The Assassination of Gedaliah
Study note
In the seventh month (October), Ishmael son of Nethaniah came to Gedaliah at Mizpah with ten men. Ishmael was of royal blood -- a member of the former ruling family -- which may explain his anger at a commoner being made governor. They shared a meal together, and then Ishmael and his ten men attacked and killed Gedaliah, along with the Jews who were with him and the Babylonian soldiers stationed there. This was a shocking act of betrayal and violated the sacred custom of hospitality that protected guests who ate together.
1 During the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama came to visit Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. Ishmael was from the royal family and had been one of the king's top officers. He brought ten men with him, and while they were all sharing a meal together, Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.
2 Ishmael and his ten men suddenly jumped up and attacked Gedaliah with their swords. They murdered the very man that the king of Babylon had chosen to be governor over the land. Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten 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.
3 Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. He killed the Babylonian soldiers posted there too. Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.
The Murder of the Pilgrims
Study note
The day after Gedaliah's murder, before anyone knew what had happened, eighty men came from the northern cities of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves as signs of mourning -- likely grieving the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. They were bringing grain offerings and incense to the site of the Lord's temple. Ishmael went out pretending to weep and invited them in, then slaughtered most of them and threw their bodies in a cistern. Ten men were spared because they offered Ishmael hidden stores of food.
4 The very next day after Gedaliah was murdered, before the news had spread to anyone, And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,
5 a group of eighty men arrived from the cities of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, ripped their clothes, and cut their skin to show that they were in deep mourning. They brought grain offerings and incense to present at the Lord's temple. That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.
6 Ishmael went out from Mizpah to meet these men, pretending to cry as he walked. When he reached them, he said, "Come along! Gedaliah son of Ahikam wants to see you." And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.
7 But once they got to the middle of the city, Ishmael and his men slaughtered them and dumped their bodies into a deep well. And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.
8 Ten of the men quickly spoke up and said to Ishmael, "Please do not kill us! We have supplies hidden out in the fields -- wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey." So Ishmael let those ten men live and did not kill them along with the rest. But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.
9 The well where Ishmael threw all the dead bodies was a large one. King Asa had dug it long ago to protect the city during his war against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled that well with the bodies of the people he had killed. Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.
Johanan Rescues the Captives
Study note
Ishmael took everyone left at Mizpah captive, including the king's daughters and all the people that Nebuzaradan had placed under Gedaliah's care, and headed toward Ammon. When Johanan and the other military leaders heard what Ishmael had done, they gathered their forces and caught up with him at the great pool in Gibeon. The captives were overjoyed to see Johanan and ran to join him. Ishmael escaped with only eight men to the land of Ammon. Johanan gathered all the rescued people and headed south toward Bethlehem, planning to flee to Egypt out of fear that the Babylonians would punish them for Gedaliah's murder.
10 After that, Ishmael captured everyone else who was left in Mizpah. This included the royal princesses and all the other people that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had put under Gedaliah's care. Ishmael took them all and headed toward the land of Ammon. Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.
11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army leaders with him found out what Ishmael had done, But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
12 they gathered all their fighting men and went after Ishmael. They caught up with him near the large pool at Gibeon. Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.
13 All the captured people were so happy when they saw Johanan and the army leaders coming to save them. Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.
14 Every person that Ishmael had taken from Mizpah turned around. They ran over to join Johanan son of Kareah. So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.
15 But Ishmael himself got away. He and eight of his men escaped and fled to the land of Ammon. But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.
16 Johanan and his men then gathered everyone they had rescued from Mizpah. This included soldiers, women, children, and royal officials. These were all the people they had saved from Ishmael after he killed Gedaliah. They brought them all back from Gibeon. Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:
17 They set out and stopped to rest at the town of Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem. They were getting ready to travel on to Egypt. And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
18 They were scared of what Babylon would do. Ishmael had killed Gedaliah. Babylon's king had made Gedaliah governor of the land. Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.