Jeremiah 41:16

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers with him gathered together what was left of the people whom Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken prisoner from Mizpah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam - men, women, children, eunuchs - and brought them back from Gibeon.

Jeremiah 41:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 41:16

Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of
the forces that [were] with him
After Ishmael had made his escape, whom they did not think fit to pursue, and the people had committed themselves to their care and protection; and having brought them to Mizpah again, they took them from thence, as follows: 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:
those whom he had rescued from Ishmael, and had returned to Mizpah, be persuaded to go with him from thence; who are more particularly described, as follows: [even] mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the
eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon;
or "men, [even] men of war" F17; warlike men, soldiers; by which it appears that Ishmael must have more than ten men with him when he came to Mizpah, as well to do what he did there, as likewise to carry away such a number of captives, among which were mighty men, men of war, some of whom he had slain, besides women and children, to which are added eunuchs, not mentioned before, such as the king of Judah had in his court; see ( Jeremiah 38:7 ) ; but these were of no account with the Chaldeans; and therefore they left them behind with the poor of the land; perhaps Ebedmelech might be among them, whose safety and protection is promised, because of his kindness to Jeremiah, ( Jeremiah 39:15-18 ) . The Targum calls them princes: these were brought back by Johanan from Gibeon, where he met with Ishmael, to Mizpah; from whence they had been carried, and whom he took from thence again.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 (hmxlmh yvna Myrbg) "mares, viros belli", Schmidt; "nempe vires bellatores", Piscator.

Jeremiah 41:16 In-Context

14 They all rallied around Johanan son of Kareah and headed back home.
15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah got away, escaping from Johanan with eight men into the land of Ammon.
16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers with him gathered together what was left of the people whom Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken prisoner from Mizpah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam - men, women, children, eunuchs - and brought them back from Gibeon.
17 They set out at once for Egypt to get away from the Chaldeans, stopping on the way at Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem.
18 They were afraid of what the Chaldeans might do in retaliation of Ishmael son of Nethaniah's murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor of the country.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.