10 Then Ishmael H3458 carried away captive H7617 all the residue H7611 of the people H5971 that were in Mizpah, H4709 even the king's H4428 daughters, H1323 and all the people H5971 that remained H7604 in Mizpah, H4709 whom Nebuzaradan H5018 the captain H7227 of the guard H2876 had committed H6485 to Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam: H296 and Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah H5418 carried them away captive, H7617 and departed H3212 to go over H5674 to the Ammonites. H1121 H5983
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.
Now when all the captains H8269 of the forces H2428 which were in the fields, H7704 even they and their men, H582 heard H8085 that the king H4428 of Babylon H894 had made Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 governor H6485 in the land, H776 and had committed H6485 unto him men, H582 and women, H802 and children, H2945 and of the poor H1803 of the land, H776 of them that were not carried away captive H1540 to Babylon; H894
But when Sanballat H5571 the Horonite, H2772 and Tobiah H2900 the servant, H5650 the Ammonite, H5984 and Geshem H1654 the Arabian, H6163 heard H8085 it, they laughed us to scorn, H3932 and despised H959 us, and said, H559 What is this thing H1697 that ye do? H6213 will ye rebel H4775 against the king? H4428
Likewise when all the Jews H3064 that were in Moab, H4124 and among the Ammonites, H5983 and in Edom, H123 and that were in all the countries, H776 heard H8085 that the king H4428 of Babylon H894 had left H5414 a remnant H7611 of Judah, H3063 and that he had set H6485 over them Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 the son H1121 of Shaphan; H8227 Even all the Jews H3064 returned out H7725 of all places H4725 whither they were driven, H5080 and came H935 to the land H776 of Judah, H3063 to Gedaliah, H1436 unto Mizpah, H4708 and gathered H622 wine H3196 and summer fruits H7019 very H3966 much. H7235
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, H5571 and Tobiah, H2900 and the Arabians, H6163 and the Ammonites, H5984 and the Ashdodites, H796 heard H8085 that the walls H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 were made up, H724 H5927 and that the breaches H6555 began H2490 to be stopped, H5640 then they were very H3966 wroth, H2734 And conspired H7194 all of them together H3162 to come H935 and to fight H3898 against Jerusalem, H3389 and to hinder H6213 H8442 it.
Moreover in those days H3117 the nobles H2715 of Judah H3063 sent H1980 many H7235 letters H107 unto Tobiah, H2900 and the letters of Tobiah H2900 came H935 unto them. For there were many H7227 in Judah H3063 sworn H1167 H7621 unto him, because he was the son in law H2860 of Shechaniah H7935 the son H1121 of Arah; H733 and his son H1121 Johanan H3076 had taken H3947 the daughter H1323 of Meshullam H4918 the son H1121 of Berechiah. H1296
And before H6440 this, Eliashib H475 the priest, H3548 having the oversight H5414 of the chamber H3957 of the house H1004 of our God, H430 was allied H7138 unto Tobiah: H2900 And he had prepared H6213 for him a great H1419 chamber, H3957 where aforetime H6440 they laid H5414 the meat offerings, H4503 the frankincense, H3828 and the vessels, H3627 and the tithes H4643 of the corn, H1715 the new wine, H8492 and the oil, H3323 which was commanded H4687 to be given to the Levites, H3881 and the singers, H7891 and the porters; H7778 and the offerings H8641 of the priests. H3548 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: H3389 for in the two H8147 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of Artaxerxes H783 king H4428 of Babylon H894 came H935 I unto the king, H4428 and after H7093 certain days H3117 obtained I leave H7592 of the king: H4428 And I came H935 to Jerusalem, H3389 and understood H995 of the evil H7451 that Eliashib H475 did H6213 for Tobiah, H2900 in preparing H6213 him a chamber H5393 in the courts H2691 of the house H1004 of God. H430 And it grieved H3415 me sore: H3966 therefore I cast forth H7993 all the household H1004 stuff H3627 of Tobiah H2900 out of H2351 the chamber. H3957
Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Write H3789 ye this man H376 childless, H6185 a man H1397 that shall not prosper H6743 in his days: H3117 for no man H376 of his seed H2233 shall prosper, H6743 sitting H3427 upon the throne H3678 of David, H1732 and ruling H4910 any more in Judah. H3063
Then the king H4428 of Babylon H894 slew H7819 the sons H1121 of Zedekiah H6667 in Riblah H7247 before his eyes: H5869 also the king H4428 of Babylon H894 slew H7819 all the nobles H2715 of Judah. H3063
But Johanan H3110 the son H1121 of Kareah, H7143 and all the captains H8269 of the forces, H2428 took H3947 all the remnant H7611 of Judah, H3063 that were returned H7725 from all nations, H1471 whither they had been driven, H5080 to dwell H1481 in the land H776 of Judah; H3063 Even men, H1397 and women, H802 and children, H2945 and the king's H4428 daughters, H1323 and every person H5315 that Nebuzaradan H5018 the captain H7227 of the guard H2876 had left H3240 with Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 and Jeremiah H3414 the prophet, H5030 and Baruch H1263 the son H1121 of Neriah. H5374 So they came H935 into the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 for they obeyed H8085 not the voice H6963 of the LORD: H3068 thus came H935 they even to Tahpanhes. H8471
And I will take H3947 the remnant H7611 of Judah, H3063 that have set H7760 their faces H6440 to go H935 into the land H776 of Egypt H4714 to sojourn H1481 there, and they shall all be consumed, H8552 and fall H5307 in the land H776 of Egypt; H4714 they shall even be consumed H8552 by the sword H2719 and by the famine: H7458 they shall die, H4191 from the least H6996 even unto the greatest, H1419 by the sword H2719 and by the famine: H7458 and they shall be an execration, H423 and an astonishment, H8047 and a curse, H7045 and a reproach. H2781 For I will punish H6485 them that dwell H3427 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 as I have punished H6485 Jerusalem, H3389 by the sword, H2719 by the famine, H7458 and by the pestilence: H1698 So that none of the remnant H7611 of Judah, H3063 which are gone H935 into the land H776 of Egypt H4714 to sojourn H1481 there, shall escape H6412 or remain, H8300 that they should return H7725 into the land H776 of Judah, H3063 to the which they have H5375 a desire H5315 to return H7725 to dwell H3427 there: for none shall return H7725 but such as shall escape. H6405
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 41
Commentary on Jeremiah 41 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 41
Jer 41:1-18. Ishmael Murders Gedaliah and Others, Then Flees to the Ammonites. Johanan Pursues Him, Recovers the Captives, and Purposes to Flee to Egypt for Fear of the Chaldeans.
