Jeremiah 41 Study Notes: Ishmael Murders Gedaliah
Nethaniah’s son Ishmael and his men kill Gedaliah at Mizpah along with the Judeans and Babylonian soldiers there, then murder all but ten of eighty pilgrims bringing offerings. Johanan rescues the captives Ishmael is taking toward Ammon, and the survivors, afraid of Babylon, head toward Egypt.
General
Why did Johanan and the survivors stop near Bethlehem, meaning to go on to Egypt (Jeremiah 41:16-18)?
Answer: They feared the Chaldeans now that Babylon’s governor was dead
After the rescue, Johanan and the commanders took the whole surviving group, fighting men, women, children and palace officials, and stopped near Bethlehem, on their way to Egypt to get away from the Chaldeans (the Babylonians) (41:16-17). Their fear came from Ishmael’s murder of Gedaliah, the governor Babylon’s king had set over the land (41:18). They set this course before asking the LORD. When He did answer through Jeremiah, He told them not to fear Babylon’s king, for He was with them (42:11). Scripture warns that fear of people is a trap, while trusting the LORD keeps a person safe (Proverbs 29:25), and it pronounces woe on those who run to Egypt for rescue instead of seeking the LORD (Isaiah 31:1).
- Jeremiah 41:16-18 (BSB)“Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon. And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt to escape the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.”Johanan leads the rescued survivors toward Egypt because they fear the Chaldeans after Gedaliah’s murder.
- Jeremiah 42:11 (BSB)“Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear; do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and deliver you from him.”When the LORD did answer, He told them not to fear the king of Babylon, because He was with them.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of man traps a person, while trust in the LORD keeps him secure.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Isaiah pronounces woe on those who go down to Egypt for help instead of seeking the LORD.
Theological
What drove Johanan and the remnant toward Egypt after the rescue (Jeremiah 41:16-18)?
Answer: They feared the Chaldeans now that Babylon’s governor was dead
Johanan and the commanders gathered the recovered remnant, fighting men, women, children and palace officials, and halted near Bethlehem, intending to continue into Egypt beyond the Chaldeans’ reach (41:16-17). Their motive was fear of the Chaldeans, stirred by Ishmael’s assassination of the governor Babylon’s king had appointed (41:18). The course was set before any word from the LORD was sought, and His eventual answer told them not to fear Babylon’s king because He was with them (42:11). Scripture names fear of man a snare and contrasts it with trust in the LORD (Proverbs 29:25), and it condemns relying on Egypt for help rather than seeking the LORD (Isaiah 31:1).
- Jeremiah 41:16-18 (BSB)“Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon. And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt to escape the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.”Johanan leads the rescued survivors toward Egypt because they fear the Chaldeans after Gedaliah’s murder.
- Jeremiah 42:11 (BSB)“Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear; do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and deliver you from him.”When the LORD did answer, He told them not to fear the king of Babylon, because He was with them.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of man traps a person, while trust in the LORD keeps him secure.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Isaiah pronounces woe on those who go down to Egypt for help instead of seeking the LORD.
General
True or False: When eighty men in mourning came toward Mizpah with offerings, Ishmael went out weeping to greet them and urged them to come to Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:4-6).
Answer: True
This is true. Two days after Gedaliah’s murder, before anyone knew of it, eighty men came from Shechem, Samaria and Shiloh with beards shaved, clothes torn and their bodies cut, all signs of deep mourning. They carried grain offerings and incense for the LORD’s house (41:4-5). Ishmael went out from the town weeping as he walked, met them, and invited them in to see Gedaliah (41:6). Once they were inside the city, he and his men killed them and threw the bodies into a cistern, the large one dug by King Asa (41:7, 9). He wept as he met them and invited them to see a man he had already killed. Through Jeremiah the LORD had described this kind of deceit: speaking peace to a neighbor while planning an ambush in the heart (Jeremiah 9:8), and using soft words that cover violence (Psalm 55:21).
- Jeremiah 41:4-6 (BSB)“On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah, when no one yet knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the house of the LORD. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.””Eighty men in mourning come with offerings, and Ishmael meets them weeping and leads them into Mizpah.
