Jeremiah 40:15

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

13Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other military leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14They said to him, “Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah refused to believe them. Later Johanan had a private conference with Gedaliah and volunteered to kill Ishmael secretly. “Why should we let him come and murder you?” Johanan asked. “What will happen then to the Judeans who have returned? Why should the few of us who are still left be scattered and lost?” 16But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael.”

Jeremiah 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 24:4“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.
• 1 Samuel 26:8“God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!”
• Job 31:31“My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.’
• Jeremiah 12:3But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!
• 2 Samuel 18:3But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”
• 2 Samuel 21:17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”
• Ezekiel 33:24“Son of man, the scattered remnants of Israel living among the ruined cities keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’
• John 11:50You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should 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

• Ahikam
• Citizens
• Gedaliah
• Ishmael
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Johanan
• Mizpah
• Nethaniah

In the dictionaries

• Ishmael
• Judah
• Mizpah
• Mizpah; Mizpeh
• Ishmael, Ishmaelite
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Ahikam
• Jerusalem
• Kareah

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