Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 41:4

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Ishmael’s plot against Gedaliah (40:13-41:18)

One of the former army commanders, Ishmael, was opposed to Gedaliah’s policy of submission to Babylon. With Ammonite support he plotted to kill Gedaliah. So sincere and trusting was Gedaliah, that when told of the plot, he refused to believe it (13-16). Gedaliah apparently took no precautions against the reported treachery, and when a suitable time arrived Ishmael carried out his brutal plot. He murdered Gedaliah, along with all the Judean officials and Babylonian supervisors at Gedaliah’s headquarters (41:1-3).
Ishmael wanted no news of the assassination to be made public till he had carried out the next stage of his plan. But he was surprised by the arrival of a group of men travelling to Jerusalem to mourn the destruction of the temple (4-5). To prevent news of the assassination leaking out, Ishmael killed the travellers, though some saved their lives by telling Ishmael where he could find needed food supplies (6-9). Ishmael, it seems, panicked. Not knowing exactly what to do, he decided to take the whole population of Mizpah captive to Ammon (10).
Johanan, who had first warned Gedaliah of the plot against him (see 40:13-16), decided to pursue Ishmael. He rescued the captive people of Mizpah, but Ishmael escaped into Ammon (11-15). Fearing revenge from the Babylonians because of Ishmael’s rebellion, the people of Mizpah decided it would be safer to look for refuge in Egypt than to return to Mizpah (16-18).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE MURDER OF THE PILGRIMS

“And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them unto the house of Jehovah. 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. 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, and the men that were with him.”

“Weeping all along as he went” The perfidious behavior of Ishmael was totally wicked. His weeping was hypocrisy; his pretended intention of helping the pilgrims was a lie; his murderous treachery was unlimited.

Scholars have attempted to guess why Ishmael destroyed those pilgrims, but the only suggestion that makes a little sense is that Baalis the king of Ammonites had instructed Ishmael, his partner in the plot, to terrorize the people with such atrocities in order to prevent any civil order from prevailing in the land. Also, it has been thought that Ishmael wanted to prevent any word of the murder from being carried far and near into all countries by such a company as that of the pilgrims. Then too, there is the supposition that Ishmael was merely a murderer who killed people for the gratification of his sadistic blood-lust. In any case, it was indeed a deed of infamy!

The shaven heads, the rent clothes, the cuts on their bodies, and the offerings in their hands, “Symbolized the distress of the pilgrims over the desertion and the destruction of the house of God.”The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 651.

Some significant facts are implied by this account of the slain pilgrims. (1) The Jews still honored the commandment to worship God at one altar only, namely, the One in Jerusalem. (2) Also, even though the temple was destroyed, the ruins of it were considered sacred and “holy unto the Lord.” “By the Jewish people, the Western wall of the temple in Jerusalem until this day is considered sacred.”Charles Lee Feinberg in Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody Press), p. 631.

The senseless murder of those seventy pilgrims is utterly inexplicable, unless, as stated by Smith, “Ishmael intended to fill the whole land with terror, utterly frustrate Gedaliah’s work, and destroy the last possibility of the land being in peace, which was also very likely the object of Baalis the king of Ammon.”Scribner’s Bible Commentary (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1898), p. 515.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Tonight let's turn to Jeremiah chapter 41 as we continue our study through the Bible.

Now, these are prophecies that Jeremiah made to the people after Nebuchadnezzar had come and carried away king Zedekiah as a captive to Babylon and left the poor of the people in the land, and he gave unto Gedaliah the office of governor over the people that remained there in the land. Jeremiah was given his choice of going to Babylon where he was promised special treatment, or of staying in the land with the people. And Jeremiah opted for staying in the land with the people. And so Jeremiah continued then to prophesy to the people that remained there in the land. Now he dates this particular prophecy,

in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, who was of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men that were with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah ( Jeremiah 41:1 ).

Now this would have been about three months after Zedekiah had been taken away captive. Now Johanan had warned the governor Gedaliah that this fellow Ishmael was no good. He said, "The king of the Ammonites has really sent him to murder you." He said, "Let me go out secretly and I'll take care of him. He's really no good. He's intending to assassinate you." But Gedaliah says, "Oh, you've been reading too many mystery novels. That's not so at all." So Gedaliah did not heed the warning of Johanan.

