7 Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field , they and their men , heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men , women and children , those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon . 8 So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah , along with 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 the Maacathite , both they and their men . 9 Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam , the son of Shaphan , swore to them and to their men , saying , " Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans ; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon , that it may go well with you. 10 "Now as for me, behold , I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand for you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather in wine and summer fruit and oil and put them in your storage vessels , and live in your cities that you have taken over ." 11 Likewise, also all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries , heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah , and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam , the son of Shaphan . 12 Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven away and came to the land of Judah , to Gedaliah at Mizpah , and gathered in wine and summer fruit in great abundance .
13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, "Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life ?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah , saying , " Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , and not a man will know ! Why should he take your life , so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish ?" 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah , " Do not do this thing , for you are telling a lie about Ishmael ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 40:7-16
Commentary on Jeremiah 40:7-16
(Read Jeremiah 40:7-16)
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 heavenly kingdom.