Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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New Living Translation

Jeremiah 34:12

So the Lord gave them this message through Jeremiah:

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,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
therefore 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 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 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves. 9 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. 10 The officials and all the people had obeyed the king's command, 11 but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again. 12 So the Lord gave them this message through Jeremiah: 13 "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. 14 I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name. 16 But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again. 17 "Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 24:53
Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother.
Genesis 29:18
Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, "I'll work for you for seven years if you'll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife."
Genesis 31:41
Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times!
Genesis 34:16
then we will give you our daughters, and we'll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.
Genesis 34:17
But if you don't agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way."
Genesis 34:25
But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah's full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there,
Genesis 34:27
Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob's sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.
Genesis 34:28
They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.
Genesis 34:29
They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.
2 Samuel 3:14
David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul's son: "Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 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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