Jeremiah 34:20

Key Reflection

The verse from Jeremiah 34:20 lists various groups who had made a covenant to release their Hebrew slaves, including the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, eunuchs, priests, and all the people of the land. The act of passing between the parts of a calf was a symbolic ritual in ancient Near Eastern cultures, signifying a blood oath or covenant; thus, these groups had sworn to free their slaves according to God's command through Jeremiah. The original audience would have recognized this as a solemn promise that the Lord now declared He would make them keep, despite their eventual breach of the covenant.