Jeremiah 34:13
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,
Original Language Analysis
כֹּֽה
H3541
כֹּֽה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
1 of 18
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
יְהוָ֖ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 18
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
the God
H430
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
the God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
4 of 18
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
5 of 18
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
כָּרַ֤תִּֽי
I made
H3772
כָּרַ֤תִּֽי
I made
Strong's:
H3772
Word #:
7 of 18
to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e., make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutt
בְרִית֙
a covenant
H1285
בְרִית֙
a covenant
Strong's:
H1285
Word #:
8 of 18
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
אֶת
H854
אֶת
Strong's:
H854
Word #:
9 of 18
properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc
אֲב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם
with your fathers
H1
אֲב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם
with your fathers
Strong's:
H1
Word #:
10 of 18
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
בְּי֨וֹם
in the day
H3117
בְּי֨וֹם
in the day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
11 of 18
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הוֹצִאִ֤י
that I brought them forth
H3318
הוֹצִאִ֤י
that I brought them forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
12 of 18
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
אוֹתָם֙
H853
אוֹתָם֙
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
13 of 18
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
out of the land
H776
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
out of the land
Strong's:
H776
Word #:
14 of 18
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
Cross References
Joshua 24:17For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:Judges 6:8That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;Jeremiah 31:32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:Exodus 24:3And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.Deuteronomy 5:27Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
Historical Context
The Exodus covenant (c. 1446 or 1260 BCE depending on dating) included comprehensive social legislation protecting the vulnerable. Deuteronomy 15:12-18 mandated releasing Hebrew servants after six years, explicitly grounding this in Israel's Egyptian bondage. By Jeremiah's time (c. 587 BCE), these laws were systematically ignored—the powerful exploited the poor, treating covenant brothers as permanent property. This contributed to social collapse preceding Babylon's conquest.
Questions for Reflection
- How does remembering your own 'slavery' to sin and God's deliverance affect your treatment of others?
- In what ways might Christians today violate the spirit of redemption by exploiting those whom Christ also died to save?
- Why does forgetting God's past grace inevitably lead to present disobedience?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
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 (בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי, berit karati—"I cut a covenant"). God anchors His indictment in the Exodus deliverance, the foundational saving act that created covenant obligation. The phrase beyt avadim ("house of bondmen/slaves") creates devastating irony: God freed them from Egyptian slavery, yet they now re-enslaved their Hebrew brothers, violating the very purpose of redemption.
The covenant reference points to Deuteronomy 15:12-15, where slave release laws explicitly invoke Exodus memory: "remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt." Jeremiah's contemporaries knew this law but disregarded it. Their refusal to free Hebrew slaves demonstrated amnesia regarding God's saving grace—the root of all covenant breaking. As redeemed people should extend redemption to others, Israel's failure to release slaves revealed they'd forgotten their own slave-past and God's liberating character.
Paul later uses similar logic in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13—forgive as God in Christ forgave you. The pattern is consistent: experiencing God's deliverance creates obligation to extend grace. Refusal to do so questions whether one truly grasped God's salvation. Reformed theology's emphasis on grace producing grateful obedience finds Old Testament foundation here.