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Jeremiah 40:5

in Jeremiah 40

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.

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.

This verse in Jeremiah 40

Commentary

8 notes on this verse
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 am freeing you today from the chains that were on your wrists

on Jeremiah 40:4-6

Nebuzaradan frees Jeremiah and gives him a choice: come to Babylon, “I will take care of you,” or stay, “the whole land is before you.” He gives him “a ration and a gift”. Jeremiah goes to Gedaliah at Mizpah and stays “among the people who were left in the land.”

This site's exposition

Return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam

John Gill admits the opening words are hard to construe. Albert Barnes gives the reading of most modern commentators, that Jeremiah had not yet answered when the captain of the guard chose Gedaliah for him. Matthew Henry says the ration and gift kept Jeremiah alive in a land laid waste.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

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.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

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.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

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 words

Every 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.

  • 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 stops

Each 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 7:6

    this 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.”

  • Through

    Acts 27:3

    The 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.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 41:2

    Then 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…

  • Through

    Jeremiah 39:14

    had 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.

Where this verse is studied

About Jeremiah

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.