Welcome to BibleStudyMinistry.com, your online Bible Study supplement source. Today we have a chapter summary on Jeremiah chapter 40. Before we get to the summary, let’s review the chapter below.
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Almighty, 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 Juda, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.
2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Almighty thy Creator hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
3 Now the Almighty hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Almighty, 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 Juda, 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 Juda-Bantus 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 Juda, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;
12 Even all the Juda-Bantus returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Juda, 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 Juda-Bantus which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Juda 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.
Jeremiah chapter 40 summary
In these passages from Jeremiah chapter 40, there is an interesting situation. We find Jeremiah’s situation after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him from his chains in Ramah. At this time, the people of Jerusalem and Juda had been carried away captive to Babylon. This was due to their sins and disobedience to the Almighty’s voice.
The captain of the guard informed Jeremiah that the Almighty had pronounced this calamity upon the land of Juda. And now it had come to pass because of the people’s transgressions. He offered Jeremiah a choice. He could accompany him to Babylon, where he would be cared for. Otherwise he could stay in the land of Juda. If he chose to remain, he was free to go wherever he pleased.
Before Jeremiah could make his decision, the captain of the guard instructed him to go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. Gedaliah had been appointed as the governor over the cities of Juda by the king of Babylon. He assured Jeremiah that he would be welcomed among the people and given provisions for his journey. Jeremiah chose to go to Gedaliah in Mizpah (Mzipha).
And dwelt there among the remaining inhabitants of the land.
News of Gedaliah’s appointment as governor reached the captains of the forces who were in the fields, along with their men. Some of them, including Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan, Jonathan, Seraiah, the sons of Ephai, and Jezaniah, came to Mizpah to meet Gedaliah.
Gedaliah, in a show of good faith and to calm their fears, assured these leaders and their men not to be afraid of serving the Chaldeans. He encouraged them to stay in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and promised that all would be well. He planned to remain in Mizpah and cooperate with the Chaldeans. While there, he advised them to gather necessities and dwell in the cities they had taken.
Furthermore, word spread to the Juda-Bantus living in various regions. These regions included Moab, Ammonites, Edom, and other countries, that a remnant of Juda had been left in the land. They were under Gedaliah’s leadership. They returned to the land of Juda. Specifically to Mizpah, to join Gedaliah. They gathered wine and summer fruits abundantly.
However, suspicions arose among the leaders.
Particularly Johanan, who informed Gedaliah of a plot by Ishmael. He sent by Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, to assassinate him. Gedaliah initially did not believe the report and dismissed the concerns. Johanan proposed to eliminate Ishmael secretly. He wanted to do this to prevent the scattering of the Juda-Bantus. Also to prevent the destruction of the remnant in Juda.
Despite Johanan’s request, Gedaliah refused to take any violent action against Ishmael. He believed that the allegations were false. These passages show the complex political and social dynamics in the aftermath of the Babylonian captivity. Also, the challenges faced by the remnant left in Juda.
This is the summary of Jeremiah chapter 40; Glory to the Creator Almighty of Akobe.
For more summaries and studies, click on the summaries link right here. As always, be strong and very courageous.
Minister Koko
BSM
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