Now about thirty days after Johanan had given him this warning, of course Johanan had left Mizpah, that in the seventh month... Now this was the month in which, of course, they gathered for worship. It was the month of the latter part of September, the early part of October in the Jewish calendar, and it was that important month for their various feasts - the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Trumpets, the Yom Kippur - all of that took place at this particular time. And so, no doubt, this Ishmael came... and he was of the royal seed. He wasn't a descendant of Zedekiah, because all of Zedekiah's sons were wiped out. But he was probably a nephew to Zedekiah. At least he felt that he had a right to the throne and was no doubt upset that Nebuchadnezzar had set Gedaliah who was not from the royal seed at all as the governor over the land. And so he came, no doubt, under the guise as a friend to worship, and Gedaliah received him and they ate bread together there in Mizpah, which he had set up as the capital because Jerusalem had been devastated.

Then Ishmael arose, and the ten men that were with him, and they smote Gedaliah with the sword, and they killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, there at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were there, that is the men of war ( Jeremiah 41:2-3 ).

Now "all" is to be thought of in a, not in a literal sense, but all of those that might rise up against him--all of the military men that were there, all of the men that had surrounded him, his officers and those that were his military men who could retaliate against Ishmael.

So it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, [that they had been able to keep it a secret] no one knew it, That there was coming certain men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and Samaria, eighty men, who had their beards shaved, and their clothes were rent, and they had cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD ( Jeremiah 41:4-5 ).

Now, under the law if you wanted to make a special vow to God you would shave yourself and you would tear your clothes. You wear rags. But it was forbidden to cut yourselves. God didn't want them making any markings on their bodies. And quite often in the pagan worship people would cut themselves.

You remember when the prophets of Baal were in contest with Elijah on mount Carmel and they had built their altars, and the conditions were that the god who answered by fire would be the God. And it said that these prophets of Baal prayed until about lunchtime and Elijah began to sort of kid around with them and say, "I bet your god is on a vacation. Or maybe he's gone to the bathroom. Why don't you cry a little louder?" Elijah was a coarse fellow, and the Bible says he was. So he was just, you know, that kind of a guy. And so these guys, it says, began to cut themselves. That was typical in the pagan worship, of defiling your body. They would cut themselves with their nails, scratch themselves until they bleed. Or they would take knives and slash themselves before their gods.

So that these eighty men who were coming with their offering unto the Lord and with their incense were a sort of a strange admixture, but you remember they're coming out of Samaria and Shechem and Shiloh. Now when Israel had been taken away captive by the Assyrian king, he sent other people into the land so that there was probably the admixture of these religious systems, and because it was the seventh month it would appear that these men were probably going to Jerusalem. Because Ishmael when he meets them he invites them. He says, "Well, come and see Gedaliah. Turn in and see Gedaliah." Of course, they didn't know and maybe he was testing to see if they knew about Gedaliah being slain.

Now the reason why he turned on these men is to keep them from spreading the word. He was trying to keep the word from going out that Gedaliah had been killed because he feared that the other people might come and get him if they found out. So he wanted to really establish himself firmly in the position of the ruler of the land until the new... and keep the news from going out until he could really secure himself in that position. And then it would have been too late for anybody to react or respond. So he went out to these eighty men and he invited them.

he said, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael slew them, and cast them in the middle of the pit, he, and the men that were with him. But ten men among them said unto Ishmael, Don't kill us: for we have hid treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey ( Jeremiah 41:6-8 ).

Now this didn't mean that they had crops on the field, because at the seventh month all of the barley and wheat crops were already in. But they had to hide them, the barley and all. They would dig pits and put them in them to keep the enemy from discovering them and finding them and ripping them off. And so they said, "Hey, we've got these treasures. We've hid them in our field. We've got some honey and barley and wheat and all," and it was really a ransom that they were offering for themselves.

So he did not slay them from among their brethren. Now this pit that he threw them was the pit that Asa the king had dug ( Jeremiah 41:8-9 ).

Probably to get a fresh water supply within the city when Baasha, the king of Israel, was ready to attack them.

And so he filled this pit with these dead bodies ( Jeremiah 41:9 ).

Verse ten:

Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were there at Mizpah ( Jeremiah 41:10 ),

He took all of the rest of the people as captives and he was heading back towards Ammon.

even the king's daughters ( Jeremiah 41:10 ),

Probably the daughters of Zedekiah, they left them. They killed his sons, but they had no reason to kill the girls. They couldn't do much anyhow.

and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah: Ishmael carried them away, and departed to go over to the Ammonites. But when Johanan ( Jeremiah 41:10-11 )

Now, he was the one that had warned Gedaliah that this guy's out to kill you and he was wanting Gedaliah's permission to go and kill him first.

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, that they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael, and they found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon ( Jeremiah 41:11-12 ).

Now to go from Mizpah to Gibeon is not a direct route to Ammon, but he was probably going to pick up the loot that these guys said that they had hid. In Gibeon there were these beautiful pools of water. We remember that the men of Ishbosheth and David met by the pools of Gibeon sitting on either side. And then the generals had the guys fighting and killing each other for their own sport there at the pools of Gibeon. So there at Gibeon, Johanan caught up with the people. And when all of the people saw Johanan, they left Ishmael and Ishmael, of course, escaped and returned to Ammon.

