Jeremiah 40:4

4 Now then behold I have loosed thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hands: if it please thee to come with me to Babylon, come: and I will set my eyes upon thee: but if it do not please thee to come with me to Babylon, stay here: behold all the land is before thee, as thou shalt choose, and whither it shall please 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 ) .

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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 general of the army taking Jeremias, said to him: The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place,

3 And he hath brought it: and the Lord hath done as he hath said: because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not hearkened to his voice, and this word is come upon you.

4 Now then behold I have loosed thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hands: if it please thee to come with me to Babylon, come: and I will set my eyes upon thee: but if it do not please thee to come with me to Babylon, stay here: behold all the land is before thee, as thou shalt choose, and whither it shall please thee to go, thither go.

5 And come not with me: but dwell with Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Juda: dwell therefore with him in the midst of the people: or whithersoever it shall please thee to go, go. And the general of the army gave him victuals and presents, and let him go.

6 And Jeremias went to Godolias the son of Ahicam to Masphath: and dwelt with him in the midst of the people that were left in the land.