Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 40:6
Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
Mizpah was built by Asa, 1Ki 15:22, or rather enlarged or further built, for we read of it as a city belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 18:26.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. Mizpahin Benjamin,northwest of Jerusalem (Jer 41:5;Jer 41:6; Jer 41:9).Not the Mizpah in Gilead, beyond Jordan (Jud10:17). Jeremiah showed his patriotism and piety in remaining inhis country amidst afflictions and notwithstanding the ingratitude ofthe Jews, rather than go to enjoy honors and pleasures in a heathencourt (Heb 11:24-26).This vindicates his purity of motive in his withdrawal (Jer37:12-14).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah,…. A city in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Ramathon; which, as Josephus says, was about five miles from Jerusalem. Jeremiah took the captain’s advice, though it might have been better with him had he gone along with him to Babylon; 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 Nebuzaradan left, who dwelt either at Mizpah or at Anathoth, and lived as they did.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here is shown to us the firmness of the Prophet, that he hesitated not to reject, what Nebuzaradan kindly offered to him, and yet he might have committed a great offense in making light, as it were, of Chaldea. It was, as we know, a very pleasant country, and very fertile; and tyrants cannot bear their bounty to be despised; for when they are pleased to honor any one, however little may be what they offer, if he refuses, they regard it as a dishonor done to them. The Prophet, then, might have been overcome by modesty and fear, so as to remove to Chaldea. That he dared simply to refuse the offer, and to ask that he might dwell in his own country, was a proof and evidence that he had more concern for religion, and more care for God’s Church, than for all the favors of men, and all that he might have hoped from the wealth of Babylon and Chaldea.
We hence see that the Prophet in receiving presents, accepted of nothing but what he knew would be for the benefit of God’s Church. At the same time he made light of the offense he might have given, when he chose to remain in his own country; for as we have said, it was as though he erected a standard to invite the Jews to return, and thus to prove the truth of his prophecy respecting their exile being temporary, the end of which was to be hoped for after seventy years. For this reason he says, that he went to Gedaliah, and dwelt in the midst of the people, even Of those who remained in the land. It follows, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) To Mizpah.The name, which signifies watch- tower (Gen. 31:49), was naturally not uncommon. Of the six or seven cities that were so called, that which comes before us here was Mizpah of Benjamin (Jos. 18:25-26), prominent in the history of Samuel and Saul (1Sa. 7:5-13; 1Sa. 10:17-25), not far from Gibeah of Saul (Isa. 10:29; Jdg. 19:13). It has been identified by Dr. Robinson (Bibl. Res. i. 460) with Neby-Samwil, about six miles north of Jerusalem. Dean Stanley, Mr. Grove, and Dr. Bonar, however, find it in the ridge which forms a continuation of the Mount of Olives on the north, and which Josephus (Wars, v. 2), apparently giving the Greek equivalent of the old Hebrew name, calls Skopos, or the watch-tower. Mizpah, it may be noted, is twice translated Skopia in the LXX. version (Hos. 5:1; 1Sa. 22:3). It will be seen that the latter identification fits in better with the narrative than the former.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE TO GEDALIAH, Jer 40:6-12.
6. Mizpah In the tribe of Benjamin. Here Samuel judged the people, and here Saul was chosen king. (1Sa 10:17-24.) It is doubtless to be identified with the modern Neby Samuel, which is five miles northward from Jerusalem, and near Ramah. This is to be distinguished from various other places of the same name.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 40:6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
Ver. 6. Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah. ] Blessing himself from the Chaldeans’ proffered kindness (as Luther also did alate from the great Turk, who invited him to him, and promised him to be his good lord), he maketh Moses’s choice, Heb 11:25 and David’s, Psa 84:10 rather to abide with God’s poor people in the promised land, than to be great in the court of Babylon. How few at this day would have been of his mind!
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mizpah. North of Jerusalem, near Anathoth. Compare Jer 41:5-9. Jos 18:26. 1Sa 7:16; 1Sa 10:17, and 1Ki 15:22. The scene of the following events: here had been Asa’s fortress (Jer 41:9); here Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar and Titus got their first view of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Then: It has been doubted whether Jeremiah acted prudently in this decision, as the event seems to indicate the contrary, and as it was the evident meaning of all his predictions that the Jews should not prosper in their own country till the expiration of seventy years. But he was evidently influenced by the most unbounded love to his country, for whose welfare he had watched, prayed, and lived; and he now chose rather to share her adversities, her sorrows, her wants, her afflictions, and her disgrace, than to be the companion of princes, and to sit at the table of kings. His patriotism was as unbounded as it was sincere: he only ceased to live for country when he ceased to breathe. Jer 39:14
Mizpah: Jos 15:38, Jdg 20:1, Jdg 21:1, 1Sa 7:5, 1Sa 7:6, Mizpeh
Reciprocal: Jos 11:3 – land 1Ki 15:22 – Mizpah 2Ki 25:22 – the people 2Ch 34:20 – Ahikam Neh 3:15 – Mizpah Jer 40:8 – came Jer 40:13 – Johanan Jer 41:1 – Ishmael Eze 5:3 – a few
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 40:6. Having been released at Ramah, Jeremiah went to Mizpah and dwelt among the people who had been committed to the care of Gedaliah. This is the fact that is mentioned ahead of time, in ch. 39: 14.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
40:6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to {c} Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
(c) Which was a city of Judah.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jeremiah left Ramah and proceeded to Mizpah, two miles to the northwest of Jerusalem, where he stayed with Gedaliah and some of the Judahites who were settling there. Mizpah became the center for Nebuchadnezzar’s provincial government in Judah (cf. Jer 40:8). Jerusalem was uninhabitable (cf. Lam 2:13; Lam 4:1), and Mizpah had been a political and religious center over the centuries (cf. Jdg 20:1-3; 1Sa 7:5-14; 1Sa 10:17). Some scholars place the site of this Mizpah (lit. watchtower) four miles southwest of Ramah, at Nebi Samwil.