Jeremiah 34:14
in Jeremiah 34Every 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 34
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis prophecy concerning Zedekiah was delivered to Jeremiah, and by him to the parties concerned, before he was shut up in the prison, for we find this prediction here made the ground of his commitment, as appears by the recital of some passages out of it, ch. xxxii.
This site's exposition
This is what the LORD, the
on Jeremiah 34:13-16
The LORD recalls the release law given at the exodus and notes that “your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.” The sons had done right, making a covenant “in the house that bears My Name,” then “profaned My name” by taking their slaves back.
This site's exposition
Every seventh year
The command to free a Hebrew brother came in the seventh year, after six years of service. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the count as within the seventh year and compare Deuteronomy 14:28. The fathers never kept this law.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
This was the first of the judicial laws which God gave them ( Exod. xxi. 2 ), and there was good reason for this law. (1.) God had put honour upon that nation, and he would have them thus to preserve the honour of it themselves and to put a difference between it and other nations.
At the end of seven years,....
(1.) The prophets faithfully admonished them concerning their sin. From them they heard that they should let their Hebrew servants go free,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
At the end of seven years--that is, not on the eighth year, but within the limit of the seventh year, not later than the end of the seventh year (Ex 21:2; So "at the end of three years" (De 14:28; 2Ki 18:10), and "after three days, I will rise again" (Mt 27:63), that is, on the third day (compare Mt 27:64).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִקֵּ֣ץ | miketz | from [the] end of | H7093 → | 67 times |
| שֶׁ֣בַע | sheva' | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| שָׁנִ֡ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| תְּֽשַׁלְּח֡וּ | teshalechu | you will let go | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אִישׁ֩ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָחִ֨יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| הָעִבְרִ֜י | haivri | <the> Hebrew | H5680 → | 34 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִמָּכֵ֣ר | yimakher | he will sell himself | H4376 → | |
| לְךָ֗ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| וַעֲבָֽדְךָ֙ | vaavadekha | and he will serve you | H5647 → | 288 times |
| שֵׁ֣שׁ | shesh | six | H8337 → | 216 times |
| שָׁנִ֔ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| וְשִׁלַּחְתּ֥וֹ | veshilachto | and you will let go him | H7971 → | 845 times |
| חָפְשִׁ֖י | chafeshi | a free [person] | H2670 → | 17 times |
| מֵֽעִמָּ֑ךְ | meimakh | from with <the> you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמְע֤וּ | shameu | they listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ | ʾavoteikhem | ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִטּ֖וּ | hitu | they inclined | H5186 → | 214 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָזְנָֽם׃ | ʾazenam | ear their | H241 → | 187 times |
מִקֵּ֣ץfrom [the] end of
miketzH7093 →67 times
שֶׁ֣בַעseven
sheva'H7651 →394 times
שָׁנִ֡יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
תְּֽשַׁלְּח֡וּyou will let go
teshalechuH7971 →845 times
אִישׁ֩everyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָחִ֨יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
הָעִבְרִ֜י<the> Hebrew
haivriH5680 →34 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִמָּכֵ֣רhe will sell himself
yimakherH4376 →
לְךָ֗to <the> you
lekha
וַעֲבָֽדְךָ֙and he will serve you
vaavadekhaH5647 →288 times
שֵׁ֣שׁsix
sheshH8337 →216 times
שָׁנִ֔יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
וְשִׁלַּחְתּ֥וֹand you will let go him
veshilachtoH7971 →845 times
חָפְשִׁ֖יa free [person]
chafeshiH2670 →17 times
מֵֽעִמָּ֑ךְfrom with <the> you
meimakhH5973 →1050 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמְע֤וּthey listened
shameuH8085 →1159 times
אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ancestors your
ʾavoteikhemH1 →1212 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הִטּ֖וּthey inclined
hituH5186 →214 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָזְנָֽם׃ear their
ʾazenamH241 →187 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 21:25(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
it leads to
- Proverbs 22:14
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.
- 1 Kings 21:20
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of…
- 1 Kings 16:30–33
However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
- Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is…
- Proverbs 22:14
Through
1 Kings 9:22But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.
it leads to
- Leviticus 25:39
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor.
- Leviticus 25:39
Through
Deuteronomy 15:12If 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.
it leads to
- 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.
- Leviticus 25:39–41
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor.
- John 8:35–36
A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
- Exodus 21:2–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.