Yirmeyah 41:9

9 Now the cistern wherein Yishmael had cast all the pigrei ha’anashim (dead bodies of the men), whom he had slain because of Gedalyah, was the same cistern which Asa HaMelech had made for defense against Ba’asha Melech Yisroel: and Yishmael ben Netanyah filled it with them that were slain.

Yirmeyah 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.

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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.

Yirmeyah 41:9 In-Context

7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the Ir, that Yishmael ben Netanyah slaughtered them, and cast them into the midst of the cistern, he, and the anashim that were with him.

8 But ten anashim were found among them that said unto Yishmael, Slay us not, for we have hidden in the sadeh, chittim, se’orim, shemen, devash. So he forbore, killed them not among the others.

9 Now the cistern wherein Yishmael had cast all the pigrei ha’anashim (dead bodies of the men), whom he had slain because of Gedalyah, was the same cistern which Asa HaMelech had made for defense against Ba’asha Melech Yisroel: and Yishmael ben Netanyah filled it with them that were slain.

10 Then Yishmael carried away captive all the she’erit of the people that were in Mitzpah, even the banot hamelech, and kol HaAm that remained in Mitzpah, whom Nevuzaradan the captain of the imperial guard had committed to Gedalyah ben Achikam; and Yishmael ben Netanyah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Bnei Ammon.

11 When Yochanan ben Kareach with all the officers of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil Yishmael ben Netanyah had done,