Synopsis of the Chapter
Here begins the fourth section or fourth book of Jeremiah; namely the deeds and words spoken by him after the destruction of Jerusalem, both in Judea and in Egypt. The history is easy and clear, which if anyone wished to explain at length, he would cast darkness upon it. Therefore I shall be brief here. In this chapter, then, Nabuzardan gives gifts to Jeremiah, who, preferring his homeland to Babylon, lives quietly in Judea with the remaining Jews under Gedaliah. Second, at verse 13, Ishmael plots treachery against Gedaliah, but Gedaliah does not believe those who report it.
Verse 1 ¶
1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord — that is, as Rabanus and Hugo explain, the event that was brought about by the Lord, namely the liberation of Jeremiah that follows; so also Vatablus, who translates: The action that the Lord carried out with Jeremiah; and Sanchez, meaning: Then was fulfilled the word of God by which He promised Jeremiah his freedom.
Secondly, St. Thomas explains it thus: The liberation of Jeremiah that follows had been revealed to him beforehand by the Lord. But both these interpretations are contradicted by the fact that this word came to Jeremiah after Nabuzardan had dismissed him, that is, after his liberation. I therefore respond: This word is the prophecy found in chapter XLII, verse 7, by which the Lord through Jeremiah warns the remnant of the Jews not to flee into Egypt. But before this prophecy, Jeremiah here inserts by way of parenthesis a long preliminary history leading up to that prophecy; namely how Gedaliah was appointed by Nabuzardan as governor of Judea, how Ishmael killed him, and how, after his death, the Jews wished to flee to Egypt, which Jeremiah forbade them by his prophecy in chapter XLII. So say the Hebrews, Lyranus, Maldonatus, and others. For this is, as it were, the title of a new book, which contains all the deeds of Jeremiah after the destruction of the city: hence the Jews begin here the third book of Jeremiah, but we more correctly begin the fourth.
When he took him bound. — You will object: From the preceding chapter, verse 14, it appears that Jeremiah was immediately released from chains and set free when Jerusalem was captured; how then is he said here to have been released from them at Ramah? Lyranus responds that Jeremiah had been released at Jerusalem, but when he saw other Jews being led bound to Nebuchadnezzar, he voluntarily bound himself with their chains. But against this is the fact that he is described here among the other captives and bound men, as though he were still equally bound, led to Ramah where the bound Jews were being gathered together to be taken to Babylon.
I therefore respond: What is briefly stated in the preceding chapter, verse 14, is here described in full and in detail; namely that Jeremiah, led out of prison with the other captives, was led bound to Ramah: but there, taking him from the midst of the others, Nabuzardan freed him from his chains and, sending him back to Jerusalem, commended him to Gedaliah. So Vatablus.
Verse 3 ¶
3. And this word has come upon you, meaning: The evil has befallen you which He spoke and threatened from the mouth of God. It is a metonymy: the word or speech is put for the thing signified by the word or speech.
Verse 4 ¶
4. I will set my eyes upon you — I will favor you and look after you.
Verse 5 ¶
5. And do not come with me. — From the Hebrew, Vatablus translates: Jeremiah had not yet replied that he wished to return, when he said to him: Return to Gedaliah, meaning: From the very expression and silence of Jeremiah, Nabuzardan perceived Jeremiah's will — since out of modesty, or being deep in thought and awaiting God's oracle on this matter, he had not yet expressed it in words, namely that he preferred to return to Jerusalem — so that he might comply with his wish, as Nebuchadnezzar had commanded him, he said to him: Return, and do not come with me to Babylon. Unless you explain it this way, one must say that the Hebrew here is corrupt and does not cohere well, as the Latin version does, which is therefore here more true and genuine; whence it appears that in the Hebrew, instead of ישוב iascub, one should read תשוב tascub; and instead of עודנו odennu, one should read עודני odenni. So our Interpreter read it.
But dwell with Gedaliah. — This Gedaliah was a powerful and prudent Jew who, following the oracles of Jeremiah, had gone over to the Chaldeans and had proven useful and faithful to them: for which reason the Chaldeans appointed him over the remnant of the people remaining. So the Hebrews and Lyranus.
