7 And it was so, when they came H935 into the midst H8432 of the city, H5892 that Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Nethaniah H5418 slew H7819 them, and cast them into the midst H8432 of the pit, H953 he, and the men H582 that were with him.
Even in the third H7969 year H8141 of Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah H3063 did Baasha H1201 slay H4191 him, and reigned H4427 in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, H4427 that he smote H5221 all the house H1004 of Jeroboam; H3379 he left H7604 not to Jeroboam H3379 any that breathed, H5397 until he had destroyed H8045 him, according unto the saying H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 by H3027 his servant H5650 Ahijah H281 the Shilonite: H7888
And Zimri H2174 went in H935 and smote H5221 him, and killed H4191 him, in the twenty H6242 and seventh H7651 year H8141 of Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and reigned H4427 in his stead. And it came to pass, when he began to reign, H4427 as soon as he sat H3427 on his throne, H3678 that he slew H5221 all the house H1004 of Baasha: H1201 he left H7604 him not one that pisseth H8366 against a wall, H7023 neither of his kinsfolks, H1350 nor of his friends. H7453 Thus did Zimri H2174 destroy H8045 all the house H1004 of Baasha, H1201 according to the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 against Baasha H1201 by H3027 Jehu H3058 the prophet, H5030
And when Athaliah H6271 the mother H517 of Ahaziah H274 saw H7200 that her son H1121 was dead, H4191 she arose H6965 and destroyed H6 all the seed H2233 royal. H4467 But Jehosheba, H3089 the daughter H1323 of king H4428 Joram, H3141 sister H269 of Ahaziah, H274 took H3947 Joash H3101 the son H1121 of Ahaziah, H274 and stole H1589 him from among H8432 the king's H4428 sons H1121 which were slain; H4191 and they hid H5641 him, even him and his nurse, H3243 in the bedchamber H2315 H4296 from H6440 Athaliah, H6271 so that he was not slain. H4191
Son H1121 of man, H120 they that inhabit H3427 those wastes H2723 of the land H127 of Israel H3478 speak, H559 saying, H559 Abraham H85 was one, H259 and he inherited H3423 the land: H776 but we are many; H7227 the land H776 is given H5414 us for inheritance. H4181 Wherefore say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Ye eat H398 with the blood, H1818 and lift up H5375 your eyes H5869 toward your idols, H1544 and shed H8210 blood: H1818 and shall ye possess H3423 the land? H776 Ye stand H5975 upon your sword, H2719 ye work H6213 abomination, H8441 and ye defile H2930 every one H376 his neighbour's H7453 wife: H802 and shall ye possess H3423 the land? H776
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).