Then Johanan, and all of his captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people that he had recovered from Ishmael, they were brought again from Gibeon: And they departed, and dwelt in Chimham, which is by Bethlehem ( Jeremiah 41:16-17 ),

In other words, they started south toward Egypt. They were fearful now of the retaliation of Nebuchadnezzar because Gedaliah had been slain. And so they were heading south now and were as far as Chimham, which was near Bethlehem. And so it indicates that they already have purposed in their hearts to go to Egypt. It's something they had already determined to do.

Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah, and he was the appointed governor from the Babylonian, Nebuchadnezzar ( Jeremiah 41:18 ).

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Two days after Gedaliah’s murder, before the news of it had spread, 80 religious pilgrims came down from the old towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria in northern Israel on their way to Jerusalem. Their dress and other signs of mourning (cf. Jeremiah 16:6; Jeremiah 48:37) demonstrated grief over the effects of the Babylonian invasion (cf. Psalms 74; Psalms 79; Isaiah 63:7 to Isaiah 64:12). They may also have been fulfilling a vow. However, cutting their flesh was a pagan practice that the Mosaic Law condemned (Leviticus 19:28; Leviticus 21:5; Deuteronomy 14:1; cf. Jeremiah 16:6). They came with grain and incense to offer to Yahweh in worship. It was probably impossible to make animal sacrifices at the temple site at this time. Evidently there was some continuation of worship in the ruined capital after the temple fell.

"Even the ruins were held to be sacred, just as the Western [Wailing] Wall of the temple in Jerusalem is sacred to this day. Also, a token shrine might have been built." [Note: Feinberg, "Jeremiah," p. 631.]

Since it was the seventh month (September-October, Jeremiah 41:1), the pilgrims probably came to celebrate one or more of the fall festivals. The Jews celebrated the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the month, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths, Ingathering) on the fifteenth through the twenty-second of the month (Leviticus 23:23-44). The first two events were optional for Israelites males to attend, and the third was required by the Law. The first and third events were feasts, and the second was a fast.

There were some people left in the territory of the old Northern Kingdom who still accepted and remained faithful to Josiah’s reforms of 622 B.C. (cf. Deuteronomy 12:5-6; 2 Kings 23:15-20; 2 Chronicles 34:9; 2 Chronicles 34:33). These pilgrims apparently made a stop in Mizpah to pay their respects to Gedaliah. [Note: Keown, p. 244.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Ishmael’s further atrocities and Johanan’s intervention 41:4-18

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it came to pass, the second day after he had slain Gedaliah,.... That is, the day following, for it was in the night, as Josephus relates, as before observed, the murder was committed:

and no man knew [it]; not any out of the city, or in remote parts; for those that were in the city must be sensible of it; but as yet the report of it had not reached the neighbourhood, and much less distant parts; this is observed on account of the following story, and to show how easily the persons after mentioned were drawn in by Ishmael.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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, 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.

      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.

      I. Ishmael and his party treacherously killed Gedaliah himself in the first place. Though the king of Babylon had made him a great man, had given him a commission to be governor of the land which he had conquered, though God had made him a good man and a great blessing to his country, and his agency for its welfare was as life from the dead, yet neither could secure him. Ishmael was of the seed royal (Jeremiah 41:1; Jeremiah 41:1) and therefore jealous of Gedaliah's growing greatness, and enraged that he should merit and accept a commission under the king of Babylon. He had ten men with him that were princes of the king too, guided by the same peevish resentments that he was; these had been with Gedaliah before, to put themselves under his protection (Jeremiah 40:8; Jeremiah 40:8), and now came again to make him a visit; and they did eat bread together in Mizpah. he entertained them generously, and entertained no jealousy of them, notwithstanding the information given him by Johanan. They pretended friendship to him, and gave him no warning to stand on his guard; he was in sincerity friendly to them, and did all he could to oblige them. But those that did eat bread with him lifted up the heel against him. They did not pick a quarrel with him, but watched an opportunity, when they had him alone, and assassinated him, Jeremiah 41:2; Jeremiah 41:2.

      II. They likewise put all to the sword that they found in arms there, both Jews and Chaldeans, all that were employed under Gedaliah or were in any capacity to revenge his death, Jeremiah 41:3; Jeremiah 41:3. As if enough of the blood of Israelites had not been shed by the Chaldeans, their own princes here mingle it with the blood of the Chaldeans. The vine-dressers and the husbandmen were busy in the fields, and knew nothing of this bloody massacre; so artfully was it carried on and concealed.

