1 Now it came to pass in the seventh H7637 month, H2320 that Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah H5418 the son H1121 of Elishama, H476 of the seed H2233 royal, H4410 and the princes H7227 of the king, H4428 even ten H6235 men H582 with him, came H935 unto Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 to Mizpah; H4709 and there they did eat H398 bread H3899 together H3162 in Mizpah. H4708
Then they came H935 to Gedaliah H1436 to Mizpah, H4708 even Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah, H5418 and Johanan H3110 and Jonathan H3129 the sons H1121 of Kareah, H7143 and Seraiah H8304 the son H1121 of Tanhumeth, H8576 and the sons H1121 of Ephai H5778 the Netophathite, H5200 and Jezaniah H3153 the son H1121 of a Maachathite, H4602 they and their men. H582
And they went in H935 to the king H4428 into the court, H2691 but they laid up H6485 the roll H4039 in the chamber H3957 of Elishama H476 the scribe, H5608 and told H5046 all the words H1697 in the ears H241 of the king. H4428
From whence G4159 come wars G4171 and G2532 fightings G3163 among G1722 you? G5213 come they not G3756 hence, G1782 even of G1537 your G5216 lusts G2237 that war G4754 in G1722 your G5216 members? G3196 Ye lust, G1937 and G2532 have G2192 not: G3756 ye kill, G5407 and G2532 desire to have, G2206 and G2532 cannot G3756 G1410 obtain: G2013 ye fight G3164 and G2532 war, G4170 yet G1161 ye have G2192 not, G3756 because G1223 ye G5209 ask G154 not. G3361 Ye ask, G154 and G2532 receive G2983 not, G3756 because G1360 ye ask G154 amiss, G2560 that G2443 ye may consume G1159 it upon G1722 your G5216 lusts. G2237
I speak G3004 not G3756 of G4012 you G5216 all: G3956 I G1473 know G1492 whom G3739 I have chosen: G1586 but G235 that G2443 the scripture G1124 may be fulfilled, G4137 He that eateth G5176 bread G740 with G3326 me G1700 hath lifted up G1869 his G846 heel G4418 against G1909 me. G1691
And G1161 while he G846 yet G2089 spake, G2980 behold G2400 a multitude, G3793 and G2532 he that was called G3004 Judas, G2455 one G1520 of the twelve, G1427 went before G4281 them, G846 and G2532 drew near G1448 unto Jesus G2424 to kiss G5368 him. G846 But G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto him, G846 Judas, G2455 betrayest thou G3860 the Son G5207 of man G444 with a kiss? G5370
Yea, they that feed H398 of the portion of his meat H6598 shall destroy H7665 him, and his army H2428 shall overflow: H7857 and many H7227 shall fall H5307 down slain. H2491 And both H8147 these kings' H4428 hearts H3824 shall be to do mischief, H4827 H7451 and they shall speak H1696 lies H3577 at one H259 table; H7979 but it shall not prosper: H6743 for yet the end H7093 shall be at the time appointed. H4150
And said H559 unto him, Dost thou certainly H3045 know H3045 that Baalis H1185 the king H4428 of the Ammonites H1121 H5983 hath sent H7971 Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah H5418 to slay H5221 H5315 thee? But Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 believed H539 them not. Then Johanan H3110 the son H1121 of Kareah H7143 spake H559 to Gedaliah H1436 in Mizpah H4709 secretly, H5643 saying, H559 Let me go, H3212 I pray thee, and I will slay H5221 Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah, H5418 and no man H376 shall know H3045 it: wherefore should he slay H5221 H5315 thee, that all the Jews H3064 which are gathered H6908 unto thee should be scattered, H6327 and the remnant H7611 in Judah H3063 perish? H6 But Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 said H559 unto Johanan H3110 the son H1121 of Kareah, H7143 Thou shalt not do H6213 this thing: H1697 for thou speakest H1696 falsely H8267 of Ishmael. H3458
And when Abner H74 was returned H7725 to Hebron, H2275 Joab H3097 took him aside H5186 in H413 H8432 the gate H8179 to speak H1696 with him quietly, H7987 and smote H5221 him there under the fifth H2570 rib, that he died, H4191 for the blood H1818 of Asahel H6214 his brother. H251
Then he went down H3381 into the king's H4428 house, H1004 into the scribe's H5608 chamber: H3957 and, lo, all the princes H8269 sat H3427 there, even Elishama H476 the scribe, H5608 and Delaiah H1806 the son H1121 of Shemaiah, H8098 and Elnathan H494 the son H1121 of Achbor, H5907 and Gemariah H1587 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 and Zedekiah H6667 the son H1121 of Hananiah, H2608 and all the princes. H8269
