Jeremiah 41:8 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-10

It is hard to say which is more astonishing, God's permitting or men's perpetrating such villanies as here we find committed. Such base, barbarous, bloody work is here done by men who by their birth should have been men of honour, by their religion just men, and this done upon those of their own nature, their own nation, their own religion, and now their brethren in affliction, when they were all brought under the power of the victorious Chaldeans, and smarting under the judgments of God, upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 41:8

But ten men were found among them, that said unto Ishmael, slay us not ,.... They begged for their lives, using what follows as an argument to prevail upon him: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey ; not that they had then a stock upon the ground at this time; for this being the seventh month, not only the barley and wheat harvests had been over long ago, but the rest of the fruits of the earth were gathered in: but this either means... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 41:8

Verse 8 We here see that the barbarity of Ishmael was connected with avarice, he was indeed inflamed with ferocious madness when he slew simple and innocent men; but when the hope of gain was presented to him, he spared some of them. Thus then we see that he was a lion, a wolf, or a bear in savageness, but that he was also a hungry man, for as soon as he smelt the odor of prey, he spared ten out of the eighty, who, it is probable, thus redeemed their life and returned home. So in one man we see... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-10

Assassination of Gedaliah and other Jews. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-10

Devils incarnate. 1. If ever there was such a one, this Ishmael was of whom these verses tell. His atrocities remind us of the Indian Mutiny, its leader, and the well at Cawnpore (cf. Jeremiah 41:9 ). Treachery, ingratitude, murder, massacre, greed, cowardice,—all are gathered in this detestable character (cf. Mr. Grove's article "Ishmael," Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible'). 2 . And such men are permitted to be. So clearly seen is this, that every drama has its villain; they are... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-18

A great crime and its consequence. I. A GREAT CRIME . The slaying of Gedaliah was accompanied by circumstances making it peculiarly atrocious. 1 . The breach of good fellowship. There had been professions of amity before. Gedaliah shows by deed his confidence in Ishmael, sitting down with him at a common meal. 2 . The subsequent slaughter. The slaying of Gedaliah was not enough to serve the purpose. A man, once entered on the ways of crime, cannot say, "So far I will go,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:4-8

The slaughter of the pilgrims. I. A NEEDLESS CRIME . Of course no crime is necessary, but some crimes have their plausible excuses. This had none. Ishmael had tasted blood, and murderous passions urge him to wanton violence. His only object in slaughtering quiet, inoffensive pilgrims must have been to please his master by the further depopulation of the land. So great a crime with so poor a motive evidences bloodthirsty tyranny. The worst crime is crime held cheap till it is pursued... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:8

Slay us not, etc. Bishop Callaway refers to this passage in his 'Zulu Nursery Tales' (1.242), in illustration of a Zulu form of deprecating death on the ground of having some important work in hand which absolutely requires the life of the person in danger. But the "ten men" do not, as the bishop supposes, beg their lives on the ground that they had not yet harvested, but rather offer a bribe. We have treasures (literally, hidden things ) in the field. The allusion is to the "wells... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:8

Sin hindered by sin. "So he forbare," etc. This was a case of bloodthirsty cruelty versus greed. Ishmael would have killed these men but for his greed of the wealth they had. It is satisfactory to think he never gained possession of it. Nevertheless, his greed made him guilty of one sin less. This story suggests that— I. GOD HAS MANY WAYS OF HINDERING SIN . There is: 1 . The best way of all. By granting a true repentance and his Holy Spirit, creating the clean heart... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 41:8

Treasures - Hidden stores; which would be of great value to Ishmael in his retreat back to Baalis. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 41:8

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 41:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:1-18

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:4-8

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 41:8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 41:8

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