The Meaning of Jeremiah 40:4 Explained

Jeremiah 40:4

KJV: And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine 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 convenient for thee to go, thither go.

YLT: And now, lo, I have loosed thee to-day from the chains that are on thy hand; if good in thine eyes to come with me to Babylon, come, and I keep mine eye upon thee: and if evil in thine eyes to come with me to Babylon, forbear; see, all the land is before thee, whither it be good, and whither it be right in thine eyes to go -- go.' --

Darby: And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains that are upon thy hand. If it seem good in thy sight to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will keep mine eye upon thee; but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me to Babylon, forbear. See, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and right in thy sight to go, thither go.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And now, behold, I loose  thee this day  from the chains  which [were] upon thine 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 convenient  for thee to go,  thither go. 

What does Jeremiah 40:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Nebuzaradan freed the prophet from his shackles, and gave him the choice of going to Babylon as a free man or staying in Canaan. If he went to Babylon, the captain promised to take care of him there. If he chose to stay in Canaan, he could live and move about wherever he wished.

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 40:4 mean?

Now look I free you this day from the chains that [were] on your hand If it [seems] good to you to come with me to Babylon come and I will look - the eye after you but if it seems wrong for you to come to Babylon remain here See all the land [is] before you wherever it seems good and convenient convenient for you to go there go
וְעַתָּ֞ה הִנֵּ֧ה פִתַּחְתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם מִֽן־ הָאזִקִּים֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־ יָדֶךָ֒ אִם־ ט֨וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֜יךָ לָב֧וֹא אִתִּ֣י בָבֶ֗ל בֹּ֚א וְאָשִׂ֤ים אֶת־ עֵינִי֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ וְאִם־ רַ֧ע בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ לָבֽוֹא־ בָבֶ֖ל חֲדָ֑ל רְאֵה֙ כָּל־ הָאָ֣רֶץ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶל־ ט֨וֹב וְאֶל־ הַיָּשָׁ֧ר בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ לָלֶ֥כֶת שָׁ֖מָּה לֵֽךְ

וְעַתָּ֞ה  Now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
הִנֵּ֧ה  look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
פִתַּחְתִּ֣יךָ  I  free  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
הַיּ֗וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָאזִקִּים֮  the  chains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֲזִקִּים  
Sense: chains, manacles.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָדֶךָ֒  your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
ט֨וֹב  it  [seems]  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
בְּעֵינֶ֜יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לָב֧וֹא  to  come 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אִתִּ֣י  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בָבֶ֗ל  to  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
בֹּ֚א  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְאָשִׂ֤ים  and  I  will  look 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, 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.
עֵינִי֙  the  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עָלֶ֔יךָ  after  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְאִם־  but  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
רַ֧ע  it  seems  wrong 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ  for  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לָבֽוֹא־  to  come 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בָבֶ֖ל  to  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
חֲדָ֑ל  remain  here 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חָדַל 
Sense: to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear.
רְאֵה֙  See 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הָאָ֣רֶץ  the  land  [is] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֶל־  wherever 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
ט֨וֹב  it  seems  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
הַיָּשָׁ֧ר  convenient 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
בְּעֵינֶ֛יךָ  convenient  for  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לָלֶ֥כֶת  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לֵֽךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.

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