      III. Some good honest men, that were going all in tears to lament the desolations of Jerusalem, were drawn in by Ishmael, and murdered with the rest. Observe, 1. Whence they came (Jeremiah 41:5; Jeremiah 41:5)-- from Shechem, Samaria, and Shiloh, places that had been famous, but wee now reduced; they belonged to the ten tribes, but there were some in those countries that retained an affection for the worship of the God of Israel. 2. Whither they were going--to the house of the Lord, the temple at Jerusalem, which, no doubt, they had heard of the destruction of, and were going to pay their respects to its ashes, to see its ruins, that their eye might affect their heart with sorrow for them. They favour the dust thereof,Psalms 102:14. They took offerings and incense in their hand, that if they should find any altar there, though it were but an altar of earth, and any priest ready to officiate, they might not be without something to offer; if not, yet they showed their good-will, as Abraham, when he came to the place of the altar, though the altar was gone. The people of God used to go rejoicing to the house of the Lord, but these went in the habit of mourners, with their clothes rent and their heads shaven; for the providence of God loudly called to weeping and mourning, because it was not with the faithful worshippers of God as in months past. 3. How they were decoyed into a fatal snare by Ishmael's malice. Hearing of their approach, he resolved to be the death of them too, so bloodthirsty was he. He seemed as if he hated every one that had the name of an Israelite or the face of an honest man. These pilgrims towards Jerusalem he had a spite to, for the sake of their errand. Ishmael went out to meet them with crocodiles' tears, pretending to bewail the desolations of Jerusalem as much as they; and, to try how they stood affected to Gedaliah and his government, he courted them into the town and found them to have a respect for him, which confirmed him in his resolution to murder them. He said, Come to Gedaliah, pretending he would have them come and live with him, when really he intended that they should come and die with him, Jeremiah 41:6; Jeremiah 41:6. They had heard such a character of Gedaliah that they were willing enough to be acquainted with him; but Ishmael, when he had them in the midst of the town, fell upon them and slew them (Jeremiah 41:7; Jeremiah 41:7), and no doubt took the offerings they had and converted them to his own use; for he that would not stick at such a murder would not stick at sacrilege. Notice is taken of his disposing of the dead bodies of these and the rest that he had slain; he tumbled them all into a great pit (Jeremiah 41:7; Jeremiah 41:7), the same pit that Asa king of Judah had digged long before, either in the city or adjoining to it, when he built or fortified Mizpah (1 Kings 15:22), to be a frontier-garrison against Baasha king of Israel and for fear of him, Jeremiah 41:9; Jeremiah 41:9. Note, Those that dig pits with a good intention know not what bad use they may be put to, one time or other. He slew so many that he could not afford them each a grave, or would not do them so much honour, but threw them all promiscuously into one pit. Among these last that were doomed to the slaughter there were ten that obtained a pardon, by working, not on the compassion, but the covetousness, of those that had them at their mercy, Jeremiah 41:8; Jeremiah 41:8. They said to Ishmael, when he was about to suck their blood, like an insatiable horseleech, after that of the companions, Slay us not, for we have treasurers in the field, country treasures, large stocks upon the ground, abundance of such commodities as the country affords, wheat and barley, and oil and honey, intimating that they would discover it to him and put him in possession of it all, if he would spare them. Skin for skin, and all that a man has, will he give for his life. This bait prevailed. Ishmael saved them, not for the love of mercy, but for the love of money. Here were riches kept for the owners thereof, not to their hurt (Ecclesiastes 5:13) and to cause them to lose their lives (Job 31:39), but to their good and the preserving of their lives. Solomon observes that sometimes the ransom of a man's life is his riches. But those who think thus to bribe death, when it comes with commission, and plead with it, saying, Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field, will find death inexorable and themselves wretchedly deceived.

      IV. He carried off the people prisoners. The king's daughters (whom the Chaldeans cared not for troubling themselves with when they had the king's sons) and the poor of the land, the vine-dressers and husband-men, that were committed to Gedaliah's charge, were all led away prisoners towards the country of the Ammonites (Jeremiah 41:10; Jeremiah 41:10), Ishmael probably intending to make a present of them, as the trophies of his barbarous victory, to the king of that country, that set him on. This melancholy story is a warning to us never to be secure in this world. Worse may be yet to come when we think the worst is over; and that end of one trouble, which we fancy to be the end of all trouble, may prove to be the beginning of another, of a greater. These prisoners thought, Surely the bitterness of death, and of captivity, is past; and yet some died by the sword and others went into captivity. When we think ourselves safe, and begin to be easy, destruction may come that way that we little expect it. There is many a ship wrecked in the harbour. We can never be sure of peace on this side heaven.