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Jeremiah

Jeremiahchapter 40

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A.Loosed from His Chains at Ramah: Go Back to Gedaliahvv. 1-6

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had released him at Ramah, having found him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place, 3 and now the LORD has fulfilled it; He has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed His voice, this thing has happened to you. 4 But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains that were on your wrists. If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther. Look, the whole land is before you. Wherever it seems good and right to you, go there.” 5 But before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Return to Gedaliah 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 go anywhere else that seems right.” Then the captain of the guard gave him a ration and a gift and released him. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

B.Gathering Wine and Summer Fruits: the Remnant Returnsvv. 7-12

7 When all the commanders and men of the armies in the field heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and children who were the poorest of the land and had not been exiled to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 10 As for me, I will stay in Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us. As for you, gather wine grapes, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have taken.” 11 When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and all the other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over them, 12 they all returned from all the places to which they had been banished and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered an abundance of wine grapes and summer fruit.

C.Warned of Ishmael's Plot, and Not Believing Itvv. 13-16

13 Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.”

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Chapter summary

Nebuzaradan finds Jeremiah bound among the captives at Ramah, releases him, and (with a Babylonian officer's summary of Judah's own theology, that this came because they sinned against Jehovah) gives him a free choice: come to Babylon and be looked after, or go anywhere you please.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

Nebuzaradan finds Jeremiah bound among the captives at Ramah, releases him, and (with a Babylonian officer's summary of Judah's own theology, that this came because they sinned against Jehovah) gives him a free choice: come to Babylon and be looked after, or go anywhere you please. He returns to Gedaliah at Mizpah and dwells among the people left in the land. Scattered Judeans hear that a governor has been appointed and stream back from Moab, Ammon, and Edom, gathering wine and summer fruits in great abundance. Then the shadow: Johanan warns that Baalis king of Ammon has sent Ishmael to kill Gedaliah, and offers to kill him first. Gedaliah refuses to believe it.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Prophecy · Jeremiah — Jeremiah overview

  • A. 1–6 Loosed from His Chains at Ramah: Go Back to Gedaliah
  • B. 7–12 Gathering Wine and Summer Fruits: the Remnant Returns
  • C. 13–16 Warned of Ishmael's Plot, and Not Believing It
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • Jeremiah 394 verses
    • Jeremiah 39:4When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah.
    • Jeremiah 39:10But Nebuzaradan left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who had no property, and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
    • Jeremiah 39:11Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, saying,
    • Jeremiah 39:14had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people.
    • Read Jeremiah 39 →
  • Jeremiah 412 verses
    • Jeremiah 41:2Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.
    • Jeremiah 41:10Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.
    • Read Jeremiah 41 →
  • Ezekiel 52 verses
    • Ezekiel 5:3But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment.
    • Ezekiel 5:12A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.
    • Read Ezekiel 5 →
  • Joshua 181 verse
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • Ephesians 61 verse
  • Acts 211 verse
    • Acts 21:13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
    • Read Acts 21 →
  • Deuteronomy 291 verse
  • Jeremiah 221 verse

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.