Jeremiah 41:7-9

7 Yet it turned out that as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men that were with him 1slaughtered them and cast them into the cistern.
8 But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to death; for we have 2stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field." So he refrained and did not put them to death along with their companions.
9 Now as for the cistern where * Ishmael had cast all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down because of Gedaliah, it was the 3one that King Asa had made on 4account * of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

Jeremiah 41:7-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 41

This chapter relates the event of the conspiracy against Gedaliah Johanan and the princes had informed him of, to which he gave no credit; but it proved true. An account is given of the murder of Gedaliah, and of the Jews and Chaldeans with him; and of the perpetrators of it, Jer 41:1-3; and of the chief of them, Ishmael's treacherous dealing with fourscore men that came from several parts to the house of God to offer sacrifice, who all perished by his hands, excepting ten, Jer 41:4-9; and of the rest of the people at Mizpah being carried away, in order to be captives among the Ammonites, Jer 41:10; and of Johanan, and the rest of the captives, hearing of all this, and coming out to fight with Ishmael; upon which the people deserted him, and he fled to the Ammonites, Jer 41:11-15; and of Johanan and the people settling in the way to Egypt, to flee there on occasion, should the Chaldeans fall on them for what was done to the governor, which they feared, Jer 41:16-18.

Cross References 4

  • 1. Psalms 55:23; Isaiah 59:7; Ezekiel 22:27; Ezekiel 33:24, 26
  • 2. Isaiah 45:3
  • 3. 1 Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chronicles 16:1-6
  • 4. Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6; 2 Samuel 17:9; Hebrews 11:38

Footnotes 1

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