John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 40:9-10

"And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans that shall come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken." — Jeremiah 40:9-10 (ASV)

Here, as I have hinted, is explained the great humanity of Gedaliah, and also his pious concern for his own nation, so that the treachery and cruelty of the son of Nethaniah might appear the more detestable, who slew a man so deserving in his conduct toward him and others, having been led to do so by a reward.

The Prophet says that he swore to them; and it was not strange to make an oath in such a disturbed state of affairs. Ishmael and the rest could hardly have any confidence, since the Chaldeans had been so extremely hostile to them; indeed, they must have been in the greatest trepidation.

Therefore, there was need of a remedy: Gedaliah had to assure them of his integrity. This was the reason he made an oath; for if it had been in times of tranquillity, an oath would not have been necessary. But as their life hung, as it were, by a thread, and they saw many dangers on every side, there was need of confirmation. Nor did Gedaliah receive them without some danger, for it was not pleasing to the Chaldeans that such men should continue in the land.

For we have seen that the princes had been killed for this reason, and then all the chief men among the people had been removed to Chaldea, to prevent any of them from attempting new disturbances. It was, therefore, Nebuchadnezzar's aim to keep the country quiet, and this was the best way to prevent any unrest.

Gedaliah, then, undoubtedly saw that this would not be very pleasing to the Chaldeans. Yet his humanity and his concern for his own nation prevailed, so that he not only hospitably received them but also promised them by an oath that there would be safety for them. He therefore urged them to be confident and also to serve the Chaldeans.

Indeed, it was especially expected of them that they should surrender themselves, since their situation was hopeless. Then Gedaliah promised that the Chaldeans would be content with a voluntary submission, and he also promised them that there would be a safe dwelling for them in the land.

And he ordered them to gather wine, corn, and fruit, and to store them up, as there would be no danger from war. He also ordered them to dwell in the cities which they had taken, or to which they had been driven. The verb here is ambiguous, but I prefer its most literal meaning, which you have taken. Indeed, they could not have taken a city by force of arms, as they had only a few men and could never have been a match for their enemies.

So, the forcible taking of cities is not what is meant; rather, Gedaliah’s meaning was that they could safely remain wherever they were, or that they could dwell in any city they came to. But it was a great thing when he said to them that he would stand for them, for in this way he laid down his own life, as though he had said that he would be a guarantor that nothing grievous would happen to them.

And from this it is more clearly seen that he was not focused on himself, but that he used the power given to him for the public good. For if he had been ambitious, he would doubtless have been more careful to ingratiate himself with the king of Babylon. He would also have resolved to deal with such a hard and refractory people no less cruelly than their enemies had.

But when he extended his wings like a hen to gather under them the remnant of his own nation, it becomes quite evident that he had no concern for his own private safety. Instead, whatever power had been given to him by King Nebuchadnezzar, he used it entirely for the public good.

Therefore, these words should be especially noted: And I, behold, I will dwell in Mizpah, that I may stand, etc.; that is, that I may meet the Chaldeans who may come to us, meaning, to prevent them from coming upon you for any hostile purpose.