Gedaliah swears to these captains and their men that they need not fear serving the Babylonians. If they dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon,
then it shall be well with you.
Gedaliah says to the captains that he will dwell at Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us.
The phrase represent you
speaks of being before a superior and making requests on behalf of others1. It appears that through Gedaliah, the Babylonians have offered a type of amnesty to what remains of Judah’s fighting men, and they seem to accept this2. It must be said, however, that they had very little other option.
Gedaliah tells those who are under his care as governor that they must gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.
The people are to make the most of what is left after the Babylonian invasion. They must gather and store what is available from the summer crops before winter comes and settle down in the cities that had not been destroyed.
9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.