The Meaning of Jeremiah 34:9 Explained

Jeremiah 34:9

KJV: That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.

YLT: to send out each his man-servant, and each his maid-servant -- the Hebrew and the Hebrewess -- free, so as not to lay service on them, any on a Jew his brother;

Darby: that every man should let his bondman, and every man his bondmaid, the Hebrew and the Hebrewess, go free, that none should exact service of them, that is, of a Jew his brother.

ASV: that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, to wit , of a Jew his brother.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That every man  should let his manservant,  and every man  his maidservant,  [being] an Hebrew  or an Hebrewess,  go  free;  that none should serve  himself of them, [to wit], of a Jew  his brother. 

What does Jeremiah 34:9 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 34

1  Jeremiah prophesies the captivity of Zedekiah and the city
8  The princes and the people having dismissed their bond-servants,
11  contrary to the covenant of God, re-assume them
12  Jeremiah gives them and Zedekiah into the hands of their enemies

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 34:9 mean?

That should set every man - his male and female slave a Hebrew [man] or a Hebrewess free that no one should keep in bondage in a Jew brother that none
לְ֠שַׁלַּח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־ עַבְדּ֞וֹ וְאִ֧ישׁ שִׁפְחָת֛וֹ הָעִבְרִ֥י וְהָעִבְרִיָּ֖ה חָפְשִׁ֑ים לְבִלְתִּ֧י עֲבָד־ בָּ֛ם בִּיהוּדִ֥י אָחִ֖יהוּ אִֽישׁ

לְ֠שַׁלַּח  That  should  set 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אִ֣ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עַבְדּ֞וֹ  his  male 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
שִׁפְחָת֛וֹ  female  slave 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.
הָעִבְרִ֥י  a  Hebrew  [man] 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עִבְרִי  
Sense: a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj.
וְהָעִבְרִיָּ֖ה  or  a  Hebrewess 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִבְרִי  
Sense: a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj.
חָפְשִׁ֑ים  free 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חָפְשִׁי  
Sense: free.
לְבִלְתִּ֧י  that  no  one 
Parse: Preposition-l
Root: בִּלְתִּי  
Sense: not, except adv.
עֲבָד־  should  keep  in  bondage 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
בִּיהוּדִ֥י  a  Jew 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
אָחִ֖יהוּ  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אִֽישׁ  that  none 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.