Jeremiah 41

Gedaliah Murdered

1 ¹In the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at ²Mizpah. As they ³ate bread together there at Mizpah,

2 ⁴Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him, ⁵whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land.

3 Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at ⁶Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there.

4 On the day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it,

5 eighty men arrived from ⁷Shechem and ⁸Shiloh and ⁹Samaria, with ¹⁰their beards shaved and ¹¹their clothes torn, and ¹²their bodies gashed, ¹³bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the LORD.

6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah came out from ¹⁴Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, "Come in to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam."

7 When they came into the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and cast them into a cistern.

8 But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to death, for we have ¹⁵stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields." So he refrained and did not put them to death with their companions.

9 Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men whom he had struck down along with^[a] Gedaliah was the large cistern that ¹⁶King Asa had made for defense against ¹⁷Baasha king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

10 Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, ¹⁸the king's daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom ¹⁹Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to ²⁰the Ammonites.

11 But when ²¹Johanan the son of Kareah and ²²all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

12 they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at ²³the great pool that is in ²⁴Gibeon.

13 And when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and ²⁵all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced.

14 ²⁶So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.

15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to ²⁷the Ammonites.

16 Then Johanan the son of Kareah and ²⁸all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam--soldiers, ²⁹women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from ³⁰Gibeon.

17 And they went and stayed at Geruth ³¹Chimham near ³²Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt

18 because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, ³³whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

Jeremiah 41 Commentary

Chapter 41

Ishmael murders Gedaliah. (1-10) Johanan recovers the captives, and purposes to retire to Egypt. (11-18)

Verses 1-10 Those who hate the worshippers of God, often put on the appearance of piety, that they may the easier hurt them. As death often meets men where they least expect it, we should continually search whether we are in such a state and frame of mind, as we would wish to be found in when called to appear before our Judge. Sometimes the ransom of a man's life is his riches. But those who think to bribe death, saying, Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field, will find themselves wretchedly deceived. This melancholy history warns us, never to be secure in this world. We never can be sure of peace on this side heaven.

Verses 11-18 The success of villany must be short, and none can prosper who harden their hearts against God. And those justly lose comfort in real fears, who excuse themselves in sin by pretended fears. The removal of a prudent and peaceable ruler, and the succession of another who is rash and ambitious, affects the welfare of many. Only those are happy and steady who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 25:25
• 2. See Jeremiah 40:6, 8, 10
• 3. [Psalms 41:9]
• 4. [2 Samuel 13:28, 29]
• 5. Jeremiah 40:5
• 6. [See ver. 1 above]
• 7. Joshua 17:7
• 8. Joshua 18:1
• 9. 1 Kings 16:24; See Jeremiah 23:13
• 10. [Jeremiah 48:37; Deuteronomy 14:1; Isaiah 15:2]
• 11. Jeremiah 36:24
• 12. [Jeremiah 48:37; Deuteronomy 14:1; Isaiah 15:2]
• 13. [2 Kings 25:9]
• 14. Jeremiah 40:6, 8, 10
• 15. [Judges 6:11]
• 16. [1 Kings 15:22; 2 Chronicles 16:6]
• 17. [1 Kings 15:22; 2 Chronicles 16:6]
• 18. See Jeremiah 38:23
• 19. [Jeremiah 40:7]
• 20. [Jeremiah 40:14]
• 21. See Jeremiah 40:8
• 22. Jeremiah 40:13
• 23. [2 Samuel 2:13]
• 24. Joshua 9:3, 17
• 25. Jeremiah 40:13
• 26. ver. 10, 16
• 27. [Jeremiah 40:14]
• 28. [See ver. 13 above]
• 29. Jeremiah 40:7
• 30. Joshua 9:3, 17
• 31. [2 Samuel 19:37, 38]
• 32. [Matthew 2:1, 14]; See Genesis 35:19
• 33. ver. 2; Jeremiah 40:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew by the hand of

Chapter Summary

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.