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 34:14KJV
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Jeremiah 34:14 (KJV)

What 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.

Where else these words appear

“free” Hebrew H2670 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
  • Deuteronomy 15:13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
  • Psalms 88:5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

“Hebrew” Hebrew H5680 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
  • Exodus 2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
  • Deuteronomy 15:12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

“end” Hebrew H7093 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
  • Esther 2:12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women,(for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
  • Ezekiel 7:3 Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.

“sold” Hebrew H4376 · used in 74 verses

  • Genesis 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
  • Leviticus 25:39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
  • 2 Kings 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.