Jeremiah 40:1-10

Jeremiah Remains in Judah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD ¹after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from ²Ramah, when he took him ³bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.

2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, ⁴"The LORD your God pronounced this disaster against this place.

3 The LORD has brought it about, and has done as he said. ⁵Because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you.

4 Now, behold, I release you today from ⁶the chains on your hands. ⁷If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, ⁸but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. ⁹See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go.

5 If you remain,^[a] then return to ¹⁰Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, ¹¹whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go." So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go.

6 Then Jeremiah went to ¹²Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at ¹³Mizpah, and lived with him ¹⁴among the people ¹⁵who were left in the land.

7 ¹⁶When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that ¹⁷the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of ¹⁸the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon,

8 they went to Gedaliah at ¹⁹Mizpah--²⁰Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, ²¹Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, ²²Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.

9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, ²³and it shall be well with you.

10 As for me, I will dwell at ²⁴Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, ²⁵gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken."

Read Chapter Compare

Jeremiah 40:1-10 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 25

1. [Jeremiah 39:14]
2. Joshua 18:25
3. [Psalms 149:8]
4. [Deuteronomy 29:24, 28]
5. Jeremiah 44:3, 23; Deuteronomy 29:25; See Daniel 9:10-12
6. [See ver. 1 above]
7. [Jeremiah 39:12]
8. [Jeremiah 39:12]
9. [Genesis 20:15]
10. See Jeremiah 39:14
11. Jeremiah 41:2
12. [See ver. 5 above]
13. Jeremiah 41:6; Joshua 18:26
14. Jeremiah 37:12; Jeremiah 39:14
15. Jeremiah 39:10
16. For ver. 7-9, see 2 Kings 25:23, 24
17. ver. 5
18. Jeremiah 39:10; 2 Kings 25:12
19. [See ver. 6 above]
20. ver. 14, 15, 16; See Jeremiah 41:1-3
21. ver. 13, 15, 16; Jeremiah 42:1, 8
22. Jeremiah 42:1
23. Jeremiah 38:20
24. [See ver. 6 above]
25. [ver. 12]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.