1415 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes,.... Not with his own hands, but gave orders to do it: these must be very young, at least some of them; since Zedekiah at this time was but thirty two years of age. This must be a dreadful spectacle for him to behold; and the consideration must be cutting, that it was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes,.... By what means is not certain; however, hereby the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled, that his eyes should see the king of Babylon, as they did, before they were put out, and that he should not die by the sword, Jeremiah 34:3; and also the prophecy of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 12:13; that he should be brought to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Chaldeans burnt the king's house,.... His palace: this was a month after the city was taken, as appears from Jeremiah 52:12; and the houses of the people, with fire; the houses of the common people, as distinct from the king's house, and the houses of the great men, Jeremiah 52:13; though Jarchi interprets of the synagogues. It is in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard,.... The Targum is, "the captain of those that kill;'' of the soldiers, of the militia. Some render it, the captain of the "cooks"; others, of the "butchers" (l); but no doubt it was a military office he bore; he was captain of the forces that were left in Jerusalem, after the other part went in pursuit of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah,.... Because they would have been of no service to the Chaldeans, but a burden to them; and because they had nothing to fear from them; they had no arms to rebel against them, nor money to purchase any; and because it would be to their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard,.... Of whom he had heard, by one or another of his generals or officers; who had been informed, by those Jews that deserted to them, that Jeremiah had prophesied of the taking of the city by the Chaldeans; had advised the people to fall off...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Take him, and look well to him,.... Take him out of prison; take him under your immediate care; receive him kindly, and use him humanely; provide everything necessary for him, and let him not want for anything: or, "set thine eyes upon him" (m) look pleasantly at him, and let him be always under your view and inspection; treat him not with neglect...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Nebuzaradan captain of the guard sent,.... When he was come to Jerusalem, one of the first things he did was, he sent a messenger or messengers to the court of the prison where Jeremiah was, to bring him from thence; and this he did not alone, but with the rest of the princes, who had the same charge, and were joined in the commission with him:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Even they sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison,.... Where he was, when Jerusalem was taken, Jeremiah 38:28; and where he remained until this order came: and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; the father of this person seems to be the same who saved Jeremiah from being delivered into the hand of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison,.... This prophecy was before the taking of the city, and after the prophet had been took out of the dungeon by Ebedmelech; though here inserted after the city was taken; and that to show the great regard the Lord has to such who show favour to his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopians,.... Not that the prophet was to go, or could go, out of prison, to deliver this message to Ebedmelech; but that he should, as he had opportunity, acquaint him with it; either by writing to him, or by word of mouth, when he should visit him; for no doubt he sometimes did, having so great a respect for the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord,.... As from the famine and pestilence, so from the sword of the Chaldeans, and from all the evil that shall come upon the city in the day of its destruction: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the man of whom thou [art] afraid; for though he was a bold and intrepid man, as appears by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For I will surely deliver thee,.... Or, in "delivering will deliver thee" (p); this is a repetition and confirmation of what is promised in Jeremiah 39:17, and more fully explains it: and thou shall not fall by the sword: by the sword of the Chaldeans, when the city should be taken, as he feared he should: but thy life shall be for a prey unto...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Jeremiah 40 This chapter treats of the release of Jeremiah, and the care taken of him; of the gathering of the princes and people of the Jews to Gedaliah, appointed their governor, dispersed about Judea, and other countries; and of a conspiracy against him, of which information was given him. The release of Jeremiah, where, and by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord,.... The word of prophecy, as the Targum; but there being no prophecy in this and the following chapter, only a narration of facts, this is generally referred to what came ten days after, and which begins Jeremiah 42:7; so Jarchi and Kimchi; all between being included in a parenthesis, or a relation of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah,.... When he mustered his prisoners, to his great surprise he found the prophet among them, whom he took out from them, and set him free; though, before he dismissed him, he had the following conversation with him: and said unto him, the Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil on this place; the city of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now the Lord hath brought [it], and done according as he hath said,.... As he purposed, so it came to pass; as he foretold by his prophet, so it was brought about by his providence. This Heathen captain acknowledges the hand of the Lord in all this; and suggests, that his master, the king of Babylon, himself, and the rest of the generals, were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now while he was not yet gone back, [he said], go back also to Gedaliah,.... These words, by different versions, are made difficult to be understood, both, whose words they are, and of whom they are spoken. Jarchi makes them to be words of God, and the sense this, "and by all this he (Jeremiah) had no mind to return; and God said to him, go back...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah,.... A city in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Ramathon; which, as Josephus says, was about five miles from Jerusalem. Jeremiah took the captain's advice, though it might have been better with him had he gone along with him to Babylon; but he chose rather to dwell in his own land, and...