Jeremiah 40

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Jeremiah 40

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.

2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

3 Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.

4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

5 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.

6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

7 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;

8 Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

9 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.

10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.

11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;

12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

14 And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?

16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 2

<html>and raise a standard (Perche in French.) That is a signal for gathering. Bel…Merodach The names of the Babylonian deities.</html>

Verse 3

<html>a nation…from the north [viz.] Persia and Media.</html>

Verse 5

<html>are directed hitherward Toward this place, Jerusalem, they shall direct their faces when Babylon will be destroyed and they will leave it with the sanction of Cyrus, king of Persia.</html>

Verse 6

<html>their shepherds caused them to stray Their kings caused them to stray away from Me. mountains…led them astray To the mountains, to the idol worship that was on the mountains. שׁוֹבְבוּם (esvayent in O.F.), led astray, their kings led them astray. And Jonathan rendered: their governors plundered them.</html>

Verse 7

<html>and the hope of their forefathers Jonathan renders: וְסִבּוּר אֲבָהָתְהוֹן, and the hope of their forefathers.</html>

Verse 8

<html>Wander out of Babylon Accordingly, go out of there. like the he goats before the flocks It is customary for the he-goats to go before the flock, at the head of the she-goats.</html>

Verse 9

<html>and they shall set themselves in array against her They shall array themselves in battle against her.</html>

Verse 11

<html>O spoilers of My heritage Heb. שֹּׁסֵי. as you become fat Heb. תפושו, an expression of fat. a threshing heifer Heb. דשא, a heifer that threshes the grain and eats constantly.</html>

Verse 12

<html>Your mother Your nation. the end of the nations Although your beginning was great, your end will be a desert.</html>

Verse 14

<html>shoot at her Heb. ידו, cast stones at her. Cf. “And they cast (וידוּ) stones at me” (Lam. 3:53).</html>

Verse 15

<html>she gave her hand like a person who has no strength and stretches forth his hand to whomever he sees, to beg mercy and aid. Cf. We gave our hand to Egypt” (Lam. 5:6). her foundations have fallen Heb. אשיותיה. The strength of her foundations. Cf. “And the foundations (וְאֻשַּׁיָא) shall be fastened” (Ezra 4:12). And in the language of the Mishnah: Those who dig for foundations (לְאֻשִׁין) [Baba Kamma 50a]. Cf. “And strengthen yourselves (והתאוששוּ)” (Isa. 46:8), equivalent to והתחזקוּ, and strengthen yourselves. as she did to the city of the Lord.</html>

Verse 16

<html>Cut off a sower Destroy a king from Babylon and one who grasps a sword in time of slaughter.</html>

Verse 17

<html>First…devoured him For he exiled the Ten Tribes. broke his bones He broke his bones, for he finished the leftovers, Judah and Benjamin. עִצְמוֹ (desossa in French), [broke the bones].</html>

Verse 19

<html>and he shall pasture in the Carmel An expression of pasture.</html>

Verse 21

<html>the rebellious land Heb. מרתים, which rebelled against Me and provoked Me. Pekod The name of a province. Cf. “Pekod and Shoa and Koa” (Ezekiel 23:23). Jonathan renders [them as] names of provinces. and do according to all that I have commanded you You, Cyrus, through Isaiah the prophet.</html>

Verse 23

<html>the hammer of the whole earth which would shatter and crush everyone.</html>

Verse 24

<html>I laid a snare for you Heb. יקשתי, an expression of a snare (מוֹקֵש).</html>

Verse 26

<html>Come against her from her border From the end of the city, commence upon her, that she not know, and she will be taken suddenly. open her gates Jonathan renders: אִבּוּלָהָא, her gates, but it has no similar instance [in Scripture]. Menahem (Machbereth p. 14) classifies it as an expression of a manger. thresh her Heb. סלוה. stacks Granaries.</html>

Verse 27

<html>all her bulls Her princes. So is the custom of the prophets to compare the princes to mighty bulls and to he-goats.</html>

Verse 29

<html>Gather archers against Babylon Heb. השמיעו, an expression similar to: “And Saul called the people together (וַיְשַׁמַע)” (I Sam. 15:4). Call out that archers assemble against Babylon. Cf. “His archers (רַבָּיו) surround me” (Job 16:13).</html>

Verse 30

<html>Therefore An expression of an oath.</html>

Verse 34

<html>in order to give rest to the earth When Babylon falls, there will be rest and peace for all.</html>

Verse 36

<html>upon the imposters Heb. הבדים, to her diviners. and they shall become foolish with their divining. Similar to this is: “Who frustrates the signs of imposters” (Isa. 44:25), and so did Jonathan render. They are called בּדים because they fabricate (בּוֹדִים) and say false things.</html>

Verse 37

<html>the allies Heb. הערב. Jonathan renders: סוּמְכותא (garantie in French).</html>

Verse 38

<html>and they are mad upon things of horror Heb. יתהללו, they shall become mad. Another interpretation: (Pour vanter in French) in order to boast. And so did Jonathan render: משתבּחין, they boast, [i.e.,] with the gods of the giants that they had.</html>

Verse 39

<html>martens…with cats Jonathan [renders]: And martens shall meet cats. [These are] species of animals found in ruins.</html>

Verse 44

<html>Behold, as a lion that ascends from the heights of the Jordan, so will the spoiler come to the strong dwelling. So did Jonathan paraphrase: Behold a king with his camp shall ascend upon them like a lion that ascends from the height of the Jordan. We learn that the height of the Jordan is a place of lions. Also, in this manner Jonathan renders: “How will you do in the heights of the Jordan” (12:5): Against the wild beasts of the heights of the Jordan. when I bring the moment Heb. ארגיעה, when I bring the time. over her Heb. מעליה. and who will appoint Me a time for war?</html>

Verse 45

<html>the young of the flock Persia, the youngest of the sons of Japheth.</html>

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Table of Contents

Jeremiah 40

Jeremiah 40

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 19

Verse 21

Verse 23

Verse 24

Verse 26

Verse 27

Verse 29

Verse 30

Verse 34

Verse 36

Verse 37

Verse 38

Verse 39

Verse 44

Verse 45