1. seventh month—the second month after the burning of the city (Jer 52:12, 13).
and the princes—not the nominative. And the princes came, for the "princes" are not mentioned either in Jer 41:2 or in 2Ki 25:25: but, "Ishmael being of the seed royal and of the princes of the king" [Maurer]. But the ten men were the "princes of the king"; thus Maurer's objection has no weight: so English Version.
eat bread together—Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, by whom he was hospitably received, in violation of the sacred right of hospitality (Ps 41:9).
2. slew him whom the king of Babylon had made governor—This assigns a reason for their slaying him, as well as showing the magnitude of their crime (Da 2:21; Ro 13:1).
3. slew all the Jews—namely, the attendants and ministers of Gedaliah; or, the military alone, about his person; translate, "even (not 'and,' as English Version) the men of war." The main portion of the people with Gedaliah, including Jeremiah, Ishmael carried away captive (Jer 41:10, 16).
4. no man knew it—that is, outside Mizpah. Before tidings of the murder had gone abroad.
5. beards shaven, &c.—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city.
cut themselves—a heathen custom, forbidden (Le 19:27, 28; De 14:1). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen into heathen practices.
offerings—unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to testify their piety.
house of … Lord—that is, the place where the house of the Lord had stood (2Ki 25:9). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred [Papinian]. Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, since it was at Shiloh it originally was set up (Jos 18:1).
6. weeping—pretending to weep, as they did, for the ruin of the temple.
Come to Gedaliah—as if he was one of Gedaliah's retinue.
7. and cast them into … pit—He had not killed them in the pit (compare Jer 41:9); these words are therefore rightly supplied in English Version.
the pit—the pit or cistern made by Asa to guard against a want of water when Baasha was about to besiege the city (Jer 41:9; 1Ki 15:22). The trench or fosse round the city [Grotius]. Ishmael's motive for the murder seems to have been a suspicion that they were coming to live under Gedaliah.
8. treasures—It was customary to hide grain in cavities underground in troubled times. "We have treasures," which we will give, if our lives be spared.
slew … not—(Pr 13:8). Ishmael's avarice and needs overcame his cruelty.
9. because of Gedaliah—rather, "near Gedaliah," namely, those intercepted by Ishmael on their way from Samaria to Jerusalem and killed at Mizpah, where Gedaliah had lived. So 2Ch 17:15, "next"; Ne 3:2, Margin, literally, as here, "at his hand." "In the reign of Gedaliah" [Calvin]. However, English Version gives a good sense: Ishmael's reason for killing them was because of his supposing them to be connected with Gedaliah.
10. the king's daughters—(Jer 43:6). Zedekiah's. Ishmael must have got additional followers (whom the hope of gain attracted), besides those who originally set out with him (Jer 41:1), so as to have been able to carry off all the residue of the people. He probably meant to sell them as slaves to the Ammonites (see on Jer 40:14).
11. Johanan—the friend of Gedaliah who had warned him of Ishmael's treachery, but in vain (Jer 40:8, 13).
12. the … waters—(2Sa 2:13); a large reservoir or lake.
in Gibeon—on the road from Mizpah to Ammon: one of the sacerdotal cities of Benjamin, four miles northwest of Jerusalem, now Eljib.
13. glad—at the prospect of having a deliverer from their captivity.
14. cast about—came round.
16. men of war—"The men of war," stated in Jer 41:3 to have been slain by Ishmael, must refer to the military about Gedaliah's person; "the men of war" here to those not so.
eunuchs—The kings of Judah had adopted the bad practice of having harems and eunuchs from the surrounding heathen kingdoms.
17. dwelt—for a time, until they were ready for their journey to Egypt (Jer 42:1-22).
habitation to Chimham—his "caravanserai" close by Beth-lehem. David, in reward for Barzillai's loyalty, took Chimham his son under his patronage, and made over to him his own patrimony in the land of Beth-lehem. It was thence called the habitation of Chimham (Geruth-Chimham), though it reverted to David's heirs in the year of jubilee. "Caravanserais" (a compound Persian word, meaning "the house of a company of travellers") differ from our inns, in that there is no host to supply food, but each traveller must carry with him his own.
18. afraid—lest the Chaldeans should suspect all the Jews of being implicated in Ishmael's treason, as though the Jews sought to have a prince of the house of David (Jer 41:1). Their better way towards gaining God's favor would have been to have laid the blame on the real culprit, and to have cleared themselves. A tortuous policy is the parent of fear. Righteousness inspires with boldness (Ps 53:5; Pr 28:1).