Jeremiah 41:6

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Yishma'el the son of N'tanyahu went out from Mitzpah to meet them, weeping all along the way; on meeting them, he said to them, "Come to G'dalyahu the son of Achikam."

Berean Standard Bible:

And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”

American Standard Version:

And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Ishmael^{H3458} the son^{H1121} of Nethaniah^{H5418} went forth^{H3318} from Mizpah^{H4709} to meet^{H7125} them, weeping^{H1058} all along^{H1980} as he went^{H1980}: and it came to pass, as he met^{H6298} them, he said^{H559} unto them, Come^{H935} to Gedaliah^{H1436} the son^{H1121} of Ahikam^{H296}.

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Commentary for Jeremiah 41:6

Jeremiah 41:6 is a part of the narrative found in the Book of Jeremiah, which details the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians and the subsequent events. The verse specifically mentions Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, a member of the royal family of Judah, who is a key figure in the chaotic aftermath of the Babylonian conquest.

In the historical context, after the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonians appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam as governor over the cities of Judah that were not destroyed. Gedaliah was a righteous man who encouraged the remnant of Jews to accept the Babylonian rule and to live peacefully in the land. However, Ishmael, who may have had aspirations for the throne himself, conspired against Gedaliah.

The verse captures a moment when Ishmael goes out from Mizpah, where Gedaliah had set up his administrative center, to meet a group of pilgrims who were on their way to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, despite its destruction. Ishmael's weeping suggests a display of sorrow or possibly a feigned expression of grief to deceive the pilgrims. His invitation for them to come to Gedaliah could be seen as an act of betrayal, as it led these unsuspecting individuals into a trap; shortly after this meeting, Ishmael assassinated Gedaliah, throwing the region into further turmoil and causing many to flee to Egypt for safety.

The themes present in this verse include treachery, the complexity of political power struggles, and the tragic consequences of violence within a community. It also reflects the broader narrative of the Book of Jeremiah, which often focuses on the consequences of disobedience to God and the tumultuous period following the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah 41:6 thus encapsulates a moment of deep political intrigue and personal betrayal against the backdrop of a nation in ruins, grappling with its identity and future.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3458
   There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יִשְׁמָעֵאל
   Transliteration: Yishmâʻêʼl
   Pronunciation: yish-maw-ale'
   Description: from שָׁמַע and אֵל; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five Israelites; Ishmael.
   
2. Strong's Number: H1121
   There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֵּן
   Transliteration: bên
   Pronunciation: bane
   Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5418
   There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נְתַנְיָה
   Transliteration: Nᵉthanyâh
   Pronunciation: neth-an-yaw'
   Description: or נְתַנְיָהוּ; from נָתַן and יָהּ; given of Jah; Nethanjah, the name of four Israelites; Nethaniah.
   
4. Strong's Number: H3318
   There are 992 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָצָא
   Transliteration: yâtsâʼ
   Pronunciation: yaw-tsaw'
   Description: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.; [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter.
   
5. Strong's Number: H4709
   There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִצְפָּה
   Transliteration: Mitspâh
   Pronunciation: mits-paw'
   Description: feminine of מִצְפֶּה; Mitspah, the name of two places in Palestine; Mitspah. (This seems rather to be only an orthographic variation of מִצְפֶּה when 'in pause'.)
   
6. Strong's Number: H7125
   There are 117 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קִרְאָה
   Transliteration: qirʼâh
   Pronunciation: keer-aw'
   Description: from קָרָא; an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite); [idiom] against (he come), help, meet, seek, [idiom] to, [idiom] in the way.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1058
   There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּכָה
   Transliteration: bâkâh
   Pronunciation: baw-kaw'
   Description: a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan; [idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep.
   
8. Strong's Number: H1980
   There are 468 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: הָלַךְ
   Transliteration: hâlak
   Pronunciation: haw-lak'
   Description: akin to יָלַךְ; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively); (all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, [idiom] more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), [phrase] send, speedily, spread, still, surely, [phrase] tale-bearer, [phrase] travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-) faring man, [idiom] be weak, whirl.
   
9. Strong's Number: H6298
   There are 14 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּגַשׁ
   Transliteration: pâgash
   Pronunciation: paw-gash'
   Description: a primitive root; to come in contact with, whether by accident or violence; figuratively, to concur; meet (with, together).
   
10. Strong's Number: H559
    There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָמַר
    Transliteration: ʼâmar
    Pronunciation: aw-mar'
    Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
    
11. Strong's Number: H935
    There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בּוֹא
    Transliteration: bôwʼ
    Pronunciation: bo
    Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
    
12. Strong's Number: H1436
    There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: גְּדַּלְיָה
    Transliteration: Gᵉdalyâh
    Pronunciation: ghed-al-yaw'
    Description: or (prolonged) גְּדַלְיָהוּ; from גָּדַל and יָהּ; Jah has become great; Gedaljah, the name of five Israelites; Gedaliah.
    
13. Strong's Number: H296
    There are 83 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֲחִיקָם
    Transliteration: ʼĂchîyqâm
    Pronunciation: akh-ee-kawm'
    Description: from אָח and קוּם; brother of rising (i.e. high); Achikam, an Israelite; Ahikam.