Jeremiah 41:1-11

1 And it was done in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the king's seed, and the principal men of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, in Mizpah; and they ate there loaves together in Mizpah. (And it was done in the seventh month, that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the king's descendants, and some of the king's principal men, or some of his leaders, that is, the ten men who were with him, came to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, in Mizpah; and they ate bread, or a meal, together there in Mizpah.)
2 Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, rose up, and killed with sword Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; and they killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made sovereign of the land. (And then Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, rose up, and killed with the sword Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; yea, they killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made the ruler of the land.)
3 Also Ishmael killed all the Jews, that were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldees, that were found there, and the men warriors. (Ishmael also killed all the Jews, who were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldeans, who were found there, and the warriors.)
4 Forsooth in the second day (And on the second day), after that he had slain Gedaliah, (but) while no man knew (it) yet,
5 fourscore men with shaven beards, and rent clothes, and pale men, came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria; and they had gifts and incense in the hand, for to offer in the house of the Lord. (eighty men with shaved beards, and torn clothes, and pale from cutting themselves, came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria; and they had gifts and incense in their hands, to offer in the House of the Lord.)
6 Therefore Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out of Mizpah into the meeting of them; and he went going and weeping (weeping as he went). Soothly when he had met them, he said to them, Come ye to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam;
7 and when they were come to the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, killed them about the midst of the pit, he and the men that were with him. (and when they were come into the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the men who were with him, killed them there, and threw them into the midst of the pit.)
8 But ten men were found among them, that said to Ishmael, Do not thou slay us, for we have treasure(s) of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey, in the field. And he ceased, and killed not them with their brethren. (But ten men were found among them, who said to Ishmael, Do not thou kill us, for we have treasures of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey, in the field. And so he ceased, and did not kill them with their kinsmen.)
9 Forsooth the pit into which Ishmael casted forth all the carrions of [the] men, which he killed for Gedaliah, is that pit, which king Asa made for Baasha, the king of Israel; Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled that pit with slain men. (And the pit into which Ishmael cast forth all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had lured to their deaths using the name of Gedaliah, is that pit, which King Asa made for Baasha, the king of Israel; Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled that pit with dead men.)
10 And Ishmael led (away as) prisoners all the remnants of the people, that were in Mizpah, the daughters of the king, and all the people that dwelled in Mizpah, which Nebuzaradan, the prince of [the] chivalry, had betaken to keeping to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them, and went to pass over to the sons of Ammon. (And Ishmael led away as prisoners all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, that is, the daughters of the king, and all the people who lived in Mizpah, which Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had delivered to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them, and left to go over to the Ammonites.)
11 Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him (Now Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him), heard (of) all the evil, which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had done.

Jeremiah 41:1-11 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.