Jeremiah40

After Jerusalem's fall, Jeremiah was freed by Nebuzaradan, who acknowledged God's judgment upon Judah. Jeremiah chose to remain in the land, joining Gedaliah, whom Babylon appointed governor over the remnant. Many scattered Jews and military captains gathered under Gedaliah, who encouraged them to settle peacefully and serve the Chaldeans. However, Johanan warned Gedaliah of an assassination plot by Ishmael, which Gedaliah tragically dismissed as false.
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Jeremiah Released by the Babylonians

1
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had released him at Ramah, having found him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. ​
2
The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place, ​
3
and now the LORD has fulfilled it; He has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed His voice, this thing has happened to you.
4
But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains that were on your wrists. If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther. Look, the whole land is before you. Wherever it seems good and right to you, go there.” ​
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. ​

The Remnant Gathers under Gedaliah

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. ​
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. ​
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, ​
12
they all returned from all the places to which they had been banished and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered an abundance of wine grapes and summer fruit. ​

Warning of Ishmael’s Assassination Plot

13
Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah
14
and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. ​
15
Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?” ​
16
But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.” ​

Study Notes for Jeremiah 40

Verse 1

This verse clarifies the circumstances of Jeremiah’s release. He was initially bound with other captives at Ramah (a staging area north of Jerusalem) before being recognized and freed by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard.

Verse 2

Ironic validation of prophecy: Nebuzaradan, a pagan Babylonian official, confirms that the destruction came directly from the LORD, validating Jeremiah’s message that God used Babylon as the instrument of divine judgment.

Verse 4

Jeremiah is given preferential treatment, likely because the Babylonians were aware of his consistent prophecies urging surrender, which they viewed as helpful diplomacy (cf. Jer. 39:11–12).

Verse 5

Gedaliah was the grandson of Shaphan, a loyal scribe during King Josiah’s reform. His appointment demonstrated Nebuchadnezzar’s strategy of installing a native governor from a respected, non-royal family sympathetic to Babylonian rule.

Verse 6

By choosing to remain in Judah with Gedaliah, Jeremiah validates the new administration and demonstrates his commitment to the surviving remnant, rejecting the safer option of comfort in Babylon.

Verse 7

The 'captains of the forces' were military leaders who had previously fled into hiding in the countryside. Their willingness to come to Mizpah indicates a fragile return to civil order under Gedaliah’s authority.

Verse 8

Ishmael is introduced here as a key figure. He was of royal lineage (41:1) and likely resented Gedaliah’s non-royal appointment, viewing him as a Babylonian puppet.

Verse 9

Gedaliah’s counsel is pragmatic: the only path to survival and stability for the remnant is to accept the political reality of Babylonian dominance and focus on rebuilding the agricultural economy.

Verse 10

Mizpah, located north of Jerusalem, became the administrative center of the small province of Judah, as Jerusalem was utterly destroyed. Gedaliah promised to handle the difficult diplomatic relations with the Chaldean forces.

Verse 11

The news of a recognized governor and a functioning civil government encouraged refugees who had fled to neighboring countries (Moab, Ammon, Edom) to return to the land of Judah.

Verse 12

The return of the scattered Jews and the successful gathering of abundant harvest signaled a temporary period of hope and economic revival for the small community left in Judah.

Verse 14

Baalis, the king of Ammon, was a hostile foreign power seeking to destabilize Babylonian control and gain influence in Judah. He utilized Ishmael, a disgruntled Judean of royal descent, as his agent for the assassination.

Verse 15

Johanan seeks to prevent the collapse of the remnant by proposing a preemptive, secret strike against the conspirator. This highlights the extreme political tension and the desperate measures considered necessary for survival.

Verse 16

Gedaliah displays tragic naivety or perhaps an ethical refusal to execute a fellow Judean official based only on rumor. His failure to heed this warning results in the immediate catastrophe detailed in the following chapter.

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