Bible Commentaries

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.