Jeremiah 41:2

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and one of the king's chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate a meal together there. ²Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.³Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there. ⁴On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah, when no one yet knew about it, ⁵eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and incense to bring to the temple of the LORD. ⁶And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam." ⁷And when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. ⁸But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, "Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field-wheat, barley, oil, and honey!" So he refrained from killing them with the others. ⁹Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. ¹⁰Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah-the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah-over whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and smote: 2 Kings 25:25

whom: Jeremiah 40:7

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 3:27 - quietly 2 Kings 22:9 - Shaphan 2 Kings 25:22 - Gedaliah Nehemiah 6:2 - they thought Isaiah 24:2 - as with the people Jeremiah 36:14 - Nethaniah Jeremiah 40:5 - Go back Jeremiah 40:14 - Ishmael Jeremiah 40:16 - Thou shalt Jeremiah 41:11 - Johanan Jeremiah 41:15 - eight men Jeremiah 41:18 - because

Cross-References

Isaiah 19:6
The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him,.... After they had eat and drank well, they rose up from their seats at table:

and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword,

and slew him; they all drew their swords and thrust at him, and were assisting in the murder of him; though it is probable that it was Ishmael that gave him the mortal wound, since the phrase, "and slew him", is singular. Josephus d says that Gedaliah prepared a splendid table, and made a sumptuous entertainment for them, and being drunk himself, which they observed, took the opportunity and slew him, and all at table with him:

whom the king Babylon had made governor over the land; which mentioned; both to aggravate the crime they were guilty of, and to observe the reason of it, and what it was that prompted them to it; for so the words may be rendered, "because the king of Babylon had made him governor over the land" e.

d Antiqu. l. 10. c. 9. sect. 4. e אשר הפקיד "quia illum praefecerat", Vatablus. So Ben Melech.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 41:2. Smote Gedaliah — See the preceding chapter, Jeremiah 40:14.