Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

JEREMIAH 39:14KJV
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Jeremiah 39:14 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 39:14 mean?

Jeremiah 39:14 describes how officials freed Jeremiah from the prison courtyard and placed him under the care of Gedaliah, instructing Gedaliah to take Jeremiah to his house so he could live safely among the people. This verse shows Jeremiah’s release and transition from imprisonment to protection after Jerusalem’s fall.

The setting is after Babylon’s conquest of Jerusalem. Babylonian officials, recognizing Jeremiah’s earlier warnings and perhaps his innocence, remove him from confinement. They entrust him to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, who is about to become governor over the remaining people in Judah. This marks a turning point for Jeremiah, shifting him from being a prisoner to living freely under Gedaliah’s guardianship.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 39:14

  • The word “sent” (שָׁלַח, shalach) often means to send or dispatch with authority. Here, it shows the officials’ deliberate action to release Jeremiah, not just a casual release.
  • “Committed” (נָתַן, natan) means to give or entrust. The officials didn’t just let Jeremiah go; they specifically entrusted him to Gedaliah’s care, highlighting responsibility and protection.
  • “Dwelt” (יָשַׁב, yashav) means to settle or remain. This word emphasizes that Jeremiah was not just temporarily visiting but was allowed to live among the people as a free man.

Why Jeremiah 39:14 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jeremiah’s release was purposeful and protective, not accidental or due to neglect, showing respect for his role as a prophet.
  • The mention of Gedaliah connects Jeremiah’s story to the next phase of Judah’s history, as Gedaliah becomes the Babylonian-appointed governor.
  • The passage highlights a moment of mercy and restoration for Jeremiah after a period of suffering, emphasizing a shift in his circumstances and status among the people.

Where else these words appear

“prison” Hebrew H4307 · used in 15 verses

  • 1 Samuel 20:20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
  • Jeremiah 32:2 For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.
  • Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

“Ahikam” Hebrew H296 · used in 20 verses

  • 2 Kings 22:12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,
  • 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.
  • Jeremiah 41:1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

“Shaphan” Hebrew H8227 · used in 28 verses

  • Leviticus 11:5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
  • Jeremiah 36:10 Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house, in the ears of all the people.

“Gedaliah” Hebrew H1436 · used in 31 verses

  • 2 Kings 25:22 And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
  • Jeremiah 40:7 Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
  • Jeremiah 41:2 Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.