God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 40:15
15Then Johanan, Kareah’s son, secretly asked Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Let me kill Ishmael, Nethaniah’s son. No one will know about it. Why should he kill you? All the Jews who have gathered around you would scatter. What is left of Judah would disappear.”
Jeremiah 40:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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 Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
- New International Version (NIV)Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, "Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go, please, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he murder you, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?”
Context of Jeremiah 40:15
13Kareah’s son Johanan and all the army commanders who were still in the country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14They asked him, “Do you know that King Baalis of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael, Nethaniah’s son, to kill you?” However, Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, didn’t believe them. Then Johanan, Kareah’s son, secretly asked Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Let me kill Ishmael, Nethaniah’s son. No one will know about it. Why should he kill you? All the Jews who have gathered around you would scatter. What is left of Judah would disappear.” 16Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, told Johanan, Kareah’s son, “Don’t do that! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.”
Read all of Jeremiah 40Jeremiah 40:15 word by word
וְיוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֡חַ אָמַ֣ר אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ֩ בַסֵּ֨תֶר בַּמִּצְפָּ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר אֵ֤לְכָה נָּא֙ וְאַכֶּה֙ אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יֵדָ֑ע לָ֧מָּה יַכֶּ֣כָּה נֶּ֗פֶשׁ וְנָפֹ֙צוּ֙ כָּל־יְהוּדָ֔ה הַנִּקְבָּצִ֣ים אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאָבְדָ֖ה שְׁאֵרִ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Johananיוֹחָנָןyôchânân · JohananH3110
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Kareahקָרֵחַqârêach · KareahH7143
- spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to Gedaliahגְּדַלְיָ֫הוּgedalyâh gedalyâhû · GedaliahH1436
- in Mizpahמִצְפָּהmitspâh · MizpahH4709
- secretlyסֵ֫תֶרsêther sithrâh · secrecyH5643
- Let me goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- I pray thee, and I will slayנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- Ishmaelיִשְׁמָעֵאלyishmâ‛ê'l · IshmaelH3458
- of Nethaniahנְתַנְיָ֫הוּnethanyâh nethanyâhû · NethaniahH5418
- and no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- shall knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- wherefore should he slayנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- thee, that all the Jewsיְהוּדִיyehûdîy · JewH3064
- which are gatheredקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- unto thee should be scatteredפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
- and the remnantשְׁאֵרִיתshe'êrîyth · remnantH7611
- in Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
Cross-references for Jeremiah 40:15
- 1 Samuel 24:4David’s men told him, “Today is the day the Lord referred to when he said, ‘I’m going to hand your enemy over to you. You will do to him whatever you think is right.’ ” David quietly got up and cut off the border of Saul’s robe.
- 1 Samuel 26:8Abishai said to David, “Today God has turned your enemy over to you. Please let me nail him to the ground with one stab of the spear. I won’t have to do it twice!”
- Job 31:31“If the people who were in my tent had said, ‘We wish we had never filled ⌞our stomachs⌟ with his food’….
- Jeremiah 12:3You know me, O Lord. You see me and test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to be slaughtered. Prepare them for the day of slaughter.
- 2 Samuel 18:3“You’re not going ⌞with us⌟,” the troops said. “If we flee, they won’t care about us, and if half of us die, they won’t care either. But you’re worth 10,000 of us. It’s better for you to be ready to send us help from the city.”
- 2 Samuel 21:17But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to help David. He attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore an oath, saying, “You’ll never go into battle with us again. The lamp of Israel must never be extinguished.”
- Ezekiel 33:24“Son of man, those who live in the ruined cities in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, and he was given the land. But we are many. Certainly the land has been given to us.’
- John 11:50You haven’t even considered this: It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
Commentaries on Jeremiah 40:15
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-16Verses 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…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-161. word that came--the heading of a new part of the book (the forty-first through forty-fourth chapters), namely, the prophecies to the Jews in Judea and Egypt after the taking of the city, blended with history. The prophecy does not begin till Jr 42:7, and the previous history is introductory to it. bound in chains--Though released from the court of the prison (see on Jr 39:14), in the confusion at the burning of the city he seems to have been led away…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 40:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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