Jeremiah 41:11-18

11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,

12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon.

13 When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad.

14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.

15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon.

17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt

18 to escape the Babylonians.^[a] They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

Jeremiah 41:11-18 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Jeremiah 40:8
• 2. S Exodus 14:14; John 18:36
• 3. S Joshua 9:3; John 9:7; 2 Samuel 2:13
• 4. ver 10
• 5. Jeremiah 40:6
• 6. Job 21:30; S Proverbs 28:17
• 7. Jeremiah 42:1; Jeremiah 43:2
• 8. Isaiah 1:9; Jeremiah 43:4; Ezekiel 7:16; Ezekiel 14:22; Zephaniah 2:9
• 9. 2 Samuel 19:37
• 10. Genesis 35:19; Micah 5:2
• 11. Jeremiah 42:14
• 12. S Numbers 14:9; Isaiah 51:12; Jeremiah 42:16; Luke 12:4-5
• 13. S 2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 40:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Chaldeans"