Wrath H2534 is cruel, H395 and anger H639 is outrageous; H7858 but who is able to stand H5975 before H6440 envy? H7068
Burning H1814 lips H8193 and a wicked H7451 heart H3820 are like a potsherd H2789 covered H6823 with silver H3701 dross. H5509 He that hateth H8130 dissembleth H5234 with his lips, H8193 and layeth up H7896 deceit H4820 within H7130 him; When he speaketh H6963 fair, H2603 believe H539 him not: for there are seven H7651 abominations H8441 in his heart. H3820 Whose hatred H8135 is covered H3680 by deceit, H4860 his wickedness H7451 shall be shewed H1540 before the whole congregation. H6951
And they have rewarded H7760 me evil H7451 for good, H2896 and hatred H8135 for my love. H160
But when Athaliah H6271 the mother H517 of Ahaziah H274 saw H7200 that her son H1121 was dead, H4191 she arose H6965 and destroyed H1696 all the seed H2233 royal H4467 of the house H1004 of Judah. H3063
But it came to pass in the seventh H7637 month, H2320 that Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah, H5418 the son H1121 of Elishama, H476 of the seed H2233 royal, H4410 came, H935 and ten H6235 men H582 with him, and smote H5221 Gedaliah, H1436 that he died, H4191 and the Jews H3064 and the Chaldees H3778 that were with him at Mizpah. H4709
And when Athaliah H6271 the mother H517 of Ahaziah H274 saw H7200 that her son H1121 was dead, H4191 she arose H6965 and destroyed H6 all the seed H2233 royal. H4467
And Joab H3097 said H559 to Amasa, H6021 Art thou in health, H7965 my brother? H251 And Joab H3097 took H270 Amasa H6021 by the beard H2206 with the right H3225 hand H3027 to kiss H5401 him. But Amasa H6021 took no heed H8104 to the sword H2719 that was in Joab's H3097 hand: H3027 so he smote H5221 him therewith in the fifth H2570 rib, and shed out H8210 his bowels H4578 to the ground, H776 and struck him not again; H8138 and he died. H4191 So Joab H3097 and Abishai H52 his brother H251 pursued H7291 after H310 Sheba H7652 the son H1121 of Bichri. H1075
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 41
Commentary on Jeremiah 41 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 41
It is a very tragical story that is related in this chapter, and shows that evil pursues sinners. The black cloud that was gathering in the foregoing chapter here bursts in a dreadful storm. Those few Jews that escaped the captivity were proud to think that they were still in their own land, when their brethren had gone they knew not whither, were fond of the wine and summer-fruits they had gathered, and were very secure under Gedaliah's protectorship, when, on a sudden, even these remains prove ruins too.
Jer 41:1-10
It is hard to say which is more astonishing, God's permitting or men's perpetrating such villanies as here we find committed. Such base, barbarous, bloody work is here done by men who by their birth should have been men of honour, by their religion just men, and this done upon those of their own nature, their own nation, their own religion, and now their brethren in affliction, when they were all brought under the power of the victorious Chaldeans, and smarting under the judgments of God, upon no provocation, nor with any prospect of advantage-all done, not only in cold blood, but with art and management. We have scarcely such an instance of perfidious cruelty in all the scripture; so that with John, when he saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, we may well wonder with great admiration. But God permitted it for the completing of the ruin of an unhumbled people, and the filling up of the measure of their judgments, who had filled up the measure of their iniquities. Let it inspire us with an indignation at the wickedness of men and an awe of God's righteousness.
Jer 41:11-18
It would have been well if Johanan, when he gave information to Gedaliah of Ishmael's treasonable design, though he could not obtain leave to kill Ishmael and to prevent it that way, yet had staid with Gedaliah; for he, and his captains, and their forces, might have been a life-guard to Gedaliah and a terror to Ishmael, and so have prevented the mischief without the effusion of blood: but, it seems they were out upon some expedition, perhaps no good one, and so were out of the way when they should have been upon the best service. Those that affect to ramble are many times out of their place when they are most needed. However, at length they hear of all the evil that Ishmael had done (v. 11), and are resolved to try an after-game, which we have an account of in these verses.