Yirmeyah 41:2

2 Then arose Yishmael ben Netanyah, and the ten anashim that were with him, and struck down Gedalyah ben Achikam ben Shaphan with the cherev, and killed him, whom Melech Bavel had made governor over ha’aretz.

Yirmeyah 41:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 41:2

Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that
were with him
After they had eat and drank well, they rose up from their seats at table: and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword,
and slew him;
they all drew their swords and thrust at him, and were assisting in the murder of him; though it is probable that it was Ishmael that gave him the mortal wound, since the phrase, "and slew him", is singular. Josephus ^F4 says that Gedaliah prepared a splendid table, and made a sumptuous entertainment for them, and being drunk himself, which they observed, took the opportunity and slew him, and all at table with him: whom the king Babylon had made governor over the land;
which mentioned; both to aggravate the crime they were guilty of, and to observe the reason of it, and what it was that prompted them to it; for so the words may be rendered, "because the king of Babylon had made him governor over the land" ^F5.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 9. sect. 4.
F5 (dyqph rva) "quia illum praefecerat", Vatablus. So Ben Melech.

Yirmeyah 41:2 In-Context

1 1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Yishmael ben Netanyah ben Elishama, who was zera hameluchah, and the officers of HaMelech, even ten anashim with him, came unto Gedalyah ben Achikam to Mitzpah; and there they did eat lechem together in Mitzpah.

2 Then arose Yishmael ben Netanyah, and the ten anashim that were with him, and struck down Gedalyah ben Achikam ben Shaphan with the cherev, and killed him, whom Melech Bavel had made governor over ha’aretz.

3 Yishmael also killed kol haYehudim that were with him, even with Gedalyah, at Mitzpah, and the Kasdim (Chaldeans) that were found there, and the anshei hamilchamah (men of war).

4 It came to pass on the second day after he had slain Gedalyah and no man knew it,

5 That there came certain men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Shomron, even 80 men, their beards shaven, their clothes torn, having cut themselves, with minchah and incense in their hand, to bring them to the Beis Hashem.