Jeremiah 40:4

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. I WILL LOOK WELL UNTO THEE - the very words of Nebuchadnezzar's charge (). ALL THE LAND IS BEFORE THEE, WHERE IT SEEMETH GOOD ... THERE GO - as Abimelech said to Abraham; (, margin.) Jeremiah alone had the option given him of staying where he pleased, when all the rest were either carried off or forced to remain there....

1-6 The captain of the guard seems to glory that he had been God's instrument to fulfil, what Jeremiah had been God's messenger to foretell. Many can see God's justice and truth with regard to others, who are heedless and blind as to themselves and their own sins. But, sooner or later, all men shall be made sensible that their sin is the cause of all their miseries. Jeremiah has leave to dispose of himself; but is advised to go to Gedaliah, governor of the land under the king of Babylon. It is doubtful whether Jeremiah acted right in this decision. But those who desire the salvation of sinners, and the good of the church, are apt to expect better times from slight appearances, and they will prefer the hope of being useful, to the most secure situations without it....

Verse Jeremiah 40:4. _COME; AND I WILL LOOK WELL UNTO THEE_] Thou art now at full liberty to do as thou pleasest; either to come to Babylon or to stay in thy own land....

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...

AND NOW, BEHOLD, I LOOSE THEE THIS DAY FROM THE CHAINS WHICH [WERE] UPON THINE HANDS,.... Or rather are; for, when he said these words, it is highly probable they were on him, though now ordered to be taken off; these were not what were put upon him by the Jews, when in the court of the prison; for rather his legs, than his hands, would have had fetters on them there; but what were put upon him by the Chaldeans, when he fell into their hands; though inadvertently done by the inferior officers, and without the knowledge of the princes, or of this captain, who loosed them; with these he came manacled to Ramah, with the rest of the captives, but now were loosed in the sight of them: IF IT SEEM GOOD UNTO THEE TO COME WITH ME UNTO BABYLON, COME, AND ONE WILL LOOK WELL UNTO THEE; or, "I will set mine eyes upon thee" r; as the king of Babylon had ordered him to do, Jeremiah 39:1

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

JEREMIAH 40-44. The next five Chapter s continue the biography of Jeremiah, including connected events, after the capture of Jerusalem. JEREMIAH 40:1. RELEASE OF JEREMIAH. This paragraph is possibly a later expansion of Jeremiah 39:11 f.; the opening words do not suit what follows, and Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian general, would not speak as in Jeremiah 40:2 f., whilst, according to Jeremiah 39:14, Jeremiah had been given into Gedaliah's charge a month before. Jeremiah, one of a band of captives to be deported to Babylon, was released at Ramah ...

BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterism_. _s_. App-6. HAND. Some codices, with eight early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "hands"....

_I will look well unto thee_ See on Jeremiah 39:12. _convenient_ lit. as mg. _right_. _but if it seem ill …_(5) _Go back then_, said he] The LXX have simply, "but, if not, depart, return," and, as giving a much smoother sequence, preserve what is probably the original form. The latter part of Jeremiah 40:4 in MT. may have been suggested by Genesis 13:9, while the words "Now while … back" are also a gloss....

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN TRAGEDY BEYOND TRAGEDY Jeremiah 40:1 to Jeremiah 45:5 Chapter s 40-44 are a continuation of the narrative begun in chapter 37 which was interrupted briefly by the oracle to Ebed-melech in Jeremiah 39:15-18. The events take place in two geographical areasJudah (Jeremiah 40:1 to Jeremiah 43:7) and Egypt (Jeremiah 43:8 to Jeremiah 44:3