Jeremiah 41:12

12 they took all the men and went to attack Yishma'el the son of N'tanyahu. They found him by the big pool in Giv'on.

Jeremiah 41:12 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 41:12

Then they took all the men
All the soldiers that were under their command; this they did at once, believing the report to be true, as they had reason to do; since they knew of Ishmael's designs, and had given notice and warning of them to Gedaliah, though he would not listen to them: and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah:
resolving to give him battle, and to revenge the innocent blood he had shed, and rescue the captives out of his hands he was carrying to the Ammonites: and found him by the great waters that [are] in Gibeon;
taking this road to the country of Ammon, though it was not quite the direct road; either to avoid the forces of Johanan; or rather for the sake of the hid treasure at Shechem, or Shiloh, or Samaria, the ten men had promised him for their lives. These great waters were the same with the pool at Gibeon, where the servants of Ishbosheth and the servants of David met, and sat one on one side, and the other on the other; and where twelve young men on each side slew one another, and from thence called Helkathhazzurim, ( 2 Samuel 2:12-16 ) ; and the Targum calls it

``the pool of many waters, which were in Gibeon.''
Josephus F16 calls it a fountain in Hebron; which perhaps should be read Gibeon.
FOOTNOTES:

F16 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 9. sect. 5.

Jeremiah 41:12 In-Context

10 Then Yishma'el carried off captive the rest of the people in Mitzpah - the king's daughters and all the people left in Mitzpah, whom N'vuzar'adan the commander of the guard had committed to the care of G'dalyahu the son of Achikam. Yishma'el the son of N'tanyahu carried them off captive and left to cross over to the people of 'Amon.
11 When Yochanan the son of Kareach and all the military commanders with him heard of all the crimes committed by Yishma'el the son of N'tanyahu,
12 they took all the men and went to attack Yishma'el the son of N'tanyahu. They found him by the big pool in Giv'on.
13 When all Yishma'el's captives saw Yochanan the son of Kareach and all the military commanders with him, they were overjoyed.
14 So all the people Yishma'el had carried off captive from Mitzpah turned and joined Yochanan the son of Kareach.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.