40:1 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard See note on Jer 39:9.

Ramah See note on 31:15.

all the exiles of Jeremiah apparently accompanied Nebuzaradan to Ramah with the exiles being prepared for deportation to Babylon. Compare 39:11–12.

40:2 threatened this disaster to this place The Babylonian commander’s assessment of the situation exactly follows the pattern in Jeremiah’s prophecies but offers an unusual sentiment for a conquering foreigner.

40:4 good and right in your eyes to go, then go Nebuzaradan gives Jeremiah a choice to either accompany him back to Babylon or remain in Judah. If Jeremiah chooses to remain, Nebuzaradan suggests that he return to Gedaliah (Jer 40:5). The choice makes sense in light of 39:12.

40:5 Gedaliah See note on 39:14.

40:6 at Mizpah A city about eight miles north of Jerusalem on the northern border of the territory of Benjamin. Most of the southern cities of Judah had been left uninhabitable by the Babylonian invasion. Biblical Mizpah is usually identified with the site of Tell en-Nasbeh.

40:7 all the commanders of the armies Refers to the remnants of Judah’s army that had scattered after Jerusalem fell. Compare Jer 52:8. At least five commanders are identified in v. 8, but only two figure prominently in the narrative: Ishmael and Johanan.

40:8 Ishmael According to 41:1, Ishmael is a member of the royal family. He leads the faction plotting against Gedaliah.

Jehonathan A troop commander supporting Gedaliah. Later, he leads a group of Jews to Egypt after Gedaliah is assassinated.

40:9 serve the king of Babylon Gedaliah encourages these commanders to settle down and accept the rule of Babylon (Chaldea). This may have been disappointing news if they came to him expecting his blessing on continued resistance.

40:11 among the Ammonites, and in Edom The Jews who had fled to the immediately neighboring territories also returned when they heard about Gedaliah’s appointment as governor over Judah (v. 12).

40:12 wine and summer fruit that yielded in great abundance Gedaliah’s advice (v. 10) seemed to pay off with a prosperous harvest.

40:14 Baalis A seal from the sixth century bc confirms the existence of this king, who is mentioned only here in the Bible. His motivation for orchestrating Gedaliah’s assassination is unknown. He might have been supporting Ishmael’s claim to rule as a descendant of David, or he simply might have wanted to undermine Babylonian control over the region. Ammon was the territory east of the Jordan River and north of Moab. See note on 25:21.

would not believe them Gedaliah cannot accept that Ishmael would betray him. This misplaced trust soon costs Gedaliah and dozens of others their lives (41:1–8).

40:15 the remnant of Judah will perish Johanan recognizes that all the gains made in the reconstruction of Judah will be lost without Gedaliah’s leadership. He requests permission for a preemptive strike eliminating Ishmael himself, but Gedaliah forbids it because he does not believe Johanan’s report v. 16).