Jeremiah 40:15

_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?_ No JFB commentary on this verse....

7-16 Jeremiah had never in his prophecies spoken of any good days for the Jews, to come immediately after the captivity; yet Providence seemed to encourage such an expectation. But how soon is this hopeful prospect blighted! When God begins a judgment, he will complete it. While pride, ambition, or revenge, bears rule in the heart, men will form new projects, and be restless in mischief, which commonly ends in their own ruin. Who would have thought, that after the destruction of Jerusalem, rebellion would so soon have sprung up? There can be no thorough change but what grace makes. And if the miserable, who are kept in everlasting chains for the judgment of the great day, were again permitted to come on earth, the sin and evil of their nature would be unchanged. Lord, give us new hearts, and that new mind in which the new birth consists, since thou hast said we cannot without it see thy...

EXPOSITION The first of a series of chapters (40-45.) describing Jeremiah's fortunes and ministry after the fall of Jerusalem. JEREMIAH 40:1 The liberation of Jeremiah. JEREMIAH 40:1 THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAH. The formula seems to announce a prophecy; but no prophecy follows. It is not allowable to suppose, with Keil and others, that "the word" describes the entire body of prophetic utterance in ch. 40-45 (in spite of the fact that Jeremiah 44:1. and 45. have special headings). The use would be unexampled; and a prologue of forty verses (see...

THEN JOHANAN THE SON OF KAREAH SPAKE TO GEDALIAH IN MIZPAH SECRETLY,.... Partly that he might, as he thought, more easily prevail upon him, and persuade him to believe the information given; and partly for the sake of the proposal he had to make to him, which it was not proper should be publicly made: SAYING, LET ME GO, I PRAY THEE, AND I WILL SLAY ISHMAEL THE SON OF NETHANIAH, AND NO MAN SHALL KNOW [IT]; that he had slain him, or that Gedaliah had given him leave to do it: WHEREFORE SHOULD HE SLAY THEE, THAT ALL THE JEWS THAT ARE GATHERED UNTO THEE SHOULD BE SCATTERED, AND THE REMNANT IN JUDAH PERISH? suggesting, that it was not barely his losing his own life, which is, and ought to be, precious to every man, and should be carefully preserved, but it would be a public loss; the people, being without a governor, would disperse here and there, fearing their own lives and property would...

III. AFTER THE FALL OF JERUSALEM (40-45) Chapter S 40-41 The Treachery in the Land and the Flight to Egypt _ 1. Jeremiah's choice (Jeremiah 40:1) _ 2. Gedaliah and Ishmael's deed (Jeremiah 40:7; Jeremiah 41:1) 3. Ishmael's further atrocities and retreat (Jeremiah 41:4) Jeremiah 40:1. The opening paragraph of this chapter tells us of the choice which was given to Jeremiah. He was loosed from the prisoner's chains and told by the captain of the guard “If it seems good unto thee to come with me i

GEDALIAH'S PERIL. Johanan warns Gedaliah of his danger from Ishmael, another of the newly-submitted leaders (Jeremiah 41:1), alleged to be an agent of the king of Ammon (Jeremiah 27:3). Gedaliah refuses to believe this, or to avail himself of Johanan's offer to kill Ishmael....

MAN. Hebrew. _Ish_. App-14. GATHERED. gathered out....

See introd. summary to section....

1. _The plot revealed_ (Jeremiah 40:13-16) TRANSLATION (13) Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the army which was in the field came unto Gedaliah at Mizpah. (14) And they said unto him, Are you at all aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay you? But Gedaliah did not believe them. (15) so Jonathan the son of Kareah privately said to Gedaliah in Mizpah, let me go I beg you that I may smite Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and no man will know of it. Why should he smite you and cause all of the Jews who have gathered unto You to be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish? (16) But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Do not do this thing, for you are speaking a falsehood concerning Ishmael. COMMENTS Somehow word of the treacherous plot reached the ears of

GEDALIAH AS GOVERNOR (586 B.C.) Jeremiah 40:7 to Jeremiah 43:6 are briefly summarised in 2 Kings 25:22. The account in the book of Kings mentions merely the accomplished results; while here the process by which these results were brought about are fully detailed. We learn here in particular that Ishmael benNethaniah was prompted to assassinate Gedaliah by the Ammonite king, Baalis, and that Gedaliah was warned of the plot by Johanan, but that he refused to believe that Ishmael would do such a thing. Full details of the slaughter of the people at Mizpah are also given here, as well as an account of the pursuit of Ishmael by Johanan and the recovery of the captives. We are told here also what is omitted in Kings