John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 40:4

"And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which are upon thy hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will look well unto thee; but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee; whither it seemeth good and right unto thee to go, thither go." — Jeremiah 40:4 (ASV)

And now, behold, I loose you this day from the chains which
[were] upon your hands
Or rather are; for, when he said these words, it is highly probable they were on him, though now ordered to be taken off; these were not what were put upon him by the Jews, when in the court of the prison; for rather his legs, than his hands, would have had fetters on them there; but what were put upon him by the Chaldeans, when he fell into their hands; though inadvertently done by the inferior officers, and without the knowledge of the princes, or of this captain, who loosed them; with these he came manacled to Ramah, with the rest of the captives, but now were loosed in the sight of them.

if it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and one
will look well to you ;
or, "I will set mine eyes upon you" ^F18 ; as the king of Babylon had ordered him to do, (Jeremiah 39:12) ; would favour him, protect him, provide for him, and use him in the most kind and generous manner.

but if it seems ill to you to come with me to Babylon, forbear ;
if it was not agreeable to him to leave his native country, and to go into Babylon, he would not urge it, but leave him to his liberty; yea, would advise him to continue where he was, and not take one step out of it.

behold, all the land [is] before you ;
the land of Judea, which was at the disposal of the king of Babylon; and Jeremiah has a grant from him, by his officer, to settle where he pleased.

where it seems good and convenient for you to go, there go ;
he left him to take his own way, and do as he thought fit; and this agrees with his master's orders to him, (Jeremiah 39:12) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F18: (Kyle ynye ta Myvaw) "ponam oculos meos super te", Schmidt; "et ponam oculum meum super te", Pagninus, Montanus.