ear.
New English Translation
"Every seven years each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you for six years, you shall set them free." But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention to me.
New King James Version
"At the end of seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you." But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear.
New Living Translation
I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me.
New Life Bible
"At the end of seven years each of you must set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to you and has served you for six years. You must send him away from you as a free man." But your fathers did not obey Me, or listen to Me.
New Revised Standard
"Every seventh year each of you must set free any Hebrews who have been sold to you and have served you six years; you must set them free from your service." But your ancestors did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
At the end of seven years, shall ye let go every man his brother, being a Hebrew, who shall sell himself unto thee and serve thee, six years, then shalt thou let him go, free, from thee, Howbeit your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their ear.
Douay-Rheims Bible
At the end of seven years, let ye go every man his brother being a Hebrew, who hath been sold to thee, so he shall serve thee six years: and thou shalt let him go free from thee: and your fathers did not hearken to me, nor did they incline their ear.
Revised Standard Version
'At the end of six years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.' But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
Young's Literal Translation
At the end of seven years ye do send forth each his brother, the Hebrew, who is sold to thee, and hath served thee six years, yea, thou hast sent him forth free from thee: and your fathers hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined their ear.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.

Contextual Overview

8The 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: 9that every man should let his Hebrew slaves, male and female, go free, so that no one should make a slave of a Jew, his brother. 10So all the princes and all the people who had entered into the covenant agreed that everyone would let his male servant and his female servant go free, and that no one would keep them in bondage any longer; they obeyed, and set them free. 11But afterward they backed out [of the covenant] and made the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free return [to them], and brought the male servants and the female servants again into servitude. 12Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 13"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I made a covenant (solemn pledge) with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 14"At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself [into servitude] or who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall release him from [serving] you; but your forefathers did not listen [submissively] to Me or obey Me. 15"So then you recently turned and repented, doing what was right in My sight, each man proclaiming release [from servitude] to his countryman [who was his bond servant]; and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My Name. 16"Yet you backed out [of the covenant] and profaned My Name, and each man took back his servants, male and female, whom had been set free in accordance with their desire, and you brought them into servitude [again] to be your male servants and your female servants."' 17"Therefore says the LORD, 'You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed liberty to your brother and your countryman. Behold (listen very carefully), I am proclaiming liberty to you—[liberty to be put] to the sword, [liberty] to [be ravaged by] the virulent disease, and [liberty] to [be decimated by] famine,' says the LORD; 'and I will make you a horror and a warning to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

At the: Jeremiah 34:8, Jeremiah 34:9, Exodus 21:1-4, Exodus 23:10, Exodus 23:11, Deuteronomy 15:12, 1 Kings 9:22, 2 Chronicles 28:10, Isaiah 58:6, Amos 2:6, Amos 8:6

been sold: or, sold himself, 1 Kings 21:25, Isaiah 50:1, Romans 7:14-17, Romans 7:24

but: It appears from this and several other passages, that the sabbatical year had been wholly neglected some centuries before the captivity; and the author of the second book of Chronicles - Jeremiah 36:21 assigns this as a reason for the captivity, "that the land might enjoy her sabbaths." Now, if we reckon the seventy years' captivity as a punishment for this neglect, it will follow that the law on this subject had been disregarded for about 490 years. Jeremiah 7:25, Jeremiah 7:26, Jeremiah 11:8-10, Jeremiah 32:30, 1 Samuel 8:7, 1 Samuel 8:8, 2 Kings 17:13, 2 Kings 17:14, 2 Chronicles 36:16, Nehemiah 9:30, Ezekiel 20:4, Ezekiel 20:8, Zechariah 7:11, Zechariah 7:12

Reciprocal: Leviticus 25:39 - be sold 2 Kings 4:1 - the creditor 2 Chronicles 28:11 - deliver Job 31:13 - the cause Jeremiah 13:10 - evil Jeremiah 31:32 - Not

Cross-References

Genesis 17:11
"And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be the sign (symbol, memorial) of the covenant between Me and you.
Genesis 17:14
"And the male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
Genesis 34:1
Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out [unescorted] to visit the girls of the land.
Genesis 34:2
When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince (sheik) of the land, saw her, he kidnapped her and lay [intimately] with her by force [humbling and offending her].
Genesis 34:9
"And [beyond that] intermarry with us; give your daughters to us [as wives] and take our daughters for yourselves.
1 Samuel 14:6
Jonathan said to his young armor bearer, "Come, let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."
1 Samuel 17:26
Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace [of his taunting] from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God?"
1 Samuel 17:36
"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God."
2 Samuel 1:20
"Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.
2 Samuel 15:7
And after four years, Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to the LORD at Hebron [my birthplace].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

