Jeremiah 40:6

6 Then Jeremiah went to ¹Mizpah to ²Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

Jeremiah 40:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 40:6

Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah,
&c.] A city in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Ramathon; which, as Josephus says, was about five miles from Jerusalem. Jeremiah took the captain's advice, though it might have been better with him had he gone along with him to Babylon; but he chose rather to dwell in his own land, and suffer affliction with the people of God, than to dwell at ease in a foreign and idolatrous land: and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land;
among the poor people that Nebuzaradan left, who dwelt either at Mizpah or at Anathoth, and lived as they did.

Jeremiah 40:6 In-Context

4 "But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, never mind. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go."

5 As Jeremiah was still not going back, he said, "Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go." So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift and let him go.

6 Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

7 Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon.

8 So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, both they and their men.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 20:1; Judges 21:1; 1 Samuel 7:5; 2 Chronicles 16:6
• 2. Jeremiah 39:14