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.

JEREMIAH 40:9KJV
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Jeremiah 40:9 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 40:9 mean?

Jeremiah 40:9 describes Gedaliah, the appointed governor, assuring the people and their soldiers not to fear serving the Chaldeans (Babylonians) but to stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, promising that things will go well for them if they do. Gedaliah is encouraging cooperation with the new rulers after Jerusalem’s fall.

Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, is speaking to the remaining Judean leaders and their men after the Babylonian conquest. The Babylonians have put him in charge of those left in Judah. His message is meant to calm fears and prevent rebellion by urging the people to settle down, accept Babylonian rule, and live peacefully in the land.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 40:9

  • "Fear" (יָרֵא, yare’): This word often means to be afraid or to stand in awe. Here, Gedaliah is telling the people not to be afraid of serving the new foreign rulers, which would have been a real concern after a military defeat.
  • "Serve" (עָבַד, avad): This word means to work for or serve someone. Gedaliah uses it twice, emphasizing that serving the Babylonians is now the practical path for survival and stability.
  • "Chaldeans" (כַּשְׂדִּים, Kasdim): This is the specific term for the Babylonians. Naming them directly makes clear who the new authority is and removes any ambiguity for the listeners.

Why Jeremiah 40:9 matters

  • Jeremiah 40:9 clears up that not all Judeans were taken into exile; some were left behind and given a chance to rebuild under Babylonian oversight.
  • The verse highlights Gedaliah’s role as a stabilizing leader, chosen by the Babylonians but also trusted by some Judeans, which sets the stage for the events that follow in the chapter.
  • It shows the practical advice given to a conquered people: that survival and peace sometimes mean cooperating with new authorities rather than resisting and risking further destruction.

Where else these words appear

“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 40:5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
  • 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 40:6 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 41:2 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.

“Chaldeans” Hebrew H3778 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
  • Jeremiah 32:4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;
  • Jeremiah 50:1 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.