Jeremiah 34:15

“And ye were now turned, etc.] Or, “today indeed ye were turned”f667 some little time ago, indeed, it must be owned, that ye turned from the evil ways of your fathers, for which you were to be commended, as having acted a better part than they: and had done right in my sight; what was acceptable to the Lord, approved of by him, being agreeably to his law; and it would have been well if they had continued so doing: in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; for a manservant, or maidservant, was his neighbour, and to be treated as such, and loved as himself, especially a Hebrew one, of the same nation and religion; and not to be used as a slave, or retained for ever in bondage: and ye…”

“in the house . . . called by my name--the usual place of making such covenants (Kg2 23:3; compare Kg1 8:31; Neh 10:29).”

“It is usual with commentators to say that, the laws dealing with the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves, as also that of the land resting during the sabbatical year, were not observed. The narrative teaches us the exact contrary. The manumission of the slaves on the present occasion was the spontaneous act of Zedekiah and the people. They knew of the law, and acknowledged its obligation. The observance of it was, no doubt, lax: the majority let their own selfish interests prevail; but the minority made might give way to right, and Zedekiah supported their efforts though only in a weak way. Early in January, in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the Chaldaean army approached Jerusalem. The people…”

“34:15-16 The slaveholders had done what was right in releasing their slaves; they had obeyed God’s command. But their covenant had been made in the Temple, and when they broke their covenant, they defiled God’s name and treated it with contempt (in violation of Deut 5:11).”

“ye: Kg1 21:27-29; Kg2 10:30, Kg2 10:31, Kg2 12:2, Kg2 14:3; Isa 58:2; Mat 15:8 now: Heb. to-day in proclaiming: Jer 34:10, Jer 34:11 ye had: Jer 34:8; Kg2 23:3; Neh 10:29; Psa 76:11, Psa 119:106 which is called by my name: Heb. whereupon my name is called, Jer 7:10, Jer 7:11 Jeremiah 34:16”