Jeremiah 40:5

5 and do not thou come with me. But dwell thou with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon made sovereign to the cities of Judah; therefore dwell thou with him in the midst of the people, either go thou, whither ever it pleaseth thee to go. And the master of [the] chivalry gave to him meats, and gifts, and let go him. (and do not thou feel compelled to come with me. Yea, stay thou with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made the ruler over the cities of Judah; and so either stay thou with him in the midst of the people, or go thou, wherever it pleaseth thee to go. And the captain of the guard gave him food, and gifts, and let him go.)

Jeremiah 40:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 40:5

Now while he was not yet gone back, [he said], go back also to
Gedaliah
These words, by different versions, are made difficult to be understood, both, whose words they are, and of whom they are spoken. Jarchi makes them to be words of God, and the sense this,

``and by all this he (Jeremiah) had no mind to return; and God said to him, go back to Gedaliah.''

According to the Targum, they are the words of Nebuzaradan, which paraphrases them thus;

``if thou wilt not return (that is, with him to Babylon, or rather to Jerusalem, or best to his own native place), or if thou wilt not dwell (that is, in this place), go back to Gedaliah.''

But of whom they are spoken interpreters differ. Some say of Zedekiah, as Cocceius; while he (Zedekiah) does not return, that is, to Jerusalem; which possibly he might, though as yet not determined by the king of Babylon; in the mean while is bid to go to Gedaliah, appointed governor. Others of Gedaliah, thus, while he (Gedaliah) does not return, but stays at Mizpah, go to him thither. Though it seems best to understand it of Jeremiah, who, having had leave from the captain, did not immediately set out anywhere; but, seething to be at a loss which way to go, Nebuzaradan gives him his advice; that seeing he did not care to go to Babylon, that he would go to Gedaliah the son of, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon had
made governor over all the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among
the people;
this was one of the princes of Judah, who, during the siege, went over to the Chaldeans, and who was in great esteem with them; and being, no doubt, recommended to the king of Babylon by his generals, he made him governor of the land under him: or go wherever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go;
though he gave him his advice, he did not press it, but left him at full liberty to take his own way, and go into what part of the land he pleased, and settle in it: so the captain of the guard gave him victuals, and a reward, and let
him go;
the prophet was just come out of prison, and destitute of the necessaries of life, and the land was laid waste by the enemy; and therefore he could not have subsisted without a supply, which was liberally given by the captain; not only food for present refreshment, and sufficient for his journey, which way soever he took, but a present of money or clothes, or both; which was very kind usage of a prophet by a Heathen officer.

Jeremiah 40:5 In-Context

3 and the Lord hath brought (it in), and hath done (it), as he spake; for ye sinned to the Lord, and heard not the voice of him, and this word is done to you. (and now the Lord hath brought it to be, and hath done just as he said he would do; for ye all have sinned against the Lord, and did not listen to his voice, and so all of this hath come upon you.)

4 Now therefore lo! I have released thee today from the chains that be in thine hands (And so now lo! I release thee today from the chains that be upon thy hands); if it pleaseth thee to come with me into Babylon, come thou, and I shall set mine eyes on thee; soothly if it displeaseth thee to come with me into Babylon, sit thou here; lo! all the land is in thy sight, that that thou choosest, and whither it pleaseth thee to go, thither go thou,

5 and do not thou come with me. But dwell thou with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon made sovereign to the cities of Judah; therefore dwell thou with him in the midst of the people, either go thou, whither ever it pleaseth thee to go. And the master of [the] chivalry gave to him meats, and gifts, and let go him. (and do not thou feel compelled to come with me. Yea, stay thou with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made the ruler over the cities of Judah; and so either stay thou with him in the midst of the people, or go thou, wherever it pleaseth thee to go. And the captain of the guard gave him food, and gifts, and let him go.)

6 Forsooth Jeremy came to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, in Mizpah, and dwelled with him (and stayed with him), in the midst of the people that was left in the land.

7 And when all princes of the host had heard, that were scattered by countries, they and the fellows of them, that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah sovereign of the land, the son of Ahikam, and that he had betaken to Gedaliah men, and women, and little children, and of [the] poor men of the land, that were not translated into Babylon, (And when all the leaders of the army, who were scattered in the countryside, yea, they and their fellows, had heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the ruler of the land, and that he had delivered to Gedaliah the men, and the women, and the little children, of the poor of the land, who were not carried away captive to Babylon,)