Jeremiah 20:4

20:4 For the Lord says, ‘I will make both you and your friends terrified of what will happen to you. 1  You will see all of them die by the swords of their enemies. 2  I will hand all the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will carry some of them away into exile in Babylon and he will kill others of them with the sword.

Jeremiah 40:4

40:4 But now, Jeremiah, today I will set you free 3  from the chains on your wrists. If you would like to come to Babylon with me, come along and I will take care of you. 4  But if you prefer not to come to Babylon with me, you are not required to do so. 5  You are free to go anywhere in the land you want to go. 6  Go wherever you choose.” 7 

Jeremiah 40:7

A Small Judean Province is Established at Mizpah

40:7 Now some of the officers of the Judean army and their troops had been hiding in the countryside. They heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam to govern 8  the country. They also heard that he had been put in charge over the men, women, and children from the poorer classes of the land who had not been carried off into exile in Babylon. 9 

1 tn Heb “I will make you an object of terror to both you and your friends.”

2 tn Heb “And they will fall by the sword of their enemies and [with] your eyes seeing [it].”

3 tn The verb here is an example of the perfect of resolve where the speaker announces his intention to do something according to IBHS 488-89 §30.5.1d. The word “Jeremiah” is supplied in the translation to avoid the possible misunderstanding that the you is still plural.

4 tn Or “look out for you.” See 39:12 and the translator’s note there.

5 tn Or “Stay here”; Heb “Forbear.” The imperative is used in a permissive sense; “you may forbear.” See GKC 324 §110.b and compare usage in Gen 50:6.

6 tn Heb “See all the land [or the whole land] is before you.” For this idiom see BDB 817 s.v. פָּנֶה II.4.a(f) and compare the usage in Gen 20:15; 47:6.

7 tn Heb “Unto the good and the right in your eyes to go, go there.”

8 tn Heb “set him over/ made him overseer over.” See BDB 823-24 s.v. פָּקִיד Hiph.1 and compare usage in Gen 39:4-5.

9 sn Compare Jer 39:10.