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).
Jeremiah 41 Bible Commentary
Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown
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).