1
Jeremiah 40:1
英文原文
As what follows is mainly a historical narrative, it seems that the title "The word ..." was appropriate not merely to a prediction of the future, but to an account of the past, if written by a prophet. The Jews regarded history as inspired if written by a seer, and thus their historical books are called "the early prophets."
Ramah - Probably all the prisoners of note were collected at Ramah indiscriminately, and examined there.
Bound in chains - The prisoners were probably fastened together in couples by one hand, and a rope passed down the center to bind them in a long line, and prevent attempts at escape.
5
Jeremiah 40:5
「耶利米还没有回去」 - 大多数现代注释家译作：「他既然还一言不发，(护卫长)就说：那么，你回到基大利那里去吧……」
「粮食」 - 即一份口粮。
「礼物」 - 即一份馈赠。
英文原文
Now while he was not yet gone back - Most modern commentators render "And as he yet answered nothing, Return then, he said, to Gedaliah ..."
Victuals - A ration of food.
A reward - A present.
7
Jeremiah 40:7
男人必是年老体弱者；女人则是丈夫和保护者已在战争中丧生的人（例如 Jeremiah 41:10）。「孩童」一词包括家中一切地位较低的成员。
英文原文
The men would be the old and infirm: the women those whose husbands and protectors had perished in the wars (e. g. Jeremiah 41:10). The word children includes all the inferior members of a household.
9
Jeremiah 40:9
「服事迦勒底人」 - 按字面正如页边所列：作他们的臣属与副手。基大利料想，将有时常从巴比伦来的高级官员照管王的事务。但无论有什么命令，都要借着身为宰相的他来施行。
「你们要收取酒」 - 耶路撒冷既是在五月、即八月间被攻取，如今已是秋天，树上还有果子，足以供稀少的人口过冬。
「取得的」 - 或作「强占的」。各军长大概都曾凭武力占据某处作为总部，基大利吩咐他们继续保留。他把现存的一切局面坦然接受下来，视为重建信任的必经之步。
英文原文
To serve the Chaldeans - literally, as margin; to be their minister and lieutenant. Gedaliah supposed that officers of high rank would come from time to time from Babylon to look after the king's interests. But whatever was ordered would be done through him, as being the prime minister.
Gather ye wine - As Jerusalem was captured in the fifth month, August, it would now be autumn, and there would be fruit upon the trees, enough to maintain the scanty population during the winter.
Taken - Or, seized. Every captain had probably occupied some place by force as his head quarters, and Gedaliah bids them retain them. He frankly accepts the whole existing state of things, as a necessary step toward re-establishing confidence.
14
Jeremiah 40:14
巴利斯谋害基大利能有何目的，很难说明。他既是西底家的盟友（Jeremiah 27:3），可能因亚希甘家族——大概由于耶利米的劝促——反对过所提议的联盟（Jeremiah 27），而对他们怀恨。以实玛利的动机则是出于嫉妒与恶意：他眼看一个始终反对战争的臣民，如今取代王室获得了君王般的权力。
英文原文
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. 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.
由于下文主要是历史叙述，可见「耶和华……的话」这一标题不仅适用于对未来的预言，也适用于对已往之事的记载——只要它出自先知之手。犹太人认为，凡出自先见之手的历史皆为默示之作，因此他们的史书被称为「先前的先知」。
拉玛 - 所有重要的俘虏很可能不分彼此地被集中在拉玛，并在那里受审问。
「锁着」 - 俘虏们很可能每两人一组、各以一只手被锁在一起，有一条绳索从队列中间穿过，把他们连成一长列，以防他们企图逃脱。