Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonians meant them no harm. “Don’t be afraid to serve them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you,” he promised.
Parallel translations
- WEB Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
- KJV 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.
- BSB Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.
- NKJV And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath before them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
- NASB 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, so that it may go well for you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Gedaliah urges the people not to fear serving Babylon, promising it will go well with them. He echoes Jeremiah's counsel to submit to God's appointed discipline.
Overview
With an oath, Gedaliah reassures the captains that cooperating with the Chaldeans will bring well-being. His message aligns with Jeremiah's longstanding word that submission to Babylon was God's will for this season (Jer 27:11). Gedaliah's wise, gracious leadership offered the remnant a genuine path to security under God's chastening hand.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jer 27:11But the nation that shall bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, that nation will I let remain in their own land,’ says Yahweh; ‘and they shall till it, and dwell therein.’”’”
- 2 Kgs 25:24Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”
- 1 Sam 20:16–17So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
- Jer 38:17–20Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. You will live, along with your house.
- Ps 128:2For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you.
- Gen 49:15He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
- Ps 37:3Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 40:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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