Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 40:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic word through Jeremiah turns or qualifies the movement with “But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this…” at Jeremiah 40:16 inside “Gedaliah Rejects a Warning about Ishmael.”
A warning is named, and the governor will not believe it
This verse is one part of that explanation in Jeremiah 40:13–16. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Jeremiah 40:13–16
Read Jeremiah 40:16 with 40:13–16. By itself, “But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Johanan reports an Ammonite-sponsored assassination plot and privately offers preventive killing, but Gedaliah disbelieves the accusation.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Scattered Fighters Return to Gedaliah's Administration” into “Gedaliah Rejects a Warning about Ishmael.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: Johanan reports an Ammonite-sponsored assassination plot and privately offers preventive killing, but Gedaliah disbelieves the accusation. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic word through Jeremiah turns or qualifies the movement with “But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this…” at Jeremiah 40:16 inside “Gedaliah Rejects a Warning about Ishmael.”
What Remains True
Confidence, popularity, severity, and even short-term outcomes are insufficient without truth, character, and accountability. In Jeremiah 40:16, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic word through Jeremiah turns or qualifies the movement with “But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this…” at Jeremiah 40:16 inside “Gedaliah Rejects a Warning about Ishmael.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Jeremiah 40:13–16 — Gedaliah Rejects a Warning about IshmaelSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 40:13–16, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 40:13–16
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 40:13–16
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