Jeremiah 40:5
in Jeremiah 40But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now while he was not yet gone back, Go back then, said he, to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth right unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a present, and let him go.
KJV
Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
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This verse in Jeremiah 40
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Now while he was not yet gone back - Most modern commentators render “And as he yet answered nothing, Return then, he said, to Gedaliah ...” Victuals - A ration of food. A reward - A present.
This site's exposition
I loose thee this day from the chains
on Jeremiah 40:4-6
Nebuzaradan sets Jeremiah free with an open choice, Babylon under royal protection or the land under Gedaliah, and Jeremiah takes neither as compulsion but chooses the land, going to Gedaliah at Mizpah to dwell among the people left behind. Keil observes that the choice itself is the last kindness Babylon shows the prophet who told it the truth, food and a reward given alongside the freedom. Jeremiah's decision to stay with the poorest of the land rather than accept honor in the conqueror's court fits the pattern the book has already set, a prophet who shares his people's suffering rather than escaping it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
He set him at liberty, but it was in a country that was laid waste, and in which, as the posture of it now was, he might have perished, though it was his own country, if he had not been thus kindly furnished with necessaries.
Now - Jeremiah before he was gone out of the presence of Nebuzar-adan, declaring that he was more inclined to stay in his own country, Nebuzar-adan bid him, Go back.
Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, go back also to Gedaliah,.... These words, by different versions, are made difficult to be understood, both, whose words they are, and of whom they are spoken.
The great resort of the Jews that remained scattered in the neighbouring countries to Gedaliah, who was made their governor under the king of Babylon; and the good posture they were in for a while under him,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Go back also to Gedaliah - If thou wilt stay in thy own land, thou hadst best put thyself under the protection of thy countryman Gedaliah, whom the King of Babylon has made governor of the land.
The words behind it
34 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעוֹדֶ֣נּוּ | veodenu | and still he | H5750 → | 490 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָשׁ֗וּב | yashuv | he will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וְשֻׁ֡בָה | veshuvah | and return ! | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גְּדַלְיָ֣ה | gedalyah | Gedaliah | H1436 → | 32 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲחִיקָ֣ם | ʾachikam | Ahikam | H296 → | 20 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שָׁפָ֡ן | shafan | Shaphan | H8227 → | 34 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִפְקִ֨יד | hifkid | he has appointed | H6485 → | 303 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֜ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| בְּעָרֵ֣י | bearei | over [the] cities of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| יְהוּדָ֗ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְשֵׁ֤ב | veshev | and remain | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| אִתּוֹ֙ | ʾito | with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| בְּת֣וֹךְ | betokh | in among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| א֠וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיָּשָׁ֧ר | haiyashar | <the> [place] right | H3477 → | 119 times |
| בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ | beeineikha | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| לָלֶ֖כֶת | lalekhet | to go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לֵ֑ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַיִּתֶּן־ | vaiyiten- | and he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֧וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| רַב־ | rav- | [the] chief of | H7227 → | 454 times |
| טַבָּחִ֛ים | tabachim | [the] bodyguards | H2876 → | 32 times |
| אֲרֻחָ֥ה | ʾaruchah | a food allowance | H737 → | 6 times |
| וּמַשְׂאֵ֖ת | umaset | and a present | H4864 → | |
| וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃ | vayshalechehu | and he let go him | H7971 → | 845 times |
וְעוֹדֶ֣נּוּand still he
veodenuH5750 →490 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָשׁ֗וּבhe will return
yashuvH7725 →1056 times
וְשֻׁ֡בָהand return !
veshuvahH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גְּדַלְיָ֣הGedaliah
gedalyahH1436 →32 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אֲחִיקָ֣םAhikam
ʾachikamH296 →20 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שָׁפָ֡ןShaphan
shafanH8227 →34 times
אֲשֶׁר֩whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִפְקִ֨ידhe has appointed
hifkidH6485 →303 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֜לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
בְּעָרֵ֣יover [the] cities of
beareiH5892 →1090 times
יְהוּדָ֗הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וְשֵׁ֤בand remain
veshevH3427 →1079 times
אִתּוֹ֙with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
בְּת֣וֹךְin among
betokhH8432 →418 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
א֠וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיָּשָׁ֧ר<the> [place] right
haiyasharH3477 →119 times
בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָin view your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 times
לָלֶ֖כֶתto go
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
לֵ֑ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
וַיִּתֶּן־and he gave
vaiyiten-H5414 →2011 times
ל֧וֹto <the> him
lo
רַב־[the] chief of
rav-H7227 →454 times
טַבָּחִ֛ים[the] bodyguards
tabachimH2876 →32 times
אֲרֻחָ֥הa food allowance
ʾaruchahH737 →6 times
וּמַשְׂאֵ֖תand a present
umasetH4864 →
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃and he let go him
vayshalechehuH7971 →845 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for…
it leads to
- Ezra 8:22
For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God…
- Ezra 7:28
and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the…
- Ezra 8:31
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands…
- Nehemiah 2:18
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this…
- Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- Ezra 8:22
Through
Acts 27:3The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.
it leads to
- Acts 24:23
He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to minister to his needs.
- Acts 24:23
Through
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…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 25:25
In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the…
- 2 Kings 25:25
Through
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.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 38:28
And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
- Jeremiah 38:28
About Jeremiah
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonLate monarchy / ExileJeremiahPriest of Anathoth called before birth to uproot and to plant; the weeping prophet of Jerusalem's fall who bought a field in the s…
- PlaceBabil Governorate (archaeological site)BabylonAncient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital; site of the Israelite exile and a recurring biblical symbol of worldly power.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.