Jeremiah 40:14

Green's Literal Translation

And they said to him, Knowing you know that Baalis, the king of the sons of Ammon, has sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to strike your soul. But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, did not believe them.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and warned him, “Don’t you realize that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them.

Hebrew Names Version
and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of `Ammon has sent Yishma'el the son of Netanyah to take your life? But Gedalyahu the son of Achikam didn't believe them.

King James Version
And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

English Standard Version
and said to him, "Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them.

New American Standard Bible
and said to him, "Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

New Century Version
They said to him, "Don't you know that Baalis king of the Ammonite people wants you dead? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you." But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Amplified Bible
and said to him, "Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

World English Bible
and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam didn't believe them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And said vnto him, Knowest thou not that Baalis the King of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam beleeued them not.

Legacy Standard Bible
and said to him, "Do you indeed know that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to strike down your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Berean Standard Bible
and said to him, "Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Contemporary English Version
They said, "Gedaliah, we came to warn you that King Baalis of Ammon hired Ishmael to murder you!" Gedaliah refused to believe them,

Complete Jewish Bible
and said to him, "Are you aware that Ba‘alis the king of the people of ‘Amon has sent Yishma‘el the son of N'tanyahu to take your life?" But G'dalyahu the son of Achikam did not believe them.

Darby Translation
and said unto him, Dost thou indeed know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to smite thee to death? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

Easy-to-Read Version
Johanan and the officers with him said to Gedaliah, "Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, wants to kill you? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you." But Gedaliah son of Ahikam didn't believe them.

George Lamsa Translation
And said to him, Do you not know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay you? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Good News Translation
and said to him, "Don't you know that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael to murder you?" But Gedaliah did not believe it.

Lexham English Bible
and said to him, "Are you at all aware that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, to kill you?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
knowest thou not yt Baalis kinge of ye Ammonites hath sent Ismael ye sonne of Nathanias, to slaye the? But Godolias ye sonne of Ahica beleued the not.

American Standard Version
and said unto him, Dost thou know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take thy life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

Bible in Basic English
And said to him, Has it come to your knowledge that Baalis, the king of the children of Ammon, has sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to take your life? But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, put no faith in what they said.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and said unto him: 'Dost thou know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take thy life?' But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

King James Version (1611)
And sayd vnto him, Doest thou certainly know, that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam beleeued them not.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Knowest thou not that Baalis the kyng of the Ammonites hath sent Ismael the sonne of Nathaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahicam beleued them not.

English Revised Version
and said unto him, Dost thou know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take thy life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seiden to hym, Wite thou, that Bahalis, kyng of the sones of Amon, hath sent Ismael, the sone of Nathanye, to smyte thi lijf. And Godolie, the sone of Aicham, bileuyde not to hem.

Update Bible Version
and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And said to him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

New English Translation
They said to him, "Are you at all aware that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them.

New King James Version
and said to him, "Do you certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to murder you?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

New Living Translation
They said to him, "Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?" But Gedaliah refused to believe them.

New Life Bible
They said to him, "Do you know that Baalis, the king of the sons of Ammon, has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to kill you?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

New Revised Standard
and said to him, "Are you at all aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and said unto him - Dost thou at all know, that, Baalis, king of the sons of Ammon, hath sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah, to smite thee to death? But Gedaliah son of Ahikam, believed them not.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ismahel the son of Nathanias to kill thee. And Godolias the son of Ahicam believed them not.

Revised Standard Version
and said to him, "Do you know that Ba'alis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah to take your life?" But Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam would not believe them.

Young's Literal Translation
and they say unto him, `Dost thou really know that Baalis king of the sons of Ammon hath sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to smite thy soul?' And Gedaliah son of Ahikam hath not given to them credence.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and said to him, "Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Contextual Overview

⁷ And when all the commanders of the army who were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, over the land, and had appointedwith him men, and women, and children, andof the poor of the land, of those who were not exiled to Babylon, ⁸ then they came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, even Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai of Netopha, and Jezaniah the son of the Maachathite, they and theirmen. ⁹ And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, Do not fear to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. ¹⁰ As for me, behold, I will live at Mizpah to stand before the Chaldeans who have come to us. But you, go gather wine, and the harvest, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and live in your cities that you have taken. ¹¹ And when all the Jews in Moab, and among the sons of Ammon, and in Edom, and in all the lands, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ¹² even all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance. ¹³ And Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the commanders of the army that were in the field, came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah. ¹⁴ And they said to him, Knowing you know that Baalis, the king of the sons of Ammon, has sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to strike your soul. But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, did not believe them. ¹⁵ And Johanan, the son of Kareah, spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Please let me go, and I will strike Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and a man shall not know. Why should he strike your soul, and all the Jews who are gathered toyou be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish? ¹⁶ But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, You shall not do this thing. For you speak falsely concerning Ishmael.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ammonites: Jeremiah 25:21, Jeremiah 41:10, Jeremiah 49:1-6, 1 Samuel 11:1-3, 2 Samuel 10:1-6, Ezekiel 25:2-6, Amos 1:13-15