- Jeremiah 9:8 (BSB)“Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.”Through Jeremiah the LORD describes a man who talks peace to his neighbor while plotting against him.
- Psalm 55:21 (BSB)“His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.”The psalmist describes a betrayer whose gentle words concealed hostile intent.
Theological
True or False: Ishmael met the eighty mourning worshipers with weeping and invited them to Gedaliah, concealing that Gedaliah was already dead (Jeremiah 41:4-6).
Answer: True
This is true. Two days after the assassination, while it was still unknown, eighty men from Shechem, Samaria and Shiloh arrived in the dress of mourners, bearing grain offerings and incense for the LORD’s house (41:4-5). Ishmael went out weeping to meet them and summoned them to Gedaliah (41:6), then massacred them inside the city and cast their bodies into the large cistern dug by King Asa (41:7, 9). His tears and his summons to a governor already dead fit the treachery the LORD had exposed through Jeremiah, peaceable words masking a heart that lies in ambush (Jeremiah 9:8), the smooth speech of a betrayer whose words are drawn swords (Psalm 55:21).
- Jeremiah 41:4-6 (BSB)“On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah, when no one yet knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the house of the LORD. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.””Eighty men in mourning come with offerings, and Ishmael meets them weeping and leads them into Mizpah.
- Jeremiah 9:8 (BSB)“Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.”Through Jeremiah the LORD describes a man who talks peace to his neighbor while plotting against him.
- Psalm 55:21 (BSB)“His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.”The psalmist describes a betrayer whose gentle words concealed hostile intent.
General
What had Ishmael and his ten men been doing with Gedaliah in Mizpah just before they struck him down (Jeremiah 41:1-2)?
Answer: Sharing a meal together with Gedaliah
Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, who came from the royal line and was among the king’s leading officers, arrived at Mizpah, ten men with him, to see Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, and they sat down to eat with him (41:1). Then Ishmael and his men rose up and killed Gedaliah with the sword, the man Babylon’s king had made governor (ruler) of the land (41:2). They also killed the Judeans in Gedaliah’s company and the Chaldean (Babylonian) soldiers there (41:3). Johanan’s warning had come true (40:14). The parallel account in 2 Kings records the same murder (2 Kings 25:25).
- Jeremiah 41:1-3 (BSB)“In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate a meal together there. Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land. Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.”Ishmael and ten men eat with Gedaliah at Mizpah, then kill him along with the Judeans and Chaldean soldiers there.
- Jeremiah 40:14 (BSB)“and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.”Johanan had warned Gedaliah that Ishmael had been sent to kill him.
- 2 Kings 25:25 (BSB)“In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.”The parallel account in Kings records the same killing of Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Theological
In what setting did Ishmael and his ten men kill Gedaliah at Mizpah (Jeremiah 41:1-2)?
Answer: Sharing a meal together with Gedaliah
Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, of royal descent and among the king’s leading officers, arrived at Mizpah, ten men with him, and sat at table with Ahikam’s son Gedaliah (41:1). Rising from the meal, they struck down with the sword the governor Babylon had appointed (41:2), and they also killed the Judeans with him and the Chaldean soldiers stationed there (41:3). The warning Gedaliah had dismissed was fulfilled (40:14). The parallel account in 2 Kings also records the assassination (2 Kings 25:25).
- Jeremiah 41:1-3 (BSB)“In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate a meal together there. Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land. Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.”Ishmael and ten men eat with Gedaliah at Mizpah, then kill him along with the Judeans and Chaldean soldiers there.
- Jeremiah 40:14 (BSB)“and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.”Johanan had warned Gedaliah that Ishmael had been sent to kill him.
- 2 Kings 25:25 (BSB)“In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.”The parallel account in Kings records the same killing of Gedaliah at Mizpah.
General
What happened when Johanan and the commanders caught up with Ishmael at Gibeon (Jeremiah 41:13-15)?
Answer: The captives gladly joined Johanan, and Ishmael got away
Ishmael had seized everyone left at Mizpah, including the king’s daughters, whom Nebuzaradan had placed under Gedaliah’s care, and set off toward the land of Ammon (41:10). When Johanan and the commanders heard of his crimes, they took their men to fight him and found him at Gibeon (41:11-12). As soon as the captives saw Johanan, they rejoiced and switched over to his side (41:13-14). But Ishmael slipped away with eight men to the Ammonites (41:15), the people whose king Baalis had sent him (40:14). Johanan, who had warned that Gedaliah’s death would scatter the people gathered to him (40:15), now brought the captives back.
