Gedaliah Murdered
Jer 41:1 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there,
Jer 41:2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
Jer 41:3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
Jer 41:4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it,
Jer 41:5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD.
Jer 41:6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
Jer 41:7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.
Jer 41:8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others.
Jer 41:9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.
Jer 41:10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
Jer 41:11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,
Jer 41:12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon.
Jer 41:13 When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad.
Jer 41:14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.
Jer 41:15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.
Jer 41:16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon.
Jer 41:17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt
Jer 41:18 to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
1 Ishmael, treacherously killing Gedaliah and others, purposed with the residue to flee unto the Ammonites. 11 Johanan recovered the captives and minded fleeing into Egypt.
Gedaliah Murdered
Jer 41:1 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there,
There is no direct statement as to when the events of ch. 41 took place, but in view of the continuous nature of the narrative, it seems reasonable to conclude that they followed immediately the events of ch. 40.
In the seventh month. Approximately two or three months after Jerusalem was taken by the Babylonians (ch. 39:1, 2), if the narrative proceeds uninterruptedly, as it apparently does (see PK 460).
Eating together. Ishmael and his ten fellow conspirators paid a visit to Gedaliah, ostensibly on a mission of courteous recognition of Gedaliah’s high office, but in reality intent on murdering Gedaliah and all his adherents.
Jer 41:2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
Jer 41:3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
Jer 41:4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it,
Jer 41:4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it,
Jer 41:5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD. So efficiently was the massacre carried out that not one escaped to report it.
These 80 men seem to have been on a pilgrimage of mourning to the Temple ruins, perhaps also to observe the Feast of Tabernacles and to present grain offerings and incense at the site of the ancient altar.
Shaved their beards. A custom forbidden by the Mosaic law (see Lev. 19:27, 28; Deut. 14:1, 2).
Jer 41:6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
Treacherously Ishmael meets them as one sharing their grief. The LXX, however, represents the pilgrims as weeping, not Ishmael.
Jer 41:7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.
The purpose of this atrocious act is not clear. Any one of the following may have been the cause: (1) an ungovernable bitterness of spirit aroused by the presence of these mourners; (2) a suspicion that the willingness of the pilgrims to recognize Gedaliah as the leader appointed by the Babylonians, indicated a traitorous act against Judah; (3) Ishmael’s vindictive retaliation for the slaying of the “princes of Judah” (see ch. 52:10); (4) plunder of the pilgrims’ goods.
Jer 41:8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others.
JJer 41:9 Now the pit into which Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain, because of Gedaliah, was the same one Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
Ishmael had slain these men by the deception of using Gedaliah’s name (v. 6).
Jer 41:10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
Zedekiah’s sons had been killed at Riblah (ch. 39:6). The daughters had been spared and given over to Gedaliah for his protection. In taking them into his custody and protection, Ishmael was claiming to be the ruling representative of the royal house, according to Eastern custom.
Ammonites. Since they had been allied with Zedekiah (see on chs. 27:3; 39:5), Ishmael felt he could find safety there. Indeed, ch. 40:14 indicates that their king had “sent Ishmael” to murder Gedaliah.
Jer 41:11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,
Johanan. See ch. 40:8, 13, 15.
Jer 41:12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon.
The avenging of these dastardly crimes took place at the large pool in Gibeon, now ej–Jîb, 5 3/4 mi. (9.2 km.) northwest of Jerusalem. Johanan had previously warned of the danger to Gedaliah’s life (ch. 40:13, 14).
Jer 41:13 When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad.
An indication that Gedaliah had been popular, and that those who had been under his rule rejoiced that the murder was avenged.
Jer 41:14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.
Jer 41:15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.
Evidently two of Ishmael’s “ten men” (v. 1) had been killed in one of the previous encounters (vs. 2, 3, 11, 12).
Ammonites. See on v. 10.
Jer 41:16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon.
Jer 41:17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt
Heb. Geruth, “a lodging place,” that is, an inn for travelers. Kimham. Barzillai the Gileadite had shown kindness to David (2 Sam. 19:31–39), and because of this, David instructed Solomon to treat his son Kimham with every courtesy and care (see on 1 Kings 2:7). Probably Kimham was given this land near Bethlehem by the Hebrew king as his own, and this accounts for the name of the caravansary.