Jeremiah 41:9

9 lacus autem in quem proiecerat Ismahel omnia cadavera virorum quos percussit propter Godoliam ipse est quem fecit rex Asa propter Baasa regem Israhel ipsum replevit Ismahel filius Nathaniae occisis

Jeremiah 41:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 41:9

Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies
Not only of those seventy men of Samaria but of the men whom he had slain because of Gedaliah;
because of their attachment to him: or, "by the hand of Gedaliah" F11; not by him, as an instrument; unless, as Jarchi observes, because he rejected the advice of Johanan, and provided not for his safety, and his people, it was as if they were slain by him F12; rather the sense is, that they were slain by the side of him, or in the, place where he was, or along with him F13; see a like phrase in ( Jeremiah 38:10 ) ; now both the one and the other were cast into one pit: and this [was] that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of
Israel;
which was either a ditch that was cast up against the wall that went round the city; or a large pit or well in the midst of it, to hold water in it; and this was made by King Asa, either when he built and fortified Mizpah, ( 1 Kings 15:22 ) ; or, as the Targum here, when Baasha king of Israel besieged it; which he made that he might be provided for with water during the siege; or to hide himself in it; or stop the enemy from proceeding any further, should he enter: [and] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with [them that were]
slain;
which shows it rather to be a pit or well within the city than a ditch about it; since it was filled with the slain, with those that were slain with Gedaliah, and those seventy other persons; and by which he made the well useless to the inhabitants hereafter.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (whyldg dyb) "in manu Gedaliae", Montanus, Vatablus.
F12 So T. Bab. Nidda, fol. 61. 1.
F13 "Ad latus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "in loco", some in Munster; "cum Gedalia", De Dieu, Gataker.

Jeremiah 41:9 In-Context

7 qui cum venissent ad medium civitatis interfecit eos Ismahel filius Nathaniae circa medium laci ipse et viri qui erant cum eo
8 decem autem viri repperti sunt inter eos qui dixerunt ad Ismahel noli occidere nos quia habemus thesauros in agro frumenti et hordei et olei et mellis et cessavit et non interfecit eos cum fratribus suis
9 lacus autem in quem proiecerat Ismahel omnia cadavera virorum quos percussit propter Godoliam ipse est quem fecit rex Asa propter Baasa regem Israhel ipsum replevit Ismahel filius Nathaniae occisis
10 et captivas duxit Ismahel omnes reliquias populi qui erant in Masphat filias regis et universum populum qui remanserat in Masphat quos commendarat Nabuzardan princeps militiae Godoliae filio Ahicam et cepit eos Ismahel filius Nathaniae et abiit ut transiret ad filios Ammon
11 audivit autem Iohanan filius Caree et omnes principes bellatorum qui erant cum eo omne malum quod fecerat Ismahel filius Nathaniae
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.