- Jeremiah 41:10 (BSB)“Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.”Ishmael carries off the people of Mizpah, including the king’s daughters, toward the Ammonites.
- Jeremiah 41:11-15 (BSB)“When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced, and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.”Johanan pursues Ishmael, the captives go over to Johanan, and Ishmael escapes with eight men.
- Jeremiah 40:14 (BSB)“and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.”Johanan had reported that the Ammonite king Baalis sent Ishmael to kill Gedaliah.
- Jeremiah 40:15 (BSB)“Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?””Johanan had warned that Gedaliah’s death would scatter the people gathered around him.
Theological
What was the outcome when Johanan’s force confronted Ishmael at Gibeon (Jeremiah 41:13-15)?
Answer: The captives gladly joined Johanan, and Ishmael got away
Ishmael had seized the remaining population of Mizpah, the king’s daughters among them, all of whom Nebuzaradan had committed to Gedaliah, and was making for Ammon (41:10). Hearing of these crimes, Johanan and the commanders pursued and overtook him at Gibeon (41:11-12). The captives rejoiced at the sight of Johanan and joined him (41:13-14), while Ishmael and eight men escaped to the Ammonites (41:15), whose king Baalis had sent him (40:14). Johanan, who had warned that Gedaliah’s death would scatter the remnant (40:15), now recovered the captives.
- Jeremiah 41:10 (BSB)“Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.”Ishmael carries off the people of Mizpah, including the king’s daughters, toward the Ammonites.
- Jeremiah 41:11-15 (BSB)“When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced, and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.”Johanan pursues Ishmael, the captives go over to Johanan, and Ishmael escapes with eight men.
- Jeremiah 40:14 (BSB)“and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.”Johanan had reported that the Ammonite king Baalis sent Ishmael to kill Gedaliah.
- Jeremiah 40:15 (BSB)“Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?””Johanan had warned that Gedaliah’s death would scatter the people gathered around him.
General
Why did Ishmael spare ten of the eighty men (Jeremiah 41:8)?
Answer: They told him of food supplies they had hidden in a field
Ten among them pleaded for their lives, telling Ishmael son of Nethaniah they had stores of grain, oil and honey hidden out in the countryside, and so he held back from killing them along with the others (41:8). The rest of the eighty were killed and their bodies thrown into King Asa’s cistern (41:7, 9). Proverbs pictures violent men who plan an ambush against the innocent (Proverbs 1:11) and who hurry toward evil and killing (Proverbs 1:16), and Ishmael’s ambush of these worshipers was violence of that kind.
- Jeremiah 41:8 (BSB)“But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.”Ten men plead for their lives by telling Ishmael of hidden supplies, and he spares them.
- Proverbs 1:11 (BSB)“If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,”Proverbs describes the enticing talk of men who plan to ambush the innocent and kill.
- Proverbs 1:16 (BSB)“For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.”Such men hurry toward evil and are quick to kill.
Theological
What secured the release of ten of the eighty men from Ishmael (Jeremiah 41:8)?
Answer: They told him of food supplies they had hidden in a field
Ten men bargained for their lives by disclosing stores of grain, oil and honey concealed in the countryside, and Ishmael held back and let them live (41:8). The rest were killed and cast into Asa’s cistern (41:7, 9). Ishmael’s ambush of these worshipers is the very bloodshed Proverbs warns the young against joining: men who set ambushes to spill innocent blood (Proverbs 1:11) and whose feet run swiftly to evil (Proverbs 1:16).
- Jeremiah 41:8 (BSB)“But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.”Ten men plead for their lives by telling Ishmael of hidden supplies, and he spares them.
- Proverbs 1:11 (BSB)“If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,”Proverbs describes the enticing talk of men who plan to ambush the innocent and kill.
- Proverbs 1:16 (BSB)“For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.”Such men hurry toward evil and are quick to kill.