Jeremiah 40:9

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.)

Jeremiah 40:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 40:9

And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan aware unto
them and to their men
They might express their fears, that should they continue with Gedaliah, as they were inclined to do, could they be safe; that seeing they had encouraged Zedekiah to hold out the siege to the last against the Chaldeans, and they should hear where they were, would demand them, and they, should be taken and delivered up into their hands; upon which Gedaliah not only promises them safety, but swears to them that they should live safely with him, and never be delivered up to the Chaldeans, and that he would undertake to indemnify them, and preserve them: saying, fear not to serve the Chaldeans;
as if it was an evil to do it; or as if their yoke was hard and intolerable; or as if it would be unprofitable, and turn to no account; or they should be always in danger of their lives: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall he well
with you;
settle in the land, and do not rove about from place to place like fugitives; nor go out of the land through fear of the king of Babylon, but continue in it, and live in subjection to him, and depend upon it you will live comfortably and safely.

Jeremiah 40:9 In-Context

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,)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.