Jeremiah 41:1-6

1 Now it happened in the seventh month, that Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and [one of] the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam to Mitzpah; and there they ate bread together in Mitzpah.

2 Then arose Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedalyahu the son of Achikam the son of Shafan with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Bavel had made governor over the land.

3 Yishma'el also killed all the Yehudim who were with him, [to wit], with Gedalyahu, at Mitzpah, and the Kasdim who were found there, the men of war.

4 It happened the second day after he had killed Gedalyahu, and no man knew it,

5 that there came men from Shekhem, from Shiloh, and from Shomron, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.

6 Yishma'el the son of Netanyah went forth from Mitzpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it happened, as he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam.

Jeremiah 41:1-6 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.