Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Jeremiah 34:12

therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covenant;   Prophecy;   Sabbatic Year;   Servant;   Thompson Chain Reference - Nebuchadnezzar;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Servant;   Zedekiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Jubilee;   Slave;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hebrew (Descendent of Eber);   Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Slave, Slavery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zedekiah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah (2);  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Covenant, in the Old Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Slaves and Slavery;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Yirmeyahu from the LORD, saying,
King James Version
Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord , saying,
English Standard Version
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord :
New American Standard Bible
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
New Century Version
Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah:
Amplified Bible
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
World English Bible
Therefore the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore the worde of the Lorde came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
Berean Standard Bible
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Contemporary English Version
That's when the Lord told me to say to the people:
Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore this word of Adonai came to Yirmeyahu from Adonai :
Darby Translation
And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
Easy-to-Read Version
Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah:
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
Good News Translation
Then the Lord ,
Lexham English Bible
And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
Literal Translation
For this reason the Word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For the which cause the worde of the LORDE came vnto Ieremy from the LORDE him self, sayenge:
American Standard Version
Therefore the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
Bible in Basic English
For this reason the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
King James Version (1611)
Therefore the worde of the Lord came to Ieremiah, from the Lord, saying,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For whiche cause, the worde of the Lorde came vnto Ieremie from the Lorde hym selfe, saying:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I spoke also to Sedekias king of Juda according to all these words, saying, Put your neck into the yoke, and serve the king of Babylon.
English Revised Version
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the word of the Lord was maad of the Lord to Jeremye, and seide,
Update Bible Version
Therefore the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
New English Translation
That was when the Lord spoke to Jeremiah,
New King James Version
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
New Living Translation
So the Lord gave them this message through Jeremiah:
New Life Bible
Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
New Revised Standard
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord :
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So then the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying:
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias from the Lord, saying:
Revised Standard Version
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Young's Literal Translation
And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying:
THE MESSAGE
Then Jeremiah received this Message from God : " God , the God of Israel, says, ‘I made a covenant with your ancestors when I delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt. At the time I made it clear: "At the end of seven years, each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has had to sell himself to you. After he has served six years, set him free." But your ancestors totally ignored me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Contextual Overview

8 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; 9 that every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, even of a Jew his brother; 10 and all the princes and all the people hearkened, that had entered into the covenant to let every one his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, and not to make bondmen of them any more; they hearkened, and let them go; 11 but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids; 12 therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: 13 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying: 14 '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. 15 And ye were now turned, and had done that which is right in Mine eyes, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before Me in the house whereon My name is called; 16 but ye turned and profaned My name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and ye brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids. 17 Therefore thus saith the LORD: Ye have not hearkened unto Me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour; behold, I proclaim for you a liberty, saith the LORD, unto the sword, unto the pestilence, and unto the famine; and I will make you a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 24:53
And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
Genesis 29:18
And Jacob loved Rachel; and he said: 'I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.'
Genesis 31:41
These twenty years have I been in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Genesis 34:16
then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
Genesis 34:17
But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.'
Genesis 34:25
And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city unawares, and slew all the males.
Genesis 34:27
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Genesis 34:28
They took their flocks and their herds and their asses, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field;
Genesis 34:29
and all their wealth, and all their little ones and their wives, took they captive and spoiled, even all that was in the house.
2 Samuel 3:14
And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying: 'Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord,.... The word of Jehovah the Son, from Jehovah the Father, because of this transgression of the princes and people, and as soon as it was committed by them; for it is plain, from Jeremiah 34:21, that it was before the Chaldean army returned to Jerusalem, after its departure from it:

saying; as follows:

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.


 
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