Jeremiah 41:13-18

13 And when all the people, that was with Ishmael, had seen Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, they were glad. (And when all the people, who were with Ishmael, had seen Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him, they were happy.)
14 And all the people, whom Ishmael had taken (prisoner) in Mizpah, turned again; and it turned again (yea, they turned), and went (over) to Johanan, the son of Kareah.
15 Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled with eight men from the face of Johanan, and went to the sons of Ammon. (But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.)
16 Therefore Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, took all the remnants of the common people, which they brought again from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, that were of Mizpah, after that he killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; he took strong men to battle, and women, and children, and geldings, which he had brought again from Gibeon. (And so Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him, took all the remnant of the common people, who were from Mizpah, whom he had rescued from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, after that he had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; yea, he took the strong men of battle, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, and brought them back from Gibeon.)
17 And they went (on their way), and sat being pilgrims in Chimham (for a time), which is beside Bethlehem, (before) that they should go, and enter into Egypt, from the face of Chaldees (to escape from the Chaldeans);
18 for they dreaded those Chaldees, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had slain Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom the king Nebuchadnezzar had made sovereign in the land of Judah. (for they feared those Chaldeans, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom King Nebuchadnezzar had made the ruler of the land of Judah.)

Jeremiah 41:13-18 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.