Jeremiah 41

1

Now in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they ate bread together in Mizpah.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 1. Month; Tisri, the third of which is still observed as a fast by the Jews. Calmet.—Godolias had given a supper to the traitors, and had drunk plentifully. They set upon him while he and the people were retired to rest. Jos. Ant. x. 11.—This happened two months after the burning of Jerusalem. Calmet. 29:2. Nabuchodonosor soon after punished this perfidy of the Ammonites. Calmet.—Bread: feasted. Bible.—Such tragedies are usually performed with the show of friendship. Worthington.

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2

Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

3

Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean men of war who were found there.

4

The second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 4. Second, or next day. All had been slain in the night but some captives. Calmet.

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5

men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, 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 LORD’s house.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 5. Rent, as people mourning. Lit. “dirty.” Hebrew and Septuagint “cut.” Bible. Calmet. 16:6. Leviticus 19:28.—Lord, Masphath, were people performed their devotions, as well as they could. Judges 20:1 and 1 Maccabees 3:46. Jeremias had probably ordered an altar to be erected, as Samuel had done. 1 Kennicott. 7:6. Calmet.—Others think that these people went thither for a priest, to offer what they had brought on the altar of Jerusalem. Baruch 1:10. Tirinus.—Masphath lay to the south. Calmet.—It seems many of the people about Samaria were true believers, and even more affected at the destruction of the temple. Bible.—Their city had been demolished by Salmanasar ( Calmet.) long before, and many fresh inhabitants introduced, who adhered to idols. Bible.

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6

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went, and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 6. He. Septuagint “they.” Yet Hebrew intimates that Ismahel feigned tears. Calmet.—He did not weep sincerely. Worthington.

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7

It was so, when they came into the middle of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them, and cast them into the middle of the pit, he, and the men who were with him.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 7. Into. Lit. “slew them about the,” and so forth Bible.—The pit was not full of water, but had been intended by Asa for a reservoir, (verse 9 and 3 Kennicott. 15:20. Calmet.) when he built Maspha. Worthington.

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8

But ten men were found among those who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey.” So he stopped, and didn’t kill them among their brothers.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 8. Field. It was usual to cover them up carefully. Chardin.—Avarice sometimes will set bounds to cruelty, when nothing else will. Worthington.

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9

Now the pit in which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had killed, by the side of Gedaliah (this was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel), Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with those who were killed.

10

Then Ishmael carried away captive all of the people who were left in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 10. King’s; Sedecias, ( Calmet.) or some of his predecessors, as all the women were taken, (Calmet. 38:22, 23) unless those had escaped before. Bible.

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11

But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 11. Johanan. He and the rest of the fugitives thus shewed that they were clean. Worthington.

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12

then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 12. Gabaon, famous for the battle of Abner. 2 Kennicott. 2:13.

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13

Now when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, then they were glad.

14

So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about 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 the children of Ammon.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 15. Eight. He had brought ten. verse 1.

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16

Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—the men of war, with the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 16. Eunuchs; officers of Sedecias, who had escaped. Calmet. 40:9.

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17

They departed and lived in Geruth Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 17. As. Hebrew “at the station or inn of Chamaam,” the son of Berzellai. Chal. Perhaps our Saviour was born in this ( Calmet.) “inn,” (Eus. Dem. vii. 4.) which was then deserted. Bible.—Egypt. These poor wretches find no repose. Calmet.

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18

because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.