Ishmael: Jeremiah 40:8, Jeremiah 41:2, Jeremiah 41:10, Proverbs 26:23-26, Isaiah 26:10, Micah 7:5

slay thee: Heb. strike thee in soul

believed: 1 Corinthians 13:5-7

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 34:20 - Ahikam Proverbs 29:10 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 40:14
But make mention of me along with yourself, when it is well with you; and please do kindness with me and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

Genesis 40:15
For truly I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have not done anything that they should have put me into the dungeon.

Joshua 2:12
And now, please swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt with you in kindness, that you will also deal with my father's house in kindness, and shall give to me a true token;

1 Samuel 25:31
that this shall not be for a cause of staggering, or of stumbling of heart to my lord, either to shed blood for nothing, or that my lord saved himself. And may Jehovah do good to my lord, and you remember your handmaid.

2 Samuel 9:1
And David said, Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness because of Jonathan?

1 Kings 2:7
You shall be merciful to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and they shall be among those eating at your table, for so they drew near to me when I fled from the face of your brother Absalom.

Luke 23:42
And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.

1 Corinthians 7:21
Were you called as a slave? It does not matter to you. But if you are able to be free, rather use it .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And said unto him, dost thou certainly know,.... Not that they thought he did know, or that the thing was so flagrant that he must know it; but that he might be assured of the truth of it, from the information they were now about to give him: or, "dost thou [not] in knowing know?" x it is most certainly true; and thou mayest depend upon it that it is real matter of fact:

that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? very probably Ishmael, with the forces under him, fled to the king of the Ammonites upon the taking of Jerusalem; who, out of ill will to the Jews, always bore them by the Ammonites, envying their reestablishment under Gedaliah, and hoping to make a prey of them if their governor was removed, moved it to this young prince to dispatch him; and who might be forward enough to undertake it, being displeased that Gedaliah should be governor, which he might think was an office he had a better right to, being of the seed royal; and therefore readily agreed to be sent on this bloody errand, to take away the governor's life: or, "to smite [him] in the soul"; or "to smite his soul" y; that is, to give him a mortal blow, his death's wound, to separate soul and body:

but Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not; being a good man, and knowing he had done nothing to disoblige him, could not believe a person of such birth and dignity would ever be guilty of such an action: very likely Ishmael had behaved in a very princely complaisant manner, and had expressed a great affection for the governor, and had been very familiar with him; and being of the seed royal, it is highly probable Gedaliah had shown a distinguished regard to him, which he might think was the reason of this charge being brought against him, out of envy to him; however, since it came from such a body of men, though he was not over credulous, yet he ought to have inquired into it, and provided for his own safety, and the public good, against the worst that might happen.

x הידע תדע "nonne cognoscendo cognosces", Pagninus, Montanus. y להכתך נפש "ut percutiat animam tuam", Munster; "te in anima", Pagninus; "secundum animam", Piscator; "ad percutiendum te (quoad) animam", Schmidt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is difficult to say what object Baalis can have had in murdering Gedaliah. As an ally of Zedekiah Jeremiah 27:3, he may have had a spite against the family of Ahikam for opposing, as most probably they did at Jeremiah’s instigation, the league proposed Jeremiah 27:0. Ishmael’s motive was envy and spite at seeing a subject who had always opposed the war now invested with kingly power, in place of the royal family.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 40:14. But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed then not. — The account given of this man proves him to have been a person of uncommon greatness of soul. Conscious of his own integrity and benevolence, he took the portrait of others from his own mind; and therefore believed evil of no man, because he felt none towards any in his own breast. He may be reproached for being too credulous and confident: but any thing of this kind that may be justly charged against him serves only to show the greatness of his mind. A little soul is ever suspicious, and ready to believe the worst of every person and thing. A great mind acts always on the contrary.