The Meaning of Jeremiah 40:16 Explained

Jeremiah 40:16

KJV: But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

YLT: And Gedaliah son of Ahikam saith unto Johanan son of Kareah, 'Thou dost not do this thing, for falsehood thou art speaking concerning Ishmael.'

Darby: But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

ASV: But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But Gedaliah  the son  of Ahikam  said  unto Johanan  the son  of Kareah,  Thou shalt not do  this thing:  for thou speakest  falsely  of Ishmael. 

What does Jeremiah 40:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Gedaliah refused to permit Johanan to carry out his assassination plot, because he thought Johanan was misjudging Ishmael. Gedaliah was too trusting and nave, even though he was a capable ruler and apparently a man of faith. His commitment to his own people seems to have blinded him to the political intrigues that were swirling around him (cf. John 2:24-25). He would have been wise to seek the Lord"s will through Jeremiah and then follow it.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 40

1  Jeremiah, being set free by Nebuzaradan, goes to Gedaliah
7  The dispersed Jews repair unto him
13  Johanan revealing Ishmael's conspiracy is not believed

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 40:16 mean?

But said Gedaliah son of Ahikam to Johanan son of Kareah not - You shall do - thing this for falsely you speak concerning Ishmael -
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר גְּדַלְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־ אֲחִיקָם֙ אֶל־ יוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־ קָרֵ֔חַ אַֽל־ [תעש] (תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה) אֶת־ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה כִּֽי־ שֶׁ֛קֶר אַתָּ֥ה דֹבֵ֖ר אֶל־ יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל ס

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
גְּדַלְיָ֤הוּ  Gedaliah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדַלְיָה 
Sense: a son of Jeduthun in the time of David.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲחִיקָם֙  of  Ahikam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיקָם  
Sense: son of Shaphan, an officer in Josiah’s reign.
יוֹחָנָ֣ן  Johanan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוחָנָן  
Sense: a priest during the high priesthood of Joiakim who returned with Zerubbabel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
קָרֵ֔חַ  of  Kareah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָרֵחַ  
Sense: father of Johanan and Jonathan who supported Gedaliah’s authority and avenged his murder.
[תעש]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
(תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה)  You  shall  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדָּבָ֣ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
שֶׁ֛קֶר  falsely 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
דֹבֵ֖ר  speak 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֶל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל  Ishmael 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׁמָעֵאל  
Sense: son of Abraham and Sarah’s handmaid Hagar and the progenitor of the Arabian peoples.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Jeremiah 40:16?

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