Otisera of Gedaliah, thus, while he (Gedaliah} does not
return, but stays at Mizpah, go to him thither. Though
-it seems. best to understand it of Jeremiah, who, having
had leave from the captain, did not immediately set
out anywhere; but, seething to be at a loss which
way to go, Nebuzaradan gives him his advice; that
seeing he did not care to go to Babylon, that he would
go to Gedaliah the son of ,4hikam the son of 8haphan,
whom the king of Bab91on had made governor over all the
cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people;
this was one of the princes of Judah, who, during the
siege, went over to the Chaldeans, and who was in
great esteem with them; and being, no doubt, recom-
mended to the king of Babylon by his generals, he
made him governor of the land under him: or go
wherever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go; though
he gave him his advice, he did not press it, but left
him at full liberty to take his own way, and go into
what part of the land he pleased, and settle in it: so
the captain of the guard gave hint victuals, and a reward,
and let him go; the prophet was just come out of
prison, .and destitute of the necessaries of life, and the
land was laid waste by the enemy; and therefore he
could not have subsisted without a supply, which was
liberally .given by the captain; not only food for pre-
sent refreshment, and sutficient for his journey, which
way soever' he took, but a present of money ov clothes,
or both; which was very kind usage of a prophet by
a Heathen officer.
Ver. 6. Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of
Ahilcam to Mizpah, &c.] A city in the tribe of Benja-
rain, not far from Ramathon; which, as Josephus says,
was about forty furlongs from Jerusalem. Jeremiah
took the captain's advice, though it might have been
better with him had he gone along with him to Ba-
bylon; but he chose rather to dwell in his own land,
and suffer affliction with the people of God, than to
dwell at ease in a foreign and idolatrous land :. and
dwelt with him among the people that were left in the
land; among the poor people that Nebuzaradau left,
who dwelt either at Mizpah or at Anathoth, and lived
as they did.
Vet. 7. Now when all the captains of the forces which
were in the fields, &c.] Not the captains of the king
of Babylon's forces, but the captains of the king of
Judah's forces; who either during the siege had lurked
in the fields and villages, not daring to fall upon the
Chaldean army, or attempt to raise the siege; or ta-
ther who fled with Zedekiah from Jerusalem, when
the city was taken, and who deserted him, when he
was apprehended, and shifted for themselves, and were
dispersed about in the country, where they continued
for some little time: but when they and their men;
their servants, or rather the common soldiers that were
under them: heard that the king of Babylon had made
Gedhliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land; his
viceroy or deputy-governor in the land of Judea; being
a prince of considerable note among the Jews, and in
high fayour with the king of Babylon: and had com-
mitted unto him men, and women, and children, and of
the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away
captive unto Babylon; even as many men, women,
children, and poor, as were left in the land, and not
carried captive; these were all committed to the care
of this prince, to rule over and govern them; to keep
them iu subjection to the king of Babylon; to em-
ploy thetn in cultivating the land, from whence sotne
profit might arise to the conqueror and new proprietor
of it.
Vet. 8. Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, &c.]
Having heard that the Chaldeau army was gone, and
so were in no fear of that; and also that Gedaliah was
made deputy-governor, one of their own nation, a
pious, prudent, good man, a man of ingenuity, mild-
ness, and intcgrit3;, under whose government they
might expect to live comfortably; and which was
much preferable to captivity in a tbreign country,
though tributary to Babylon: even lshmael the son of
Nethaniah; who was of the seed-royal, ch. xli. 1: and
Johanan and Jonathan the sons of'Kareah; two bro-
thers, but who they were, or their father, is not known,
no mention being made of them but in this story: and
Seraiah the son of Tanhurneth; who he was is also un-
certain: and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite ; so
called from Netophah, a city of the tribe of Judah near
Beth-lehem, and are mentioned together, Ezra iS.
Neh. vii. 26. the Netophathites inhabited several vil-
lages, 1 Chron. ix. 16. mention is made in the Misnic t
writings of artichokes and olives this place was famous
for: and dezan.iah the son of a Maachathite ; a famSly so
called from ]Maacha, Caleb's concubine, I Chron. iS. 48:
they and their men; these generals, and the forces under
their command.
Ver. 9. And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of
Shaphan aware unto them and to their men, &c.] They
might express their fears, that should they continue
.with Gedaliah, as they were inclined to do, could they
be safe; that seeing they had encouraged Zedekiah to
hold out the siege-to the last against the Chaldeans,
and they should hear where they were, would demand
them, and the5, should be taken and delivered up into
their hands; upon which Gedaliah not only promises
them safety, but swears to them that they should live
safely with him, and never be delivered up to the Chal-
deans, and that he would undertake to indemnify them,
and preserve them: saying, fear not to serve the Chal-
deans; as if it was an evil to do it; or as if' their yoke
was hard and intolerable; or as if it would be unpro-
fitable, and turn to no account; or they should be al-
ways in danger of their lives: dwell ia the land, and
serve the king of Babylon, and it shall he well .with you
settle in the land, and don't rove about fi'om place to
place like fugitives; nor go out of the land through
fearofthe king of Babylon, but continue in it, and live
in subjection to him, and depend upon it you will live
cotnfortably and safely.
Ver. 10. As .for me, I trill dwell at Mizpah, to serve
the Chaldeans that come unto us, &c.] Here he urges
his own example, as before their welfare, to engage
them to dwell in the !and, and serve the Chaldeans;
this was what he had determined to do, and had fixed
upon Mizpah, a frontier town, and in the way to Ba-

{t} Shebiit, c. 9. sect. 5. & Pea, c. 7. sect. l.