Jeremiah 34:16

16 And ye turned again, and defouled my name, and ye brought again each man his servant, and each man his handmaid, which ye delivered, that they should be free, and of their own power; and ye made them subject, that they be servants and handmaids to you. (But then ye turned again, and defiled my name, and each person took back his servant, and his servantess, whom they had let go, so that they could be free, and under their own power; and ye made them subject again, so that they be your servants and your servantesses.)

Jeremiah 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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

Jeremiah 34:16 In-Context

14 When seven years be [ful]filled, each man deliver his brother, an Hebrew man, which is sold to him, and he shall serve thee six years, and (then) thou shalt deliver him from thee; and your fathers heard not me, neither bowed [in] their ear. (Every seven years, each person shall let their brother, a Hebrew man, who was sold to him, go free, yea, after that he hath served thee for six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee; but your forefathers did not listen to me, nor bowed in their ears.)
15 And ye be converted today, and ye did that, that is rightful before mine eyes, that ye preached each man freedom to his friend, and ye made (a) covenant in my sight, in the house wherein my name is called to help on that freedom. (And today ye turned, and ye did what was right before my eyes, in that ye preached freedom for each person to their friend, and ye made a covenant in my sight, in the House where my name is called on for help/and ye made a covenant before me, in the House which is called by my name.)
16 And ye turned again, and defouled my name, and ye brought again each man his servant, and each man his handmaid, which ye delivered, that they should be free, and of their own power; and ye made them subject, that they be servants and handmaids to you. (But then ye turned again, and defiled my name, and each person took back his servant, and his servantess, whom they had let go, so that they could be free, and under their own power; and ye made them subject again, so that they be your servants and your servantesses.)
17 Therefore the Lord saith these things, Ye heard not me, that ye preached freedom, each man to his brother, and each man to his friend; lo! (so now) I preach to you freedom, saith the Lord, and to sword, and to hunger, and to pestilence; and I shall give you into stirring to all realms of (the) earth. (And so the Lord saith these things, Ye did not listen to me, ye who proclaimed freedom, each person to their brother, and each person to their friend; so now lo! I proclaim freedom to you, saith the Lord, yea, freedom to the sword, and to hunger, and to pestilence; and I shall give you into stirring, or into loathing, by all the kingdoms of the earth.)
18 And I shall give the men, that brake my bond of peace, and kept not the words of [the] bond of peace, to which they assented in my sight, and kept not the calf which they cutted into two parts; (And I shall make those who broke my covenant, and did not keep, or obey, the words of the covenant, to which they assented before me, to become like the calf which they cut into two parts;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.