What is the meaning of Jeremiah 34:18? And those who have transgressed My covenant The Lord singles out covenant-breakers. In Jeremiah’s day, Judah’s leaders had sworn to release their Hebrew slaves (Jeremiah 34:8–10; Exodus 21:2). They reversed course once the Babylonian siege lifted, trampling on their oath. Scripture consistently shows that breaking covenant with God is a serious offense: see Deuteronomy 29:25; Psalm 78:10; Hosea 6:7. and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me The pledge was made “before Me,” reminding us that every promise is ultimately made in God’s presence (Ecclesiastes 5:2–5; Malachi 2:14). Failure to keep it is not merely social injustice; it is sin against the Lord (Leviticus 19:12; James 5:12). • God expects obedience, not partial compliance. • He holds His people to the very words they spoke. I will treat like the calf they cut in two Ancient covenants were ratified by dividing an animal and walking between the halves, symbolizing, “May this happen to me if I break the oath” (Genesis 15:10, 17). Here, God declares He will enforce that self-maledictory curse. Compare Zechariah 11:10–11, where the Lord breaks His own staff to signify judgment on a broken covenant. in order to pass between its pieces Judah’s nobles had literally walked the blood-stained path, binding themselves to their promise (Jeremiah 34:19). By reneging, they invited the very fate they had acted out. Revelation 14:20 and Hebrews 10:29 echo this sobering truth: trampling sacred blood brings terrifying consequences. summary Jeremiah 34:18 warns that covenant faithlessness provokes God’s righteous judgment. The leaders of Judah broke their solemn vow to free their slaves; therefore, the Lord would bring on them the death-sentence they had symbolically accepted. The verse underscores the seriousness of every promise made before God, the certainty of His justice, and the call to wholehearted obedience to His revealed Word. |
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