Jeremiah 40:1-16--Jeremiah Remains in Judah

Jeremiah 40
English Standard Version

Jeremiah Remains in Judah
40 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The LORD has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.” 11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.

13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.”

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The captain of the guard originally took Jeremiah to Ramah with all the other exiles, but he set him free from his chains there and gave him a choice.  He let Jeremiah choose whether to go to Babylon with the people and the captain of the guard promised to take care of him if he made this choice, or he could go anywhere he wanted in the Land, though the captain of the guard recommended that he go back tot he governor's house and live with the governor and have all of his food, housing and other needs taken care of.  There is also quite the proclamation from the this Babylonian that he has heard and understands that Jeremiah told the people that this was the LORD's plan to discipline His people for their rebellion.  Jeremiah faithful conveyed the message, and the people did not listen to it.  The fault was not with the message or the messenger, but with those who refused to hear and listen to the message.  The Babylonians heard and understood better than the people of Judah.

The poor people were comforted when they heard who the king of Babylon had made their governor and they agreed to work the fields to make wine and to gather fruit.  Those who had been in the lands of the Moabite, Ammonites and Edomites returned back to Judah once they saw the war was over and that the king of Babylon was not going to return to take the remnant into exile.

Jeremiah then tells us of a rumor of one of the captains to assassinate the governor.  The governor refuses to believe it and will not give permission to one of his other captains to secretly assassinate the captain that the rumor is being spread about.  Those spreading the rumor even try to pull on the governor's heart strings to say that if he fails to act and Ishmael (the captain that was supposedly planning the assassination attempt against the governor) was successful, then the people of Judah would be scattered and without aide or protection.  We'll see next time that the rumors were actually true, and the Judeans will be in trouble for it.