Jeremiah 40:4

4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well* unto thee: but if it seem ill* unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

Jeremiah 40:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 40:4

And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which
[were] upon thine hands
Or rather are; for, when he said these words, it is highly probable they were on him, though now ordered to be taken off; these were not what were put upon him by the Jews, when in the court of the prison; for rather his legs, than his hands, would have had fetters on them there; but what were put upon him by the Chaldeans, when he fell into their hands; though inadvertently done by the inferior officers, and without the knowledge of the princes, or of this captain, who loosed them; with these he came manacled to Ramah, with the rest of the captives, but now were loosed in the sight of them: if it seem good unto thee to come with me unto Babylon, come, and one
will look well unto thee;
or, "I will set mine eyes upon thee" F18; as the king of Babylon had ordered him to do, ( Jeremiah 39:12 ) ; would favour him, protect him, provide for him, and use him in the most kind and generous manner: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me to Babylon, forbear;
if it was not agreeable to him to leave his native country, and to go into Babylon, he would not urge it, but leave him to his liberty; yea, would advise him to continue where he was, and not take one step out of it: behold, all the land [is] before thee;
the land of Judea, which was at the disposal of the king of Babylon; and Jeremiah has a grant from him, by his officer, to settle where he pleased: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go;
he left him to take his own way, and do as he thought fit; and this agrees with his master's orders to him, ( Jeremiah 39:12 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Kyle ynye ta Myvaw) "ponam oculos meos super te", Schmidt; "et ponam oculum meum super te", Pagninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 40:4 In-Context

2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
3 Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
The King James Version is in the public domain.