Jeremiah 34:8-11 Meaning: When a Promise to God Gets Reversed
8The word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,
9that 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.
10All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go,
11but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
8This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
9That 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.
10Now 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.
11But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
8The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
9that 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.
10And 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:
11but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
8The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after the making by the king Zedekiah of a covenant with all the people who are in Jerusalem, to proclaim to them liberty,
9to 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;
10and hearken do all the heads, and all the people who have come in to the covenant to send forth each his man-servant and each his maid-servant free, so as not to lay service on them any more, yea, they hearken, and send them away;
11and they turn afterwards, and cause the men-servants and the maid-servants to return, whom they had sent forth free, and they subdue them for men-servants and for maid-servants.
8The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them:
9that every man should let his bondman, and every man his bondmaid, the Hebrew and the Hebrewess, go free, that none should exact service of them, [that is,] of a Jew his brother.
10And all the princes and all the people that had entered into the covenant obeyed, every man letting his bondman and every man his bondmaid go free, that none should exact service of them any more: they obeyed, and let [them] go.
11But afterwards they turned, and caused the bondmen and the bondmaids whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for bondmen and for bondmaids.
Meaning in one sentence
King Zedekiah made a covenant to free Hebrew slaves during the siege. The people obeyed, then forced them back into slavery.
Context
Jeremiah 34 takes us to the last days of Jerusalem. The Babylonian army has surrounded the city, and King Zedekiah is terrified. In this pressure, he does something surprising: he makes a covenant, a solemn vow before God, with all the people to free their Hebrew slaves. This was based on the law in Exodus and Deuteronomy, but it had been neglected for years. The people agree, they actually let the slaves go free. But then the siege lifts temporarily because the Egyptian army arrives to help. When the immediate danger passes, the people change their minds. They go and force the freed men and women back into slavery. This act of reneging on a sacred promise sets the stage for God's harsh word against them.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words anchor this story. First, berit, the word for covenant. It comes from a verb meaning to cut, because covenants were sealed with a sacrifice. This was no casual handshake. Zedekiah and the people cut a covenant before God, likely in the temple, with all the weight and holiness that carried.
Second, deror, the word for liberty. It appears in Leviticus 25:10 for the Year of Jubilee: “proclaim liberty throughout the land.” The word suggests a flowing release, like water set free. It was not a loan or a temporary break: it was a full, celebratory freedom that God had designed for His people.
Third, the verb shuv, meaning they turned back. This same word can mean to repent, to turn back to God. Here they turn back from obedience. They used the same motion in the opposite direction. They had obeyed, then they reversed it. That is what makes the sin so pointed: the freedom was real, and so was the betrayal.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions agree that this episode shows a moment of faith undone by fear. John Calvin noted that the people heard and obeyed, but afterward “they repented of what they had done”, not in sorrow, but in a changed purpose. Matthew Henry called it a “transient reformation,” a brief turn to God that did not last. The Geneva Bible uses the word “repented” in a negative sense: they regretted their own obedience and took back the slaves. Albert Barnes observed that the manumission was a spontaneous act during the crisis, not a long-term commitment, which made the later reversal all the more dishonoring to God.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
Main takeaway: A promise to God made in hard times must hold when the hard times end.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The king and all the people promised God they would let their slaves go free. They did it, but when they felt safe again, they made them slaves again. God was sad and angry. He wants us to keep our promises even when it is hard.
For ages 9, 12
In Bible times, God told His people to free Hebrew slaves after six years. But they had stopped obeying. When the Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem, King Zedekiah made everyone promise to free their slaves right then. They did it. But after the army left for a while, they changed their minds and forced the freed people back into slavery. This story teaches us that a promise made to God in a tough moment should still be kept when things get comfortable again. God sees our promises and expects us to honor them.
Questions People Ask
Why did King Zedekiah make this covenant to free the slaves?
The Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, and the king was desperate. The law in Exodus 21:2 required freeing Hebrew slaves after six years, but it had been ignored. By making this covenant, the king and the people likely hoped to gain God’s favor and unite the city against the enemy.
Why did the people take the slaves back after freeing them?
When the siege was temporarily lifted because the Egyptian army arrived, the immediate danger passed. The people regretted their decision. They wanted their workers back, so they forced the freed men and women back into slavery. Their fear of God faded when the crisis ended.
What did the Old Testament law actually teach about freeing slaves?
Exodus 21:2 says that if you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything. Deuteronomy 15:12 extends the same rule to female servants. This was a regular release, not a one-time covenant.
How did God respond to the people's re-enslavement of the slaves?
God sent Jeremiah to condemn them. In the following verses, God says they profaned His name by breaking the covenant they made before Him. He warns that because they did not proclaim liberty to their brothers, He will proclaim liberty to sword, plague, and famine against them (Jeremiah 34:17).
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