Jeremiah 34:9

9 that each man should deliver his servant, and each man his handmaid, an Hebrew man and an Hebrew woman, free, and that they should not be lords of them, that is, in a Jew, and their brother. (that each person should set free their servants, and their servantesses, yea, any Hebrew man or woman, and that they should not be their lords, that is, of a Jew, their brother, or their sister.)

Jeremiah 34:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 34:9

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his
maidservant, [being] an Hebrew, or an Hebrewess, go free
This is the proclamation that was agreed to be made, that every manservant and maidservant, that serve six years an apprenticeship, should be freed from their servitude, according to the law in ( Exodus 21:1 Exodus 21:2 ) ; a law founded upon justice and equity, mercy and compassion; done for the honour of the Jewish nation, that they might be a free people, and in commemoration of their deliverance from their servitude in Egypt. This law, as it seems, had been long neglected, and servants had been retained in bondage beyond their due time, through the oppression and covetousness of their masters, and the neglect of the civil magistrates; who should have took care that such a law was put in execution, and that servants were not oppressed. Some have thought that it was at the beginning of the sabbatical year that this proclamation was made, when, according to the law, there should be a release of servants, ( Deuteronomy 15:1 ) ; but that was not a release of servants, but of debts; for if a servant had not served out his time, the sabbatical year, or year of release, did not discharge him; though the year of jubilee did, according to Maimonides ^F12, who says,

``if the year of release happens in any of the six years, he (the servant) serves in it; but if the year of jubilee happens within the time, even though he has been sold but one year before it, he is free;''

that none should serve himself of them, [to wit], of a Jew his
brother;
or cause them to serve him, oblige them against their will to continue in his service; or by any means avail himself of them, and receive to himself any profit or advantage by their service, they being Jews and brethren; which seems to be added, both as the reason of the law, because they were brethren of the same nation and religion with them, and to distinguish them from other servants, who notwithstanding this law might be retained as such.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Hilchot Abadim, c. 2. sect. 2.

Jeremiah 34:9 In-Context

7 And the host of the king of Babylon fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah, that were left; against Lachish, and against Azekah; for why these strong cities were left of the cities of Judah.

8 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, after that king Zedekiah smote bond of peace with all the people in Jerusalem, and preached, (The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremiah, after that King Zedekiah struck a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem, and had proclaimed,)

9 that each man should deliver his servant, and each man his handmaid, an Hebrew man and an Hebrew woman, free, and that they should not be lords of them, that is, in a Jew, and their brother. (that each person should set free their servants, and their servantesses, yea, any Hebrew man or woman, and that they should not be their lords, that is, of a Jew, their brother, or their sister.)

10 Therefore all the princes and all the people heard, which made covenant, that they should deliver each man his servant, and each man his handmaid, free, and should no more be lords of them; therefore they heard, and delivered (them); (And so when all the leaders and all the people, who had made the covenant, had heard that each person should set their servants, and their servantesses, free, and that they should no more be their lords; yea, when they had heard this, they indeed set them free;)

11 and they were turned afterward, and drew again their servants, and handmaids, which they had let go free, and they made them subject (again) into servants, and into servantesses. (but then afterward, they turned back, and drew again to themselves their servants, and servantesses, whom they had let go free, and they made them subject again into servants, and into servantesses.)