2 Kings 25:25 - Exposition

And it mane to pass in the seventh month —two months only after Gedaliah received his appointment as governor, which was in the fifth month— that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah; the son of Elishama —"Nethaniah" is otherwise unknown; "Elishama" may be the "scribe" or secretary of Jehoiakim mentioned in Jeremiah 36:12 , Jeremiah 36:20 — of the seed royal. So Josephus ('Ant. Jud.,' 10.9. § 2) and Jeremiah 41:1 . Josephus adds that he was a wicked and most crafty man, who, during the siege of Jerusalem, had made his escape from the place, and fled for shelter to Baalim (Baalis, Jeremiah 40:14 ), King of Ammon, with whom he remained till the siege was over. Came, and ten men with him —as his retinue— and smote Gedaliah, that he died. Gedaliah had been warned by Johanan and the other captains ( Jeremiah 40:13-15 ) of Ishmael's probable intentions, but had treated the accusation as a calumny, and refused to believe that his life was in any danger. When Ishmael and his ten companions arrived, he still suspected nothing, but received them hospitably ( Jeremiah 41:1 ), entertained them at a grand banquet, according to Josephus ('Ant. Jud.,' 10.9. § 4), and being overtaken with drunkenness, was attacked and killed without difficulty. And the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah (comp. Jeremiah 41:3 , "Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found them, and the men of war"). It is evident from this that Gedaliah had a Chaldean guard.