Jeremiah 34:18
“I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts:”
What does Jeremiah 34:18 mean?
In ancient times, when people made a serious covenant or binding agreement, they would perform a ritual: they'd cut an animal in half and walk between the pieces, essentially calling down judgment on themselves if they broke their word. Jeremiah is describing how the people of Judah made a solemn promise before God to free their enslaved neighbors, but then went back on it. God is saying he will treat those who made and then broke this covenant as if they've invited that curse upon themselves, because their betrayal was deliberate and they did it right before God's altar. The point isn't about the ritual itself, but about the seriousness of breaking a promise made in God's presence, especially one involving justice and mercy toward the vulnerable.