Yirmeyah 34:16

16 But ye turned around and profaned Shmi, and caused every ish his eved, and every ish his shifchah, whom he had set at liberty at their desire, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for avadim and for shfakhot.

Yirmeyah 34:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 34:16

But ye turned and polluted my name
Changed their minds, and turned from their resolutions they had entered into, and the good ways they were walking in, and returned to their former evil practices; and so polluted the name of God by taking it in vain, and breaking the covenant they had agreed to: and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he
had set at liberty at pleasure:
or, "according to their soul" ^F19; according to their souls' desire, what was very agreeable and acceptable to them, and gave them a real pleasure; which did not last long, since they caused them to return
to their former service and bondage under them: and brought them into subjection:
forced them to come back to their houses, and into their service, and be subject to them, and obey their commands as formerly: to be unto you for servants and for handmaids;
to do the business of such, as they had done before.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Mvpnl) "in animam suam", Pagninus, Montanus; "secundum animam eorum", Piscator; "ad desideriurn suum", Junius & Tremellius.

Yirmeyah 34:16 In-Context

14 At the end of sheva shanim let ye go free every ish his brother HaIvri, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee shesh shanim, thou shalt let him go chofshi (free) from thee; but avoteichem paid heed not unto Me, neither inclined their ozen.

15 And recently ye turned, and did hayashar (the right) in My sight, in proclaiming deror (liberty) every ish to his neighbor; and ye cut a Brit (covenant) before Me in the Beis which is called by Shmi;

16 But ye turned around and profaned Shmi, and caused every ish his eved, and every ish his shifchah, whom he had set at liberty at their desire, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for avadim and for shfakhot.

17 Therefore thus saith Hashem; Ye have not paid heed unto Me, in proclaiming deror (freedom), everyone to his brother, and every ish to his neighbor; hineni, I proclaim deror (“freedom”) for you, saith Hashem, to the cherev, to the dever, and to the ra’av; and I will make you to be a horror to all the mamlechot ha’aretz.

18 And I will give the anashim that have transgressed My Brit, which have not performed the Devarim of the Brit (covenant) which they had cut before Me, when they cut the egel (calf) in two, and passed between the parts thereof,