Jeremiah 41:1-18
1 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.
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, weepinga 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 becauseb 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.
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.
Jeremiah 41:1. In the seventh month, two months after the city had been taken, and the temple burned. Ishmael and his ten companions, who had held high commissions under Zedekiah, were feasted by the governor. What sort of moral masks must their faces have assumed in presence of the hospitable governor, who, while wishing him long life and prosperity, had their detachment ready for assassination.
Jeremiah 41:2. And smote Gedaliah. This cut off the hopes of the Jews afresh: heaven would not allow them to be restored in their sins. They afterwards observed this day in the fifth month as a day of fasting and prayer.
Jeremiah 41:3. Ishmael also slew all the Jews the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war. The governor's house, it would seem, was isolated from the city, and not a soul in the household was left alive. Still there is an eye that sees, and a conscience that echoes the voice of God.
Jeremiah 41:5. Fourscore men having their beards shaved. They had cut themselves with knives for the destruction of the temple, a practice forbidden in Leviticus 19:27. They had also collected together to come to the annual fast on the tenth of this month, and brought offerings to the house of the Lord. They probably thought that peace-offerings would now be presented in Mizpah, as had been the case in former times.
With offerings and incense. Samuel had offered a sucking lamb in Mizpah, 1 Samuel 7:10, on which account some have thought that Gedaliah had repaired the old altar there. But the Lord, at that time, had not by fire from heaven chosen Jerusalem, after which it was not lawful for any one to offer except in that place. And in Tob 1:10, we find an altar was erected in Jerusalem in the midst of its ruins.
Jeremiah 41:9. The pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies, was the pool which king Asa had dug for water, when he fortified Mizpah against Baasha king of Israel. 1 Kings 15.
Jeremiah 41:11. Johanan and all the captains went to fight with Ishmael, who escaped, and left all the captives behind. But cowardice, and innocent blood pursued him, and he was to die like Cain, never more to enjoy repose.
Jeremiah 41:15. Ishmael escaped with eight men. He escaped to harden the Ammonites, as was the case in Jerusalem, to rebel against the Chaldeans, and in four years more to be all involved in flames. Jeremiah 49:2. “Nebuchadnezzar in the twenty third year of his reign subdued the Moabites, the Ammonites, and invaded Egypt.” Antiq. of the Jews, book 10. chap. 11.
Jeremiah 41:17. Dwelt in Chimham, a hamlet undestroyed, which David had given to Chimham, son of Barzillai. 2 Samuel 19:36. Johanan feared that the Chaldeans, mistaking his case, would destroy him, and the men of war who were with him.
REFLECTIONS.
Continuing the sad history of Ishmael, we find it connected with the most detestable characters of hypocrisy. He and ten of Zedekiah's courtiers, who had by some means escaped the calamities of their country for farther mischief, came to pay their respects to the new governor, and consequently, in him to the king of Babylon. They were feasted by Gedaliah, and treated with every respect due to their birth and rank; and their retinue, assassins in disguise, were also treated with suitable indulgence. And behold, they massacred the governor, the court, and all the Jews who supported his influence.
To cover a crime, and to escape punishment, the wicked will fill the earth with new atrocities. The terrors which followed Ishmael's guilt, drove him through a horrible policy to slay seventy innocent men, who came to bewail their country, and to worship the Lord. These were scattered men of the ten tribes, against whom Ishmael could have no quarrel: yet he allured them with his tears, and slew them under the mask of sympathy. We talk of the cruelties of lions, tigers, and wolves; but their depredations are all generous and noble, compared with those of man when the reins of reason are abandoned to frantic passions. What then becomes of the refined theories of those degenerate divines, who talk about the innocence and dignity of human nature? Well is it said, “Man is to man the sorest and surest ill.” God suffered this evil to come on the remnant, because they were unworthy of the favour which Nebuzaradan had conferred upon them.
Punishment soon or late is sure to follow guilt, unless a very extraordinary work of repentance should procure favour with God for the sinner. Here Johanan pursued, recovered the captives and the booty, and so assaulted the assassins that but nine of them escaped. Thus the wicked are sometimes respited for future punishment. But so great was the calamity of the times that the people durst reside no longer in Mizpah, lest the murder of the governor should excite the Chaldeans to general vengeance. Ten thousand things in the ruin of a nation must however be left to the decision of the great day. God cannot err: he does all things well. Our faith therefore must comfort us under the clouds of providence, and the deficiency of human knowledge. When borne away with the tempest, we must leave the helm in the hands of providence.