And as for the people that remained ,.... That were left in the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen; over these the king of Babylon made Gedaliah governor, to whom the captains, with their scattered troops, came, and submitted for a time; of whom; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:7 ; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:8 ; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:9 . read more
To Mizpah - This is said to have been situated on the east side of the river Jordan, and most contiguous to Babylon, and therefore the most proper for the residence of Gedaliah, because nearest to the place from which he was to receive his instructions. But there were several places of this name, and we do not exactly know where this was situated. read more
THE LAST SIEGE OF JERUSALEM . THE JEWS LED INTO CAPTIVITY . HISTORY OF THE REMNANT LEFT BEHIND . RELEASE FROM PRISON OF JEHOIACHIN . read more
History of the remnant left in the land by Nebuzar-adan . Nebuchadnezzar, when he carried off Zedekiah to Babylon, appointed, as governor of Judaea, a certain Gedaliah, a Jew of good position, but not of the royal family. Gedaliah made Mizpah, near Jerusalem, his residence; and here he was shortly joined by a number of Jews of importance, who had escaped from Jerusalem and hidden themselves until the Babylonians were gone. Of these the most eminent were Johanan the son of Karcah, and... read more
Rulers and their enemies. "And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had left," etc. By this fragment of Jewish history two observations are suggested. I. MEN ARE SOMETIMES ELEVATED INTO RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS . Gedalaih , a friend of Jereremiah's, and acting under the prophet's counsel, took the government of Judaea, and fixed his court at Mizpah. He seemed on the whole qualified for the office he assumed. The people... read more
Gedaliah and the remnant. Nothing could more effectually show the hopeless condition of the people, and their unfitness for self-government, than this brief narrative of events which followed the destruction of Jerusalem. The detailed history is given in Jeremiah 40-43. I. GEDALIAH MADE GOVERNOR . It was necessary to appoint a governor over the land, and for this purpose Nebuchadnezzar chose "Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan." The country was desolate, and had been... read more
And when all the captains of the armies ; rather, the captains of the forces (Revised Version); i.e. the officers in command of the troops which had defended Jerusalem, and, having escaped from the city, were dispersed and scattered in various directions, partly in Judaea, partly in foreign countries. They and their men —apparently, each of them had kept with him a certain number of the men under his command— heard that the King of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor. The news was... read more
The captains of the armies - i. e., the officers of the troops who had fled from Jerusalem with Zedekiah 2 Kings 25:4, and had then dispersed and gone into hiding 2 Kings 25:5.For Mizpah, see Joshua 18:26 note.The Netophathite - Netophah, the city of Ephai (compare Jeremiah 40:8), appears to have been in the neighborhood of Bethlehem Nehemiah 7:26; Ezra 2:21-22. The name is perhaps continued in the modern Antubeh, about 2 12 miles S. S. E. of Jerusalem.A Maachathite - Maachah lay in the stony... read more
2 Kings 25:23. When all the captains of the armies Who escaped when Zedekiah was taken; heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor One of themselves, and that things were put into a good posture: there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah A place in the land of Benjamin, famous in Samuel’s time; Ishmael, Johanan, &c., they and their men To put themselves under his protection. Gedaliah, though he had not the pomp and power of a sovereign prince, yet might have been a greater... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 25:22-30
In these verses we have, I. The dispersion of the remaining people. The city of Jerusalem was quite laid waste. Some people there were in the land of Judah (2 Kgs. 25:22) that had weathered the storm, and (which was no small favour at this time, Jer. 45:5) had their lives given them for a prey. Now see, 1. What a good posture they were put into. The king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah, one of themselves, to be their governor and protector under him, a very good man, and one that would make the... read more