Jeremiah 40
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1The 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.
2And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
3Now 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.
4And 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.
5Now 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.
6Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
7Now 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;
8Then 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.
9And 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.
10As 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.
11Likewise 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;
12Even 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.
13Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14And 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.
15Then 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?
16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- בֵּןbênH112122× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- אֵלʼêlH41317× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH83412× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- גְּדַּלְיָהGᵉdalyâhH143611× in this chapter
Gedaljah, the name of five Israelites
- כֹּלkôlH360510× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- אֵתʼêthH85310× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9359× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- בָּבֶלBâbelH8948× in this chapter
Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire
- אֲחִיקָםʼĂchîyqâmH2967× in this chapter
Achikam, an Israelite
- כִּיkîyH35887× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- אֶרֶץʼeretsH7767× in this chapter
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
- יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâhH30636× in this chapter
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
- מִצְפָּהMitspâhH47096× in this chapter
Mitspah, the name of two places in Palestine
- אָמַרʼâmarH5596× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- אֵתʼêthH8546× in this chapter
properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.
- הָלַךְhâlakH19805× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- יָשַׁבyâshabH34275× in this chapter
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
- לֹאlôʼH38085× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- מֶלֶךְmelekH44285× in this chapter
a king
- עַיִןʻayinH58695× in this chapter
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30684× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- יוֹחָנָןYôwchânânH31104× in this chapter
Jochanan, the name of nine Israelites
- יִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmâʻêʼlH34584× in this chapter
Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five Israelites
- אֱנוֹשׁʼĕnôwshH5824× in this chapter
a man in general (singly or collectively)
- פָּקַדpâqadH64854× in this chapter
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.
- קָרֵחַQârêachH71434× in this chapter
Kareach, an Israelite
- דָבַרdâbarH16963× in this chapter
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
- דָּבָרdâbârH16973× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- זֶהzehH20883× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- טַבָּחṭabbâchH28763× in this chapter
properly, a butcher; hence, a lifeguardsman (because he was acting as an executioner); also a cook (usually slaughtering the animal for food)
- יָדַעyâdaʻH30453× in this chapter
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
- יִרְמְיָהYirmᵉyâhH34143× in this chapter
Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites
- נָכָהnâkâhH52213× in this chapter
to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)
- נְתַנְיָהNᵉthanyâhH54183× in this chapter
Nethanjah, the name of four Israelites
- עַלʻalH59213× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- רַבrabH72273× in this chapter
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
- שׁוּבshûwbH77253× in this chapter
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
- שָׁלַחshâlachH79713× in this chapter
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
- שָׁמַעshâmaʻH80853× in this chapter
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
- שָׁפָןshâphânH82273× in this chapter
a species of rockrabbit (from its hiding), i.e. probably the hyrax