At the end of seven years,.... Not when seven years were elapsed and fully completed; but within the compass of seven years, or as soon as the seventh year was began; for this term of seven years is the term of the seventh year coming in, and not going out, as appears from the law itself, Exodus 21:9; and from an after clause in this verse, "when he hath served thee six years"; at the end of which, and the beginning of the seventh: and so Maimonides m interprets this law,

"he whom the sanhedrim sold served six years from the day of his sale, and at the beginning of the seventh year he was free:''

though the Vulgate Latin version very wrongly renders it, "when seven years are completed"; which version Sanctius takes a good deal of pains to reconcile to the original law. A Hebrew might sell himself for more years than six; he might sell himself for ten or twelve, as the above Jewish writer says, and nothing could release him but the year of jubilee; and that would do it, if he had served but one year n;

let ye go every man his brother, an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; or, "hath sold himself unto thee" o; to be a servant; for money was not given with apprentices to their masters, as is usual with us; but masters gave money for their servants, and bought them either of themselves, or of the magistrates; hence it is said, "if thou buy an Hebrew servant", c. Exodus 21:2. A Hebrew servant was sold either against his will, or with it if a man committed a theft, and he had not wherewith to make restoration, the sanhedrim or magistrates said him: if he was exceeding poor, the law gave him liberty to sell himself; but he might not sell himself as long as he had anything left, even a covering; and after that was gone, he might sell himself; and he was bought with silver or the value of silver or by contract or bond p;

and when he hath served thee six years, thou shall let him go free from thee; or "from with thee" q; from being with thee, from being in thy house, as well as from being in thy service; he was to be dismissed, so as to go where he pleased, and work for himself, or another, as he thought fit;

but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear; to obey the laws of God, and particularly this concerning servants. This is not to be understood of the fathers with whom the covenant was first made, and to whom this law was first given; but their posterity in later times, who yet lived long before the present generation, and so might with great propriety be called their fathers; and by which it appears that this law had been long neglected.

m Hilchot Abadim, c. 2. sect. 2. n Ibid. o ימכר לך "se ventdiderit tibi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. p Hilchot Abadim, c. 1. sect. 1, 2. & c. 2. sect. 1. q מעמך "acuta te", Schmidt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 their own selfish interests prevail; but the minority made might give way to right, and Zedekiah supported their efforts though only in a weak way.

Early in January, in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the Chaldaean army approached Jerusalem. The people made a covenant with the king, who appears as the abettor of the measure, to let their slaves go free. Possibly patriotism had its share in this: and as Jerusalem was strongly fortified, all classes possibly hoped that if the slaves were manumitted, they too would labor with a more hearty good-will in resisting the enemy. In the summer of the same year the Egyptians advanced to the rescue, and Nebuchadnezzar withdrew to meet their attack. The Jews with a strange levity, which sets them before us in a most despicable light, at once forced the manumitted slaves back into bondage. With noble indignation Jeremiah rebukes them for their treachery, assures them that the Chaldaean army will return, and warns them of the certainty of the punishment which they so richly merited.

Jeremiah 34:8

As the Chaldaean army swept over the country the wealthier classes would all flee to Jerusalem, taking with them their households. And as the Mosaic Law was probably more carefully kept there than in the country, the presence in these families of slaves who had grown grey in service may have given offence to the stricter classes at the capital.

To proclaim liberty unto them - The words are those of the proclamation of the year of jubile to the people, whereupon it became their duty to set their slaves free.

Jeremiah 34:9

Should serve himself of them - Should make them serve him (see Jeremiah 25:14).

Jeremiah 34:11

They turned, and caused ... to return - But afterward they again made the slaves return.

Jeremiah 34:13

The house of bondmen - The miserable prison in which, after being worked in the fields all day in gangs, the slaves were shut up at night.

Jeremiah 34:16

At their pleasure - literally, for themselves.

Jeremiah 34:17

I will make you to be removed into - “I will cause you to be a terror unto.” Men would shudder at them.

Jeremiah 34:18

The words ... - The Jews spoke of “cutting” a covenant, because the contracting parties cut a calf in twain and passed between the pieces. Thus cutting a covenant and cutting a calf in twain, meant the same thing.

Jeremiah 34:21

Which are gone up from you - i. e., which have departed for the present, and have raised the siege.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile