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Jeremiah 41

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Ishmael Assassinated Gedaliah 1–3

1
Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal andone ofthe chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. ​
2
Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. ​
3
Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, to wit, with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, the men of war. ​

Ishmael Massacres Pilgrims 4–10

4
And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,
5
that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of Jehovah. ​
6
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. ​
7
And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.
8
But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren. ​
9
Now the pit wherein Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain, by the side of Gedaliah (the same was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel), Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain. ​
10
Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon. ​

Johanan Pursues Ishmael 11–15

11
But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, ​
12
then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon. ​
13
Now it came to pass that, when all the people that were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad. ​
14
So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.
15
But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon. ​

The Remnant Plans to Flee to Egypt 16–18

16
Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to wit, the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.
17
And they departed, and dwelt in Geruth Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt, ​
18
because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Jeremiah 41

Verse 1

of the seed royal — Ishmael came from the royal line (zera hammelukah) with ten princes of the king, in the seventh month, the month of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles (Lev 23:24, 27, 34). They 'did eat bread together' with Gedaliah before the blow fell. Johanan had warned of this (Jer 40:14–16).

Verse 2

smote Gedaliah… with the sword, and slew him — The plot Johanan reported, 'to slay thee' (Jer 40:14), is carried out by the man Gedaliah had refused to doubt. The killing is also told in 2 Ki 25:25. The governor 'whom the king of Babylon had made' is struck down at his own table, and with him the one appointment Babylon had made over the remnant.

Verse 3

the Chaldeans that were found there — Ishmael killed not only the Jews with Gedaliah but the Chaldeans at Mizpah and 'the men of war'. This is the act the remnant fears in v.18, since Babylon's own men had been slain on Judah's soil.

Verse 5

fourscore men… with offerings and incense in their hand — The men came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, towns of the northern kingdom, Shiloh being where the tabernacle was first set up (Josh 18:1). They came to 'the house of the LORD', which had been burned (2 Ki 25:9). Shaven beards and cuts were mourning customs the law forbade (Deut 14:1; Lev 19:27–28). Lebonah is frankincense.

Verse 6

weeping all along as he went — Ishmael met the pilgrims weeping and said, 'Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam'. The next verse shows what the invitation was. The proverb 'When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart' (Prov 26:25) describes the same kind of speech.

Verse 8

we have treasures in the field — Matmon is a hidden store, the word of Prov 2:4, 'hid treasures'. The ten men name wheat, barley, oil and honey, the produce of the 'land of wheat, and barley… a land of oil olive, and honey' (Deut 8:8). Their offer saved them: 'so he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren'.

Verse 9

the pit… which Asa the king had made — When Baasha built Ramah to close the roads to Judah (1 Ki 15:17), Asa took its stones and built 'Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah' (1 Ki 15:22). The 'pit' (bor), a cistern, was one Asa had made 'for fear of Baasha king of Israel', most likely when he fortified Mizpah. Ishmael filled it with the slain.

Verse 10

the king's daughters — Ishmael took captive 'all the residue' left at Mizpah, including the king's daughters, those 'whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah'. He set out 'to go over to the Ammonites', where Baalis ruled (Jer 40:14). The same king's daughters are among those taken to Egypt (Jer 43:6).

Verse 11

all the evil that Ishmael… had done — Johanan and the captains hear of it. Johanan is the man who had offered to kill Ishmael 'secretly' and been told, 'Thou shalt not do this thing' (Jer 40:15–16). He now leads the force against him, though Gedaliah's refusal had left it too late to prevent the killings.

Verse 12

the great waters that are in Gibeon — Mayim rabbim, 'many waters', is the pool of Gibeon where Joab's men and Abner's had met in 2 Sam 2:13. Ishmael is overtaken there, on the road from Mizpah, as he leads his captives away toward the Ammonites.

Verse 13

they were glad — The captives Ishmael was driving were glad to see Johanan, and 'cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan' (v.14). The people he rescued, 'mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs' (v.16), are the same company who later go down to Egypt (Jer 43:5–7).

Verse 15

escaped from Johanan with eight men — Ishmael arrived with ten men (v.1) and leaves with eight. His flight 'to the Ammonites' fits the report Johanan gave of Baalis (Jer 40:14). Johanan recovered the captives, but Ishmael himself got away, and the question of what the remnant should do next follows in chapter 42.

Verse 17

the habitation of Chimham — Gerut is a lodging place, found only here. The name recalls Chimham, whom David took over Jordan at Barzillai's request (2 Sam 19:37–38). The remnant halts by Bethlehem 'to go to enter into Egypt', on the road Isaiah had warned of: 'that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth' (Isa 30:2).

Verse 18

they were afraid of them — The fear is of Babylon's anger over Gedaliah's death. The LORD answers it in Jer 42:11, 'Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid', and in 42:16 says that 'the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt'.