Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations - Volume 4

1And it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed, and the chiefs of the king, even ten men, came with him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and did eat bread there together in Mizpah.

2Then Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, rose up, and the ten men who were with him, and smote Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword; yea, they slew him whom the king of Babylon had set over the land:

3And the Jews who were with him, even with Gedaliah, in Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, men of war, did Ishmael smite.

4And it was the following day, after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

5That men came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria, fourscore, having their heads shaven, and their garments rent, and having cut themselves, with an oblation and incense, to offer them in the house of Jehovah.

6And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out from Mizpah to meet them, walking along and weeping; and it was that when he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam.

7And it was that when they had come to the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, slew them, nigh the middle of the trench, he and the men who were with him.

8But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael, Slay us not; for we have hidden stores in the field, wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey; and he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

9Now the trench into which Ishmael cast all the carcasses of the men whom he had smitten along with Gedaliah, was that which King Asa had made on account of Baasha, the king of Israel; this did Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fill with the slain.

10Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people who had been left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzar-adan, the prince of the executioners, had committed to the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; yea, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them and went, that he might pass over to the children of Ammon.

11But Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces who ere with him, heard of all the evil which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had done;

12And they took all the men, and went forth to right with Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and found him at the great waters which are in Gibeon.

13And it was that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces who were with him, they rejoiced:

14And all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah, turned, and returned, and went with Johanan, the son of Kareah;

15But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, escaped with eight men from Johanan, and went to the children of Ammon.

16And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the forces who were with him, took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had smitten Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, strong men, men of war, and women, and children, and eunuchs, whom he had recovered from Gibeon;

17And they went and dwelt in Geruth-Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, that they might proceed to enter into Egypt,

18On account of the Chaldeans, for they feared them, because Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had smitten Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had set over the land.