When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan … they rejoiced: This sounds as though Ishmael’s men were happy to see Johanan approaching. However, the reference is obviously to the people Ishmael had taken prisoner, as Good News Translation makes clear: “When Ishmael’s prisoners saw Johanan … they were glad.” This interpretation is supported by the first part of verse 14, which identifies all the people as those “whom Ishmael had carried away captive.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .