ירמיהו, פרק מ׳, פסוק ו׳

Following the destruction of Jerusalem, a remnant of the nation is left in Judah under new leadership. Jeremiah chooses to link his fate with this surviving community. He travels to the city of Mizpah, the location where Gedaliah has established his new seat of government [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Jeremiah's decision to live among the people who remain in the land reflects the reality of the post-war era. Although Jerusalem itself was burned to the ground and endured severe suffering from siege and famine, the Babylonian king did not completely destroy the surrounding country or exile every inhabitant. Various populated areas still exist throughout Judah. The Babylonian administration deliberately chose to keep a local population in place to continue settling the land, driven in part by practical economic interests [ביאור שטיינזלץ].