By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 41

THE MURDER OF GEDALIAH AND FLIGHT OF ISHMAEL

    This chapter reveals the folly of Gedaliah, the governor of Judah, in refusing to give credence to, and heaping abuse upon, an officer of his forces for faithfully warning of a threat against his life. Wicked men will act wickedly; nor will trust, honor and liberal hospitality turn them aside from their mischievous designs.

    Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. 2 Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.

    1. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and one of the royal seed in Judah, came, with ten of his men, to pay a call on Gedaliah, at Mizpah, (vs. 1).
      a. This was during the 7th month - evidently only three months after Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Gedaliah as governor.
      b. These men were all invited to share a meal with the governor, (comp. 40:13-14).
    2. In an outrage against oriental hospitality, Ishmael and his men arose and slew Gedaliah with a sword BEFORE THE MEAL WAS FINISHED! (vs. 2; comp. Psa. 41:9; 109:5; Jn. 13:18).
    3. Furthermore, Ishmael slew all the Jews that were with Gedaliah, and the Chaldean soldiers who had been left as a sort of honor guard, (vs. 3).
    4. No particular motive is given for Ishmael's rashness, but several possibilities suggest themselves.
      a. A member of the royal family, he may have been moved by jealousy - feeling that the governorship should have been his.
      b. He may have considered Gedaliah a traitor who deserved to die.
      c. It is possible that he was determined to do anything within his power to weaken the authority of Babylon.
      d. Or, as Johanan had warned, his only motive may have been to receive the reward offered him by Baalis, the king of Ammon, who wanted to annex Judah to his own territory.

    4 And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, 5 That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD. 6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. 7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him. 8 But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren. 9 Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain. 10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.

    1. The bloodthirsty Ishmael was not satisfied with the slaying of Gedaliah and his attendants.
    2. On the second day following his murderous adventure, there came eighty mourning men, from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, with meal-offerings and frankincense - intent upon offering them in the area of the recently-destroyed temple, (vs. 4-5).
      a. They had shaved off their beards.
      b. They had torn their clothes.
      c. And, contrary to the law of the Lord, they had cut their own flesh, (Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1; Jer. 16:6).
    3.Hearing of their approach, Ishmael went out to meet them - feigning sorrow as he went; when he met them he urged them to call upon Gedaliah, at Mizpah, before they presented their offerings, (vs. 6).
    4. When these men acted upon Ishmael's request, he and his men swiftly slew 70 of them as soon as they entered into the city - throwing their carcases into a pit, (vs. 7; comp. Psa. 55:23; Isa. 59:7; Ezek. 22:27).
    5. The other ten escaped the sword only because they promised to reveal to Ishmael their stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey which were hidden away, (vs. 8).
    6. The pit which Ishmael filled with human corpses had been made by Asa, king of Judah, out of his fear of Baasha, the king of Israel, (vs. 9; I Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chron. 16:1-6).
    7. Evidently fearing reprisal, Ishmael is then seen leading away captive the remnant of the people who were left at Mizpah - including the princesses whom Nebuzaradan had committed to the care of Gedaliah; it was his intention to take them with him to Baalis, the king of Ammon, (vs. 10).

    11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, 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. 13 Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad. 14 So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. 16 Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon: 17 And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt, 18 Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.

    1. Just as promptly as Johanan had warned Gedaliah of Ishmael's wicked design, so did he pursue the bloody traitor as soon as he learned of the atrocities at Mizpah and his abduction of the remnant, (vs. 11; comp. 40:13-16).
    2. With all the captains of the forces of Judah, Johanan led all the fighting men until they had overtaken Ishmael beside the great pool at Gibeon,(vs. 12; comp. 2 Sam. 2:12-16; Prov. 28:17).
    3. As soon as Ishmael's captives saw Johanan, and the captains of the forces who accompanied him, he was unable to hold them captive; they quickly and joyfully fled to their rescuer, (vs. 13-14).
    4. Ishmael and eight of his men did escape from Johanan, and took refuge among the Ammonites (vs. 15); the other two were evidently slain, (comp. vs. 2).
    5. Johanan and the captains then took all the people to the lodging-place of Chimham, which was near Bethlehem - that they might quickly flee to Egypt (vs. 16-17) - presuming that, in Egypt, they would find security from the king of Babylon.
    6. This action was taken because they feared a Chaldean reprisal for Ishmael's wickedness, (vs. 18; comp. 43:2-3; Isa. 51:12-13; 57:11; Lk. 12:4-5).