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.

JEREMIAH 34:9KJV
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Jeremiah 34:9 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 34:9 mean?

Jeremiah 34:9 commands that every person in Jerusalem should set free their Hebrew male and female slaves, so that no one would keep a fellow Jew in servitude. The verse emphasizes that Israelites were not to enslave their own people, but to release them and treat them as equals.

In this passage, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people and leaders of Jerusalem during a time of crisis, as the Babylonian army threatens the city. The context is a covenant made by King Zedekiah and the people to obey God's law about releasing Hebrew slaves after a set period. This verse highlights the importance of justice and mercy among the community, especially in times of national distress.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 34:9

  • "Manservant" (עֶבֶד, ʿeved) and "maidservant" (שִׁפְחָה, shiphchah) both refer to Hebrew slaves, not foreigners. The focus is on freeing those who share the same heritage and faith.
  • "Hebrew" (עִבְרִי, ʿivri) and "Hebrewess" (עִבְרִי, ʿivri) stress that the law specifically applied to Israelites, underscoring the idea of kinship and shared identity.
  • "Go free" (שָׁלַח, shalach; חָפְשִׁי, chofshi) combines the ideas of sending away and granting freedom, making clear that this was a real, unconditional release.
  • "Serve" (עָבַד, avad) means to work for or be in bondage to someone; the verse insists that no Jew should keep another Jew in this kind of service.

Why Jeremiah 34:9 matters

  • Jeremiah 34:9 clarifies that God's law required Israelites to release their fellow Israelites from slavery, not just as a suggestion but as a binding command.
  • The verse shows that social justice and compassion were central to God's expectations for His people, especially when they were facing judgment for their disobedience.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain the seriousness of the people's later failure to keep their promise, which becomes a key reason for God's judgment in the rest of the chapter.

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.

“maidservant” Hebrew H8198 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 12:16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
  • Genesis 32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
  • 2 Samuel 14:12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

“Jew” Hebrew H3064 · used in 70 verses

  • 2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
  • Esther 6:10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
  • Esther 9:19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.