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.
JEREMIAH 34:14KJVWhat does Jeremiah 34:14 mean?
Jeremiah 34:14 reminds the people of Judah that God commanded them to release their fellow Hebrew slaves after six years of service, but their ancestors did not listen or obey this instruction. The verse points out that the people’s forefathers ignored God’s law about freeing their own countrymen from slavery at the proper time.
In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the leaders and people of Jerusalem. The setting is a time when the people had broken a covenant to free their Hebrew slaves, which was a requirement in the law given through Moses. Jeremiah is calling out their disobedience, highlighting that their ancestors had already failed to follow this command, and now the current generation is repeating the same mistake.
The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 34:14
- "end" (קֵץ, qēts): This word means a set limit or conclusion, in this case marking the end of the seven-year period. It emphasizes that the release of slaves was not indefinite but had a clear, God-appointed boundary.
- "Hebrew" (עִבְרִי, ‘ivri): This term specifically refers to fellow Israelites, showing that the law was about how they treated their own people, not foreigners.
- "sold" (מָכַר, mākar): This word means to be sold or to sell, indicating that these individuals had become slaves due to debt or poverty, not because of conquest or war.
- "served" (עָבַד, ‘avad): This verb means to work or serve, underlining that the person was not a permanent slave but a temporary servant with a set period of service.
Why Jeremiah 34:14 matters
- Jeremiah 34:14 clarifies that the law about freeing Hebrew slaves was not just a suggestion but a direct command from God, which the people had a history of ignoring.
- The verse highlights the importance of justice and compassion within the community, especially toward those who had fallen into hard times.
- This verse connects to the broader message in Jeremiah 34, where God confronts the people for making promises to obey and then breaking them, showing the seriousness of covenant faithfulness in God’s eyes.