INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 40 This chapter treats of the release of Jeremiah, and the care taken of him; of the gathering of the princes and people of the Jews to Gedaliah, appointed their governor, dispersed about Judea, and other countries; and of a conspiracy against him, of which information was... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD WHICH CAME TO JEREMIAH FROM THE LORD,.... The word of prophecy, as the Targum; but there being no prophecy in this and the following chapter, only a narration of facts, this is generally referred to what came ten days after, and which begins Jeremiah 42:7; so Jarchi and Kimchi; all between... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD TOOK JEREMIAH,.... When he mustered his prisoners, to his great surprise he found the prophet among them, whom he took out from them, and set him free; though, before he dismissed him, he had the following conversation with him: AND SAID UNTO HIM, THE LORD THY GOD HATH... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE LORD HATH BROUGHT [IT], AND DONE ACCORDING AS HE HATH SAID,.... As he purposed, so it came to pass; as he foretold by his prophet, so it was brought about by his providence. This Heathen captain acknowledges the hand of the Lord in all this; and suggests, that his master, the king of Babylon... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Jarchi makes them to be words of God, and the sense this, "and by all this he (Jeremiah) had... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT JEREMIAH TO GEDALIAH THE SON OF AHIKAM TO MIZPAH,.... A city in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Ramathon; which, as Josephus says, was about five miles from Jerusalem. Jeremiah took the captain's advice, though it might have been better with him had he gone along with him to Babylon; b... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN ALL THE CAPTAINS OF THE FORCES WHICH [WERE] IN THE FIELDS,.... Not the captains of the king of Babylon's forces, but the captains of the king of Judah's forces; who either during the siege had lurked in the fields and villages, not daring to fall upon the Chaldean army, or attempt to raise... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY CAME TO GEDALIAH TO MIZPAH,.... Having heard that the Chaldean army was gone, and so were in no fear of that; and also that Gedaliah was made deputy governor, one of their own nation, a pious, prudent, good man, a man of ingenuity, mildness, and integrity; under whose government they might... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Cha... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR ME, BEHOLD, I WILL DWELL AT MIZPAH, TO SERVE THE CHALDEANS THAT COME UNTO US,.... Here he urges his own example, as before their welfare, to engage them to dwell in the land, and serve the Chaldeans; this was what he had determined to do, and had fixed upon Mizpah, a frontier town, and in the... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE, WHEN ALL THE JEWS THAT [WERE] IN MOAB,.... Who had fled thither, and to the places after mentioned, when the king of Babylon first invaded the land, and where they had continued unto this time: AND AMONG THE AMMONITES, AND IN EDOM, AND THAT [WERE] IN ALL THE COUNTRIES; in all other neighb... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN ALL THE JEWS RETURNED FROM ALL PLACES WHITHER THEY WERE DRIVEN,.... Through fear of the Chaldean army; they came all of them from the several countries before mentioned; so that here was like to be a happy settlement and a flourishing commonwealth again; here being princes and generals, soldier... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, JOHANAN THE SON OF KAREAH,.... Who seems to be the principal captain next to Ishmael, against whom an information is brought, and so not present; this captain is here only mentioned by name, and before next to Ishmael: AND ALL THE CAPTAINS OF THE FORCES THAT [WERE] IN THE FIELDS; or that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO HIM, DOST THOU CERTAINLY KNOW,.... Not that they thought he did know, or that the thing was so flagrant that he must know it; but that he might be assured of the truth of it, from the information they were now about to give him: or, "dost thou [not] in knowing know?" x it is most certa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JOHANAN THE SON OF KAREAH SPAKE TO GEDALIAH IN MIZPAH SECRETLY,.... Partly that he might, as he thought, more easily prevail upon him, and persuade him to believe the information given; and partly for the sake of the proposal he had to make to him, which it was not proper should be publicly mad... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GEDALIAH THE SON OF AHIKAM SAID UNTO JOHANAN THE SON OF KAREAH,.... In answer to his request, and the motion made by him: THOU SHALT NOT DO THIS THING; or, "do not do this thing" z; dissuading him from it, as being unlawful to take away a man's life in such a secret manner, without any legal pr... [ Continue Reading ]