Jeremiah 41:1

JEREMIAH 41

ISHMAEL'S MURDER OF GEDALIAH

All of the events of this chapter revolve around the shameful and treacherous murder of the new governor Gedaliah by Ishmael. The chapter divisions are: (1) the murder of the governor (Jeremiah 41:1-3); (2) the murder of the pilgrims (Jeremiah 41:4-7); (3) captives at Mizpah taken (Jeremiah 41:8-10); (4) Ishmael defeated, escapes to Ammon (Jeremiah 41:11-15); and (5) the people gathered by Johanan to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 41:16-18).

The length of Gedaliah's tenure as governor is disputed. In an earlier chapter, we suggested that Jeremiah was enabled to enjoy the protection and peace of Gedaliah's house for a period of some five years; and that was based upon the recent conviction of Jewish and other scholars that Gedaliah's government lasted until 582 B.C. In the previous chapter, we encountered the opinions of many of the older scholars that his government lasted only a matter of two or three months. We have no certain information on exactly how long it lasted.

Feinberg has this regarding the date: "Two dates have been given for the assassination of Gedaliah: 586 B.C. and 583-582 B.C. Keil-Delitzsch and others support the first date; but a number of more recent commentators prefer the second. They point out that the text does not require that the events of this chapter occurred in the same year as the fall of Jerusalem; and, upon the basis of Jeremiah 52:30, they believe that the Babylonian reaction to the assassination of Gedaliah took place five years after the event."[1]

Bright, Hyatt, and others whom we have frequently quoted in this commentary support the later date. We shall let the matter stand as not certainly known.

Jeremiah 41:1-3

THE MURDER OF THE GOVERNOR

"Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, to wit, with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, the men of war."

"Of the seed royal ..." (Jeremiah 41:1). It is believed that Ishmael was descended from David through Elishama (2 Samuel 5:16), and that this royal connection might have originated Ishmael's vengeful hatred of Gedaliah, being bitterly jealous that Nebuchadnezzar had passed over Ishmael, a member of the royal house of David, to make Gedaliah governor!

In all the records of Israel's wickedness, there is hardly anything that surpasses the dastardly deed of Ishmael here recorded. He not only violated God's law, but the universal Eastern custom in the law of hospitality, that no man eats another man's bread, and then murders him! Ishmael disappears from history in this chapter and fully deserved the oblivion in which he was swallowed up.

The concern and sympathy of the Jewish people for their noble governor who was cut down by the despicable Ishmael was crystallized and memorialized in the Jewish fast of "the seventh month" (October) (Zechariah 7:5; 8:19), during the Inter-testamental period of their history.

"Slew all the Jews that were with him ..." (Jeremiah 41:3). It is believed that this is a reference, not all the Jews in Mizpah, but to all of those at the meal during which Gedaliah was slain. Also, the men of war would appear to refer merely to Gedaliah's personal bodyguard of Babylonian soldiers.