# Jeremiah 41 📖: Gedaliah Assassinated [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Jeremiah Overview]] | [[Jeremiah 40]] | [[Jeremiah 42]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) [[#Verse 01.]] But in the seventh month Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and had been one of Zedekiah’s chief officers, came with ten of his men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating a meal together with him there at Mizpah,  [[#Verse 02.]] Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him stood up, pulled out their swords, and killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Thus Ishmael killed the man that the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the country.  [[#Verse 03.]] Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Babylonian soldiers who happened to be there. [[#Verse 04.]] On the day after Gedaliah had been murdered, before anyone even knew about it,  [[#Verse 05.]] eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves to show they were mourning. They were carrying grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.  [[#Verse 06.]] Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them. He was pretending to cry as he walked along. When he met them, he said to them, “Come with me to meet Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”  [[#Verse 07.]] But as soon as they were inside the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw their bodies in a cistern.  [[#Verse 08.]] But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us. For we will give you the stores of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey we have hidden in a field.” So he spared their lives and did not kill them along with the rest.  [[#Verse 09.]] Now the cistern where Ishmael threw all the dead bodies of those he had killed was a large one that King Asa had constructed as part of his defenses against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with dead bodies. [[#Verse 10.]] Then Ishmael took captive all the people who were still left alive in Mizpah. This included the royal princesses and all the rest of the people in Mizpah that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, had put under the authority of Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took all these people captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. ### Johanan Rescues the People Ishmael Had Carried Off [[#Verse 11.]] Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the atrocities that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed. [[#Verse 12.]] So they took all their troops and went to fight against Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the large pool at Gibeon.  [[#Verse 13.]] When all the people that Ishmael had taken captive saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him, they were glad. [[#Verse 14.]] All those people that Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.  [[#Verse 15.]] But Ishmael son of Nethaniah managed to escape from Johanan along with eight of his men, and he went on over to Ammon. [[#Verse 16.]] Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led off all the people who had been left alive at Mizpah. They had rescued them from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. They led off the men, women, children, soldiers, and court officials whom they had brought away from Gibeon. [[#Verse 17.]] They set out to go to Egypt to get away from the Babylonians, but stopped at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem.  [[#Verse 18.]] They were afraid of what the Babylonians might do because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the country. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. The murder happened in the seventh month (41:1). 2. Jewish tradition remembers Gedaliah's death with a fast in the seventh month, often linked with the "fast of the seventh month" in Zechariah 7:5 and 8:19. 3. Ishmael was of royal descent and one of the king's chief officers (41:1), which may explain his resentment of Gedaliah. 4. Sharing a meal was a sign of trust and protection, which made the murder especially treacherous. 5. Eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria with shaved beards, torn clothes, and gashes (41:5), signs of mourning. 6. Their offerings show that some people kept bringing worship to the temple site even after its destruction. 7. Ten men saved their lives by telling Ishmael about hidden stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey (41:8). Underground storage pits were common in the region. 8. The bodies were thrown into a cistern made by King Asa when he fortified Mizpah against Baasha of Israel (41:9; 1 Kings 15:22). 9. Johanan caught up with Ishmael at the great pool in Gibeon (41:12), the same pool mentioned in 2 Samuel 2:13. 10. The survivors stopped at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem (41:17). Chimham may be the son of Barzillai who received favor from David (2 Samuel 19:37-38). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the true Son of David who gives life rather than takes it. Ishmael, of royal descent, used treachery and murder (41:1-2), but Jesus the King laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Ishmael killed Gedaliah while eating with him (41:1-2). Why is betrayal by someone close so devastating? 2. Eighty worshipers came grieving with offerings for the house of the Lord (41:5). What does their devotion show, even after the temple was destroyed? 3. Johanan rescued the captives, but fear of Babylon still drove the people (41:16-18). How can fear shape our choices even after God delivers us? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 2: Ishmael rises up and kills Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed. - 📖 verse 5: Eighty men come from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria to bring offerings to the house of the Lord. - 📖 verse 18: The people fear the Babylonians because Ishmael killed the governor. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[John 10#Verse 11.|John 10:11]] - The good shepherd lays down His life. - 🔗 [[Psalm 41#Verse 09.|Psalm 41:9]] - My close friend who ate my bread has turned against me. - 🔗 [[2 Kings 25#Verse 25.|2 Kings 25:25-26]] - Gedaliah is murdered and the people flee. - 🔗 [[John 13#Verse 18.|John 13:18]] - Jesus quotes Psalm 41:9 about His betrayer. - 🔗 [[Zechariah 08#Verse 19.|Zechariah 8:19]] - Fasts will become times of joy. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Jeremiah 41 - SOAP|Be Careful Who You Partner With]] ## 📂 Internal Notes