Provisions. — In Hebrew, a travel allowance, for returning to Jerusalem.
Verse 7 ¶
7. The captains of the forces — who, when Zedekiah fled, fled hither and thither and escaped. Again, those who, when the city was captured and they had escaped, had established themselves in the fields to defend themselves against the enemy: for most of the former leaders had been killed by the Chaldeans, as is evident from chapter XXXIX, 6. So Josephus, Antiquities X, chapter XI.
Verse 8 ¶
8. And Ishmael — namely Ishmael; for 'et' here is exegetical and enumerative, and is taken for 'that is' or 'namely.'
Verse 10 ¶
10. Behold, I dwell in Mizpah. — Gedaliah chose this place because it was on the borders of the Chaldeans and was on the road for those going from Judea to Babylon, so that there he could more easily deal both with the Babylonians and with the Jews; hence it follows:
To answer the orders of the Chaldeans who are sent to us — that is, to be at hand to respond to and carry out whatever the Chaldeans command me.
Alternatively, Lyranus and Isidore explain it thus: When the Chaldeans come, I will answer them on your behalf; therefore live in security, I, like a good shepherd, will lay down my life for you.
Hence, tropologically, St. Bernard, in his book On the Nature of Love, chapter IX, applies these words to Religious: "Some, emulating this pattern of Apostolic life, have no homes or lodging places except the house of God, the house of prayer. Whatever they do, they do in the name of the Lord, dwelling together in one order, living under one rule, having nothing of their own: neither their own bodies nor their wills in their own power; they sleep together, they rise together, they pray together, they sing the psalms together, they read together: their fixed and immovable purpose is to obey their superiors and be subject to them. Their superiors, for their part, watching over them as those who must render an account for their souls, show them in practice what Gedaliah is read to have told the people of Israel in Jeremiah."
Hence from the Hebrew, Gedaliah is read to have declared: I on your behalf will answer the Chaldeans who come to you. But you, gather grain, wine, and oil in your vessels, and dwell in your cities in safety.
Verse 11 ¶
11. Among the sons. — So it should be read with the Hebrew and the Roman editions, not 'in finibus' (on the borders); rather 'in filiis,' that is, among the sons of Ammon.
Had left, etc., a remnant — that is, had left some remaining in Judea.
Verse 12 ¶
12. Harvest. — In Hebrew קיץ kaits, that is, as the Septuagint, the Chaldean, Vatablus, and Pagninus say, summer fruits, namely figs that are dried, that is dried figs: for the harvest had already ended. But kaits properly signifies summer and the summer harvest, which in this year, because of the siege of Jerusalem after its capture in July, could have taken place in August — at least the harvest of late grain, or of what had remained untouched in the fields by the Chaldeans. Add that Gedaliah was speaking of the harvest of all the following years.
Verse 13 ¶
13. Moreover, Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who had been scattered in the regions came to Gedaliah. — They had already come to Gedaliah before, as stated in verse 8; but they had been dismissed by Gedaliah to carry out the harvest and vintage: while traveling after their dismissal, they heard of the conspiracy of the king of Ammon and Ishmael against Gedaliah: therefore they quickly returned and exposed the plot to Gedaliah. The cause of the conspiracy was, first, the innate and perpetual hostility between the Jews and their neighbors the Ammonites and Edomites; second, the ambition of Ishmael, who envied Gedaliah's governorship; third, that Gedaliah had gone over to the Chaldeans as though a traitor; and fourth, that Ishmael, being descended from the royal seed and a kinsman of Zedekiah, considered the office owed to himself. So the Hebrews, Abulensis, Lyranus, St. Thomas, and others.
Verse 14 ¶
14. To strike your life. — 'Life' (animam), that is your soul, meaning: To kill you. Similarly in the following verse: 'Lest he kill your life (animam),' that is, your life.
Verse 16 ¶
16. For you speak falsely about Ishmael. — Excessive trust and confidence destroyed Gedaliah. For even though a ruler should not be suspicious, nevertheless he must be an Argus, especially if he is new, so as to have a hundred eyes and a hundred ears; and even though he need not always believe informants, he should nevertheless investigate what they report, meanwhile taking precautions for himself and going about well armed and attended. For sovereignty and rule have very many rivals and plotters.