Jeremiah 34:9

Verse

that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.

American Standard Version (1901)

that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.

Bible in Basic English

That every man was to let his Hebrew man-servant and his Hebrew servant-girl go free; so that no one might make use of a Jew, his countryman, as a servant:

Douay-Rheims 1899

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, go free: and that they should not lord it over them, to wit, over the Jews their brethren.

Free Bible Version

This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.

Geneva Bible 1599

That euery man should let his seruant go free, and euery man his handmayde, which was an Ebrue or an Ebruesse, and that none should serue himselfe of them, to wit, of a Iewe his brother.

King James (Authorized) Version

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.

Translation for Translators

He decreed that the people must free their Hebrew slaves, both the men slaves and the women slaves. No one would be allowed to force a fellow Jew to continue to be his slave.

Unlocked Literal Bible

that each man must free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so one was to make a slave of a Jew, who was his brother.

Noah Webster Bible

That every man should liberate his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess; that none should retain them in service, to wit , a Jew his brother.

World English Bible

that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother.

Young's Literal Translation

to send out each his man-servant, and each his maid-servant — the Hebrew and the Hebrewess — free, so as not to lay service on them, any on a Jew his brother;

Context

Freedom for Hebrew Slaves

⁸After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD⁹that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.¹⁰So 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,

Summary

In Jeremiah 34:9, the verse describes a significant event where the people of Jerusalem made a covenant to free their Hebrew slaves. This act was in obedience to the commandment of God to release their fellow Israelites from servitude every seven years. However, after initially freeing the slaves, the people later violated this covenant by forcing them back into slavery. This disobedience to God's law resulted in severe consequences for the people of Jerusalem, highlighting the importance of honoring commitments and treating others with justice and compassion.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

none . . . serve himself of a Jew-- (Lev 25:39-46).

John Gill Bible Commentary

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew, or an Hebrewess, go free,.... This is the proclamation that was agreed to be made, that every manservant and maidservant, that serve six years an apprenticeship, should be freed from their servitude, according to the law in Exo 21:1; a law founded upon justice and equity, mercy and compassion; done for the honour of the Jewish nation, that they might be a free people, and in commemoration of their deliverance from their servitude in Egypt. This law, as it seems, had been long neglected, and servants had been retained in bondage beyond their due time, through the oppression and covetousness of their masters, and the neglect of the civil magistrates; who should have took care that such a law was put in execution, and that servants were not oppressed. Some have thought that it was at the beginning of the sabbatical year that this proclamation was made, when, according to the law, there should be a release of servants, Deu 15:1; but that was not a release of servants, but of debts; for if a servant had not served out his time, the sabbatical year, or year of release, did not discharge him; though the year of jubilee did, according to Maimonides (l), who says, "if the year of release happens in any of the six years, he (the servant) serves in it; but if the year of jubilee happens within the time, even though he has been sold but one year before it, he is free;'' that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother; or cause them to serve him, oblige them against their will to continue in his service; or by any means avail himself of them, and receive to himself any profit or advantage by their service, they being Jews and brethren; which seems to be added, both as the reason of the law, because they were brethren of the same nation and religion with them, and to distinguish them from other servants, who notwithstanding this law might be retained as such. (l) Hilchot Abadim, c. 2. sect. 2.