Jeremiah 40:7-16

Gedaliah Assassinated

7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon,
8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah[a] the son of the Maakathite, and their men.
9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,[b] ” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.
10 I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”
11 When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them,
12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah
14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15 Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?”
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

Jeremiah 40:7-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 40

This chapter treats of the release of Jeremiah, and the care taken of him; of the gathering of the princes and people of the Jews to Gedaliah, appointed their governor, dispersed about Judea, and other countries; and of a conspiracy against him, of which information was given him. The release of Jeremiah, where, and by whom, Jer 40:1-4; the liberty granted him to go to Babylon, or stay in Judea, as he thought fit; and, if he chose the latter, is advised to go to Gedaliah, appointed governor, or where he would; and is dismissed with food, and a reward, Jer 40:4-6; upon which he went and dwelt with Gedaliah, Jer 40:7; to whom also the captains of the dispersed forces joined themselves, to whom he swore, and bid them be of good cheer; and exhorted them to serve the Chaldeans, which he urged from the profit of it to them, and by his own example, Jer 40:8-10; and to whom also gathered the Jews in other countries, Jer 40:11,12; by the captains he is informed of a conspiracy against his life, and one of them offers to destroy the conspirator, which Gedaliah would not agree to, disbelieving the information, Jer 40:13-16.

Cross References 27

  • 1. S Genesis 41:41; S Nehemiah 5:14
  • 2. S 2 Kings 24:14; S Acts 24:17; James 2:5; Jeremiah 39:10
  • 3. ver 13
  • 4. ver 14; Jeremiah 41:1,2
  • 5. ver 15; Jeremiah 41:11
  • 6. S 2 Samuel 23:28
  • 7. S Deuteronomy 3:14
  • 8. Jeremiah 5:19; Jeremiah 27:11; Romans 13:1-2; Ephesians 6:5-8
  • 9. Ezekiel 23:23
  • 10. S Jeremiah 38:20; Lamentations 1:1
  • 11. S ver 6
  • 12. S Genesis 27:28; S Exodus 23:16
  • 13. Exodus 7:19; 2 Corinthians 4:7
  • 14. Deuteronomy 1:39
  • 15. S Numbers 21:11; Numbers 25:1
  • 16. S Genesis 25:30
  • 17. Jeremiah 12:14
  • 18. Jeremiah 43:5
  • 19. Jeremiah 42:1
  • 20. ver 8
  • 21. S Genesis 19:38; 2 Samuel 10:1-19; Jeremiah 25:21; Jeremiah 41:10; Jeremiah 49:1
  • 22. S ver 8
  • 23. S ver 8
  • 24. S Deuteronomy 5:17; Matthew 5:21-22
  • 25. S Genesis 11:4; S Leviticus 26:33; Matthew 26:31; John 11:52; James 1:1
  • 26. S 2 Kings 21:14; S Isaiah 1:9; Romans 11:5
  • 27. Jeremiah 43:2

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Hebrew "Jezaniah," a variant of "Jaazaniah"
  • [b]. Or "Chaldeans" ; also in verse 10
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