Jeremiah 40:9
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.
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,
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
- 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.
- KJV
- And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
- WEB
- Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.
- ASV
- And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
- DARBY
- And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
- BLB
- And Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan took an oath before them and before their men, saying: “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans; dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you⁺.
- ÅB
- Og Gedalja, sønn av Akikam, Safans sønn, svor dem og deres menn en ed og sa: Frykt ikke for å tjene kaldeerne! Bli i landet og tjen Babels konge! Så skal det gå dere vel.
- OTB
- Gedalja, sønn av Ahikam, sønn av Sjafan, forsikret dem og deres menn og sa: “Vær ikke redd for å tjene babylonerne; slå dere ned i landet og tjen kongen av Babylon, så vil det gå dere vel.
- B1930
- Og Gedalja, sønn av Akikam, Safans sønn, svor dem og deres menn en ed og sa: Frykt ikke for å tjene kaldeerne! Bli i landet og tjen Babels konge! Så skal det gå eder vel.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 27:11
But the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave in its own land, to cultivate it and reside in it, declares the LORD.”
Read in context2 Kings 25:24
And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”
Read in contextJeremiah 38:17–20
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
Read in context1 Samuel 20:16–17
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
Read in contextPsalms 128:2
For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Read in contextGenesis 49:15
He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.
Read in contextPsalms 37:3
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Read in context