Why did the people take back the slaves they had set free?

After initially obeying the covenant Zedekiah makes with them, the people turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free. No indication is given as to why they did this, but the narrative implies that the slaves enjoyed a very short time of freedom. The Hebrew verb kabas, translated as brought them into subjection, is very strong and speaks of forcing an unwilling party into subjection¹. The most likely cause of this sudden change of heart is probably the short-lived lifting of the siege. Zedekiah makes the covenant and the people respond positively while the siege is in place. But then the siege is briefly lifted as the Babylonians have to turn their attention to the approaching Egyptian army that is coming to Judah’s assistance. This intervention is short-lived and the siege is soon back in place (Jeremiah 34:21–22;Jeremiah 37:5–10). It is probably during this brief lifting of the siege that the people reverse their decision to obey Zedekiah and they take back the slaves they set free. It would seem that when the threat of invasion appears to have disappeared, taking back valuable slaves was more important to the people than being faithful to any covenant. It is this unfaithfulness and disobedience that is the main point of the narrative.