Jeremiah 40:10

10 Lo! I dwell in Mizpah, for to answer to the commandment of [the] Chaldees, that be sent to us; forsooth gather ye vintage, and ripe corn, and oil, and keep ye in your vessels, and dwell ye in your cities which ye hold. (Lo! I must stay in Mizpah, in order to answer to the commandment of the Chaldeans, who be sent to us; but ye can gather the vintage, and the ripe corn, and the oil, and keep ye them in your vessels, and live ye in your cities which ye have taken, or occupied.)

Jeremiah 40:10 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 40:10

As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the
Chaldeans that come unto us
Here he urges his own example, as before their welfare, to engage them to dwell in the land, and serve the Chaldeans; this was what he had determined to do, and had fixed upon Mizpah, a frontier town, and in the way to Babylon, as a proper seat of residence for him, as a governor under the king of Babylon: "to serve the Chaldeans"; or "to stand before them" ^F21; that should come to him as messengers from the king of Babylon, to receive tribute or bring orders to him; all which he would take care of, as well as be an advocate for the Jews, and plead on their behalf, for favours to be bestowed on them; and particularly for these generals and their forces, that they might be pardoned, and dwell safely in the land: he suggests, that they need not trouble themselves about these things; all affairs of this kind he would take upon himself to transact; so that they would have nothing to fear, nor anything to do, but as follows: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil;
that is, grapes to make wine of, and olives to make oil of, and summer fruits, such as figs and apples. The Targum interprets it lumps of figs; and so Jarchi; for fruits of trees are meant, and not fruits of the earth, as corn and wheat; for both barley and wheat harvests were over before this time; the city being taken in July, and, a month after that, Nebuzaradan came and carried off the captives, and left the poor with Gedaliah, appointed governor. It may be rendered, "autumnal fruits" ^F23; for the word signifies autumn as well as summer; and put [them] in your vessels;
casks, bottles, and such like vessels, suitable to the things mentioned, and which were in common use, in order to be laid up for winter; and as they used to do in times of peace, not fearing any enemy to come and take them from them: and dwell in your cities which ye have taken;
not by force of arms, or as they pleased; but which they had held in possession formerly as the inheritances of their families, and which they had lately reassumed, or might however enter upon the quiet possession of.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (ynpl dmel) "ut stem coram", Vatablus, Pagninus; "ad standum coram", Schmidt.
F23 (Uyqw) "et autumni fructus", Schmidt; "fructus autumnales", Vatablus.

Jeremiah 40:10 In-Context

8 they came to Gedaliah, in Mizpah; and Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jonathan (that is, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah), and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai, that were of (the) Netophathites, and Jezaniah, the son of (a) Maachathite; both they and their men came to Gedaliah.

9 And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them, and to the fellows of them, and said, Do not ye dread to serve [the] Chaldees; but dwell ye in the land, and serve ye the king of Babylon, and it shall be well to you. (And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them, and to their fellows, and said, Do not ye fear to serve the Chaldeans; but live ye in the land, and serve ye the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.)

10 Lo! I dwell in Mizpah, for to answer to the commandment of [the] Chaldees, that be sent to us; forsooth gather ye vintage, and ripe corn, and oil, and keep ye in your vessels, and dwell ye in your cities which ye hold. (Lo! I must stay in Mizpah, in order to answer to the commandment of the Chaldeans, who be sent to us; but ye can gather the vintage, and the ripe corn, and the oil, and keep ye them in your vessels, and live ye in your cities which ye have taken, or occupied.)

11 But also all the Jews, that were in Moab, and in the hosts of Ammon, and in Idumea, and in all the countries, when it is heard, that the king of Babylon had given residues, either remnants, in Judah, and that he had made sovereign on them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, (And all the Jews, who were in Moab, and in the land of Ammon, and in Edom, and in all the other countries, when they had heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah, and that he had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, their ruler,)

12 soothly all [the] Jews turned again from all [the] places, to which they had fled; and they came into the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, in Mizpah, and gathered wine and ripe corn full much. (truly all the Jews returned from all the places, to which they had fled; and they came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, in Mizpah, and gathered a great deal of wine and ripe corn.)