Yirmeyah 41:12

12 Then they took kol ha’anashim, and went to fight with Yishmael ben Netanyah, and found him by the mayim rabbim that are in Giveon.

Yirmeyah 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.

Yirmeyah 41:12 In-Context

10 Then Yishmael carried away captive all the she’erit of the people that were in Mitzpah, even the banot hamelech, and kol HaAm that remained in Mitzpah, whom Nevuzaradan the captain of the imperial guard had committed to Gedalyah ben Achikam; and Yishmael ben Netanyah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Bnei Ammon.
11 When Yochanan ben Kareach with all the officers of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil Yishmael ben Netanyah had done,
12 Then they took kol ha’anashim, and went to fight with Yishmael ben Netanyah, and found him by the mayim rabbim that are in Giveon.
13 Now it came to pass, that when kol haAm which were with Yishmael saw Yochanan ben Kareach, and all the officers of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.
14 So kol haAm that Yishmael had carried away captive from Mitzpah turned and went over to Yochanan ben Kareach.
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