Jer 34:11 | KingComments | STEP | Again the word of the LORD comes to Jeremiah ( ). The occasion is a covenant Zedekiah made with all in Jerusalem to proclaim the release of the male servants and the female servants ( ). The agreement is that each one will set free his male servant and his female servant who was a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, that is, a member of the people. This will be done from the understanding that it is a brother, a neighbor. It seems that the rich made the poor serve as servant for longer than the seven years prescribed by God in the law ( ; ; ). This covenant is entered into by many ( ). They obey it and set them free. Then comes the regret ( ). As soon as they notice what a loss they have suffered, they turn around and take back the servants and submit them to themselves again as male servants and female servants. This is a low, mean trick. The covenant was not made wholeheartedly. It has been assumed that Zedekiah also made this covenant only for political reasons. He must have thought that set free male servants and female servants would be much more willing to help defend the city against Nebuchadnezzar’s attack than if they had to do hard servant service. It is impossible to imagine that such a wicked man who cared nothing for God’s law would now suddenly be so insistent on carrying out a commandment of the law. He is known as a covenant breaker ( ). However, as soon as relief comes in the distress, they come back to their decision (cf. ). It can rightly be said of them: “For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early” ( ). The enemy has (temporarily) moved away ( ). This will be related to a threat from Egypt ( ). Life largely resumes its normal course and they force the set free servants to serve them again. The precept about the release of a servant has a spiritual meaning for us. For us, it means that we show our brother his true spiritual freedom and do not oblige him to us. If a brother owes us something, we must write off his debt. If we do not do so, we keep him in bondage in a certain respect. Then we will be disciplined. What matters is how we treat each other as brothers and sisters, whether we submit to each other and not someone to us.

‏ Jeremiah 34:11

The Servants Deceived

Again the word of the LORD comes to Jeremiah (Jer 34:8). The occasion is a covenant Zedekiah made with all in Jerusalem to proclaim the release of the male servants and the female servants (Jer 34:9). The agreement is that each one will set free his male servant and his female servant who was a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, that is, a member of the people. This will be done from the understanding that it is a brother, a neighbor. It seems that the rich made the poor serve as servant for longer than the seven years prescribed by God in the law (Exo 21:1-11; Lev 25:39-55; Deu 15:12-18). This covenant is entered into by many (Jer 34:10). They obey it and set them free.

Then comes the regret (Jer 34:11). As soon as they notice what a loss they have suffered, they turn around and take back the servants and submit them to themselves again as male servants and female servants. This is a low, mean trick. The covenant was not made wholeheartedly. It has been assumed that Zedekiah also made this covenant only for political reasons. He must have thought that set free male servants and female servants would be much more willing to help defend the city against Nebuchadnezzar’s attack than if they had to do hard servant service. It is impossible to imagine that such a wicked man who cared nothing for God’s law would now suddenly be so insistent on carrying out a commandment of the law. He is known as a covenant breaker (Eze 17:11-21).

However, as soon as relief comes in the distress, they come back to their decision (cf. Ecc 5:3). It can rightly be said of them: “For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early” (Hos 6:4b). The enemy has (temporarily) moved away (Jer 34:21). This will be related to a threat from Egypt (Jer 37:5 ; 7-10). Life largely resumes its normal course and they force the set free servants to serve them again.

The precept about the release of a servant has a spiritual meaning for us. For us, it means that we show our brother his true spiritual freedom and do not oblige him to us. If a brother owes us something, we must write off his debt. If we do not do so, we keep him in bondage in a certain respect. Then we will be disciplined. What matters is how we treat each other as brothers and sisters, whether we submit to each other and not someone to us.