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
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. ​

The Remnant Gathers under Gedaliah

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. ​

Warning of Ishmael’s Assassination Plot

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. ​

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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