King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 34:14 Mean?

Jeremiah 34:14 in the King James Version says “At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath se...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 34 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear. hath been: or, hath sold himself”

Jeremiah 34:14 · KJV

Context

12

Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

13

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,

14

At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear. hath been: or, hath sold himself

15

And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: now: Heb. to day which: Heb. whereupon my name is called

16

But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

Read Jeremiah 34 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew—this cites the sabbatical release law from Deuteronomy 15:12. The seventh year (שָׁבֻעַ, shavu'a) pattern echoes creation's sabbath rest, embedding social justice in worship rhythm. Hebrew slaves must serve only six years, then go chofshi ("free")—the same word used for the Exodus liberation itself (Exodus 21:2). Economic relationships must mirror God's redemptive character, not the oppression they themselves escaped.

But your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear (לֹא שָׁמְעוּ... וְלֹא הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם, lo shame'u... velo hitu et-oznam). The double negative emphasizes willful deafness—they didn't accidentally miss God's command, they deliberately refused to listen. "Incline the ear" suggests active effort; its negation implies they actively resisted. This generational pattern of disobedience ("your fathers") indicts not just individuals but systemic covenant violation across centuries.

The tragedy: Israel treated fellow Hebrews worse than God's law even allowed treating foreign slaves. Leviticus 25:39-43 explicitly forbids harsh rule over Israelite servants, commanding: "thou shalt not rule over him with rigour." By ignoring sabbatical release, they reduced covenant brothers to chattel slavery, fundamentally denying the Exodus itself. This prefigures Jesus's parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23-35)—failure to extend received mercy proves one never truly received it.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Archaeological evidence from ancient Israel reveals economic stratification intensifying during the divided monarchy period. The eighth-century prophets (Amos, Isaiah, Micah) condemned wealthy landowners exploiting the poor. By Jeremiah's time, debt slavery was endemic—poor Judeans sold themselves or children to wealthy compatriots during agricultural failures or wartime disruption. The sabbatical release law, designed to prevent permanent underclass formation, was ignored for profit.

Reflection Questions

  1. What modern 'sabbath' principles of rest, release, and restoration does contemporary culture systematically ignore?
  2. How does treating covenant family members (fellow believers) worse than outsiders contradict the gospel?
  3. In what ways might deliberate spiritual deafness be disguised as simple ignorance in your own life?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 25 words
מִקֵּ֣ץ1 of 25

“At the end”

H7093

an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after

שֶׁ֣בַע2 of 25

“of seven”

H7651

seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number

שָׁנִ֔ים3 of 25

“years”

H8141

a year (as a revolution of time)

וְשִׁלַּחְתּ֥וֹ4 of 25

“let ye go”

H7971

to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

אִישׁ֩5 of 25

“every man”

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

אֶת6 of 25
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

אָחִ֨יו7 of 25

“his brother”

H251

a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like h0001])

הָעִבְרִ֜י8 of 25

“an Hebrew”

H5680

an eberite (i.e., hebrew) or descendant of eber

אֲשֶֽׁר9 of 25
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

יִמָּכֵ֣ר10 of 25

“which hath been sold”

H4376

to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)

לְךָ֗11 of 25
H0
וַעֲבָֽדְךָ֙12 of 25

“unto thee and when he hath served”

H5647

to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc

שֵׁ֣שׁ13 of 25

“thee six”

H8337

six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth

שָׁנִ֔ים14 of 25

“years”

H8141

a year (as a revolution of time)

וְשִׁלַּחְתּ֥וֹ15 of 25

“let ye go”

H7971

to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

חָפְשִׁ֖י16 of 25

“free”

H2670

exempt (from bondage, tax or care)

מֵֽעִמָּ֑ךְ17 of 25
H5973

adverb or preposition, with (i.e., in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then

וְלֹֽא18 of 25
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

שָׁמְע֤וּ19 of 25

“hearkened”

H8085

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙20 of 25

“from thee but your fathers”

H1

father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

אֵלַ֔י21 of 25
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

וְלֹ֥א22 of 25
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

הִטּ֖וּ23 of 25

“not unto me neither inclined”

H5186

to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)

אֶת24 of 25
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

אָזְנָֽם׃25 of 25

“their ear”

H241

broadness. i.e., (concrete) the ear (from its form in man)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 34:14 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 34:14 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deuteronomy 15:122 Kings 17:13-141 Samuel 8:7-81 Kings 9:22Isaiah 58:6Jeremiah 11:8-10

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