Jeremiah 39:12

12 "Take him and set your eyes on him. And you must not do something bad to him, {but only} that which he speaks to you, so do with him."

Jeremiah 39:12 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 39:12

Take him, and look well to him
Take him out of prison; take him under your immediate care; receive him kindly, and use him humanely; provide everything necessary for him, and let him not want for anything: or, "set thine eyes upon him" ^F13 look pleasantly at him, and let him be always under your view and inspection; treat him not with neglect and contempt, but see to it that nothing is wanting to him: and do him no harm;
no injury to his person by beating, imprisoning, or starving him; nor suffer any to be done to him by the common soldiers, or by his own people: but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee:
let him have whatever he asks for: this was great favour from a Heathen prince indeed, and more than he met with from his own countrymen.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (wyle Myv Kynyew) "et oculos tuos pone super eum", V. L. Vatablus, Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 39:12 In-Context

10 And some of the poor people, {who had nothing}, Nebuzaradan, [the] captain of [the] guard, left in the land of Judah. And he gave them vineyards and fields on that day.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon commanded concerning Jeremiah {through} Nebuzaradan, [the] captain of [the] guard, {saying},

12 "Take him and set your eyes on him. And you must not do something bad to him, {but only} that which he speaks to you, so do with him."

13 So Nebuzaradan, [the] captain of [the] guard, sent [word], {along with} Nebushazban [the] chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer [the] high official, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon.

14 And they sent and took Jeremiah from the courtyard of the guard and gave him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him to the house, so he stayed in the midst of the people.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "but if"