Jeremiah 41:8-18

8 But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to death; for we have ¹stores 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 ²one that King Asa had made on ³account * of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

10 Then Ishmael took captive all the ⁴remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, the ⁵king's daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had put under the charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and proceeded to cross over to the sons of ⁶Ammon.

Johanan Rescues the People

11 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the ⁷commanders of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done.

12 So they took all the men and went to ⁸fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and they found him by the ⁹great pool that is in Gibeon.

13 Now as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the commanders of the forces that were with him, they were glad.

14 So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.

15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah ¹⁰escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon.

16 Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah ¹¹all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the men who were soldiers *, the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.

17 And they went and stayed in ¹²Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to ¹³proceed * into Egypt

18 because * of the Chaldeans; for they were ¹⁴afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom ¹⁵the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

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Jeremiah 41:8-18 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 15

1. Isaiah 45:3
2. 1 Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chronicles 16:1-6
3. Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6; 2 Samuel 17:9; Hebrews 11:38
4. Jeremiah 40:11, 12
5. Jeremiah 43:6
6. Nehemiah 2:10, 19; Nehemiah 4:7; Jeremiah 40:14
7. Jer 40:7, 8, 13-16
8. Genesis 14:14-16; 1 Sam 30:1-8, 18, 20
9. 2 Samuel 2:13
10. 1 Samuel 30:17; 1 Kings 20:20; Job 21:30; Proverbs 28:17
11. Jeremiah 42:8; Jeremiah 43:4-7
12. 2 Sam 19:37, 38, 40
13. Jeremiah 42:14
14. Isaiah 51:12, 13; Isaiah 57:11; Jeremiah 42:11, 16; Jeremiah 43:2, 3; Luke 12:4, 5
15. Jeremiah 40:5

Footnotes 6

[a]. Or "by the side of"
[b]. Lit "waters"
[c]. Lit "brought back"
[d]. Lit "men of war"
[e]. Lit "infants"
[f]. Or "the lodging place of Chimham"