Jeremiah 40:7
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.
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.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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,
- KJV
- Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
- WEB
- Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, children, and of the poorest of the land, of those who were not carried away captive to Babylon,
- ASV
- Now when all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poorest of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
- DARBY
- And all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that had not been carried away captive to Babylon.
- BLB
- And all the captains of the forces who [were] in the fields heard—they and their men—that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam in the land, and he had appointed to him men, and women, and children, and the poorest of the land, who had not been exiled to Babylon;
- ÅB
- Og da alle hærførerne, som var ute på landsbygden, de og deres menn, hørte at Babels konge hadde satt Gedalja, Akikams sønn, til å styre landet, og at han hadde overgitt til hans oppsyn menn og kvinner og små barn og dem av almuen i landet som ikke var blitt bortført til Babel,
- OTB
- Da alle kommandantene for styrkene i det åpne landet og deres menn hørte at kongen av Babylon hadde utnevnt Gedalja, sønn av Ahikam, som guvernør over landet, og hadde satt ham over mennene, kvinnene og barna, de av de fattigste i landet som ikke var blitt bortført til Babylon,
- B1930
- Og da alle hærførerne, som var ute på landsbygden, de og deres menn, hørte at Babels konge hadde satt Gedalja, Akikams sønn, til å styre landet, og at han hadde overgitt til hans opsyn menn og kvinner og små barn og dem av almuen i landet som ikke var blitt bortført til Babel,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 39:10
But 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.
Read in contextJeremiah 39:4
When 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.
Read in context2 Kings 25:22–26
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.
Read in context2 Kings 25:4
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
Read in contextEzekiel 33:24–29
“Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’
Read in contextEzekiel 45:16
All the people of the land must participate in this contribution for the prince in Israel.
Read in context