Jeremiah 40

1 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, after that he was delivered of Nebuzaradan, master of the chivalry, from Ramah, when he took him bound with chains, in the midst of all men that passed from Jerusalem, and from Judah, and were led into Babylon. (The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremiah, after that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had let him go from Ramah, where he had taken him bound with chains, in the midst of all those who were carried away captive from Jerusalem, and from Judah, and were being led captive to Babylon.)

2 Therefore the prince of the chivalry took Jeremy, and said to him, Thy Lord God spake this evil on this place, (And so the captain of the guard took Jeremiah aside, and said to him, The Lord thy God spoke evil against this place,)

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,)

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.)

13 Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of the host, that were scattered in the countries, came to Gedaliah in Mizpah, (And Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders, or all the officers, of the army, who were scattered in the countryside, came to Gedaliah in Mizpah,)

14 and said to him, Know thou, that Baalis, king of the sons of Ammon, hath sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to smite thy life. And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, believed not to them. (and said to him, Know thou, that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, hath sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to strike down thy life. But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, did not believe them.)

15 Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, said to Gedaliah asides half in Mizpah, and spake, I shall go, and slay Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, while no man knoweth, lest he slay thy life, and all the Jews be scattered, that be gathered to thee, and the remnants of Judah shall perish. (Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, took Gedaliah aside in Mizpah, and said, I shall go, and kill Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, while no one knoweth it, lest he kill thee, and then all the Jews be scattered, who now be gathered to thee, and so the remnant of Judah shall perish.)

16 And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, Do not thou do this word, for thou speakest false of Ishmael. (But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, Do not thou do this thing, for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.)

Jeremiah 40 Commentary

Chapter 40

Jeremiah is directed to go to Gedaliah. (1-6) A conspiracy against Gedaliah. (7-16)

Verses 1-6 The captain of the guard seems to glory that he had been God's instrument to fulfil, what Jeremiah had been God's messenger to foretell. Many can see God's justice and truth with regard to others, who are heedless and blind as to themselves and their own sins. But, sooner or later, all men shall be made sensible that their sin is the cause of all their miseries. Jeremiah has leave to dispose of himself; but is advised to go to Gedaliah, governor of the land under the king of Babylon. It is doubtful whether Jeremiah acted right in this decision. But those who desire the salvation of sinners, and the good of the church, are apt to expect better times from slight appearances, and they will prefer the hope of being useful, to the most secure situations without it.

Verses 7-16 Jeremiah had never in his prophecies spoken of any good days for the Jews, to come immediately after the captivity; yet Providence seemed to encourage such an expectation. But how soon is this hopeful prospect blighted! When God begins a judgment, he will complete it. While pride, ambition, or revenge, bears rule in the heart, men will form new projects, and be restless in mischief, which commonly ends in their own ruin. Who would have thought, that after the destruction of Jerusalem, rebellion would so soon have sprung up? There can be no thorough change but what grace makes. And if the miserable, who are kept in everlasting chains for the judgment of the great day, were again permitted to come on earth, the sin and evil of their nature would be unchanged. Lord, give us new hearts, and that new mind in which the new birth consists, since thou hast said we cannot without it see thy heavenly kingdom.

Chapter Summary

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.