Jeremiah 41

Ishmael treacherously killeth Gcdaliah and his companions, with an intent to carry away the Jews that were with him captives into the country of the Ammonites. But Johanan recovers the captives, and purposeth to fly into Egypt.

Jeremiah 41:1

1 \ OWit came to pass in the seventh month. Answering partly to our September, and partly to October. The murder of Gedaliah gave occasion for the fast of the seventh month, which the Jews observed after their return from captivity. (See Zech. vii. 5. viii. 19.) Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, of the seed-royal.] He valued himself upon his extraction, and bare a grudge against Gedaliah, because he was set above him. And the princes of the king, even ten menwith him.] Some of the chief officers of state belonging to Zedekiah; (see xxxvi. 12. 21. xxxviii. 4.) these brought a great number of others with them as their retinue, or else they could not have made sucli a destruction as they did, (ver. 3.)

Jeremiah 41:3

Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him — and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war. That is, all those that joined in opposing Ishmael, and assisting Gedaliah: for several of the commanders, as well as the greatest part of the people, were still left alive, as appears by the sequel of the story. (See ver. 10, 11.)

Jeremiah 41:5

Fourscore men having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves. These were tokens of great mourning, by which these persons expressed their grief for the destruction of the city and temple. Such expressions of sorrow were forbidden to be used at funeral obsequies, (see Lev. xix. 27, 28.) but might be lawfully used upon other mournful occasions; as hath been observed upon lsa. xv. 2. With offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the Lord.] Some understand this as if devout persons brought their oblations to the place where the altar formerly stood, which they looked upon as consecrated ground: and (his custom they think countenanced by the words of Baruch, i. 10. where the exiles at Babylon are supposed to send money to buy offerings fdr the altar of the Lord, after that Jerusalem was taken and burnt: (compare ver. 2.) others understand tho house of the Lord, of an altar, or place of worship, erected by Gcdaliah at Mizpah, in imitation of that which was formerly set up there by Samuel, (1 Sam. vii. 7: 9.) which place continued to be a proseucha, or place of worship, in aftertimes, as appears from 1 Maccab. iii. 4G. There were many such sanctuaries, or places of worship, both in Judea,and elsewhere, among the Jewish dispersions, as Dr. Prideaux hath shewed at large, in his Connect, of Scripture History, p. 387, &c.

Jeremiah 41:6

Weeping all along as he went. As if he had sympathized with them.

Jeremiah 41:7

Ishmael slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit. The Hebrew reads, slew them into the midst of a pit. We find the very same expression, 1 Maccab. vii. 19. a book translated out of Hebrew, as St. Jerome tells us, in Prologo Galeato. Of the same kind are the following expressions, (Psal. lxxiv. 7.) They have defded the dwelling-place of thy name unto the ground, as our old translation reads out of the Hebrew. So Psal.lxxxix.39. Thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground, as the new translation supplies the sense.

Jeremiah 41:8

Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field. Or, in the country, as the word is^ elsewhere used, by way of distinction, from a town or city. (See xl. 7. 13.) They promised to make him master of what they were worth, if he would spare their lives.

Jeremiah 41:9

Now the pit wherein Ishmael Itad cast all the dead bodies — was it which Asa king of Israel made, Sec. This pit was the ditch which Asa cast up against the walls of Mizpah, when he rebuilt and fortified it against the attempts of Baasha. (See 1 Kings xv- 22.)

Jeremiah 41:10

And departed to go vnto tlie Ammonites. See xl. 14.

Jeremiah 41:12

By the great waters that are in Gibeon. Called the pool of Gibeon, 2 Sam. ii. 13.

Jeremiah 41:16

The ennuclis. Sce,xxxiv. 19. xxxviii. 7.

Jeremiah 41:17

And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham. A parcel of ground which David had settled upon Chimham the son of Barzillai. (See 2 Sam. xix. Ver.. 18. Because of the Chaldeans, &c] They were afraid, lest they should impute this insurrection to the whole body of the Jews that were left in the land, as if they, were desirous of restoring the government to the royal family.,