Jeremiah 34:10
in Jeremiah 34So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the princes and all the people obeyed, that had entered into the covenant, that every one should let his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, that none should make bondmen of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go:
KJV
Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.
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This verse in Jeremiah 34
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
After King Zedekiah had made a
on Jeremiah 34:8-12
Under the siege, Zedekiah made a covenant with the people “to proclaim liberty,” “that each man should free his Hebrew slaves.” The reversal followed, “later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed,” and verse 12 brings the LORD's answer.
This site's exposition
They obeyed and released them
The officials and the people freed their servants. Henry calls the covenant a solemn oath, made before the LORD in his house, binding them to what the law of God already commanded. Barnes stresses that the release was their own act, made as the army of Babylon approached.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
(3.) They bound themselves by a solemn oath and covenant that they would do this, whereby they engaged themselves to God and one another. Note, What God has bound us to by his precept, it is good for us to bind ourselves to by our promise. This covenant was very solemn: it was made in a sacred place, made before me, in the house which is called by my name (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant,.... The king had made with the people.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ֩ | vaiyishmeu | and they obeyed | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַשָּׂרִ֨ים | hasarim | the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֜ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּ֣אוּ | bau | they went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בַבְּרִ֗ית | vaberit | in the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| לְ֠שַׁלַּח | leshalach | to let go | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַבְדּ֞וֹ | avdo | [male] slave his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וְאִ֤ישׁ | veish | and everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שִׁפְחָתוֹ֙ | shifchato | female slave his | H8198 → | 63 times |
| חָפְשִׁ֔ים | chafeshim | free [people] | H2670 → | 17 times |
| לְבִלְתִּ֥י | levilti | to not | H1115 → | 112 times |
| עֲבָד־ | ʾavod- | to work | H5647 → | 288 times |
| בָּ֖ם | bam | by <the> them | ||
| ע֑וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ | vaiyishmeu | and they obeyed | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ | vayshalechu | and they let [them] go | H7971 → | 845 times |
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ֩and they obeyed
vaiyishmeuH8085 →1159 times
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
הַשָּׂרִ֨יםthe officials
hasarimH8269 →421 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֜םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בָּ֣אוּthey went
bauH935 →2568 times
בַבְּרִ֗יתin the covenant
vaberitH1285 →284 times
לְ֠שַׁלַּחto let go
leshalachH7971 →845 times
אִ֣ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַבְדּ֞וֹ[male] slave his
avdoH5650 →799 times
וְאִ֤ישׁand everyone
veishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שִׁפְחָתוֹ֙female slave his
shifchatoH8198 →63 times
חָפְשִׁ֔יםfree [people]
chafeshimH2670 →17 times
לְבִלְתִּ֥יto not
leviltiH1115 →112 times
עֲבָד־to work
ʾavod-H5647 →288 times
בָּ֖םby <the> them
bam
ע֑וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּand they obeyed
vaiyishmeuH8085 →1159 times
וַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃and they let [them] go
vayshalechuH7971 →845 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
Jeremiah 26:16Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 36:25
Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 25:25
But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
- Acts 23:9
A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken…
- Acts 5:34–39
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time.
- Acts 23:29
I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- Jeremiah 36:25
Through
Jeremiah 38:4Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 26:11
Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
- Acts 16:20
They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil
- Jeremiah 26:11
Through
Jeremiah 26:10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went up from the king’s palace to the house of the LORD and sat there at the entrance of the New Gate.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 36:10
From the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, which was in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate of the house of the LORD, Baruch read from the scroll…
- Jeremiah 36:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Jeremiah

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
