1 Ishmael, treacherously killing Gedaliah and others, purposes with the residue to flee unto the Ammonites.
11 Johanan recovers the captives, and is minded to flee into Egypt.

the seventh month. This was the month Tisri, answering to the new moon of September, the seventh of the sacred, but the first of the civil year; on the third day of which the Jews keep a fast, in commemoration of the death of Gedaliah, to which the prophet Zechariah refers.

8:19 39:2 52:6 2Ki 25:3,8,25 Zec 7:5 8:19

Ishmael. 40:6,8

Elishama. 36:12,20

of the. Pr 13:10 27:4 Jas 4:1-3

seed. 2Ki 11:1 2Ch 22:10 Eze 17:13

they did. 40:14-16 2Sa 3:27 20:9,10 Ps 41:9 109:5 Pr 26:23-26 Da 11:26,27 Lu 22:47,48 Joh 13:18

2 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.

and smote. 2Ki 25:25

whom. 40:7

3 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.

See on ver. 11,12 2Ki 25:25 Ec 9:18 La 1:2

4 And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

after. 1Sa 27:11 Ps 52:1,2

5 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.

came. 2Ki 10:13,14

Shechem. Ge 33:18 34:2 Jos 24:32 Jud 9:1 1Ki 12:1,25

Shiloh. 7:12,14 Jos 18:1

Samaria. 1Ki 16:24,29

their beards. All these were signs of deep mourning; which, though forbidden on funeral occasions, were customary, and perhaps counted allowable, on seasons of public calamity, and this mourning was probably on account of the destruction of Jerusalem.

Le 19:27,28 De 14:1 2Sa 10:4 Isa 15:2

to the. 1Sa 1:7 2Ki 25:9 Ps 102:14

6 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.

weeping, etc. Heb. in going and weeping. 50:4 2Sa 1:2 3:16 Pr 26:23-26

7 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.

slew. 1Ki 15:28,29 16:10-12 2Ki 11:1,2 15:25 Ps 55:23 Pr 1:16 Isa 59:7 Eze 22:27 33:24-26 Ro 3:15

8 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.

Slay. Job 2:4 Ps 49:6-8 Pr 13:8 Mt 6:25 16:26 Mr 8:36,37 Php 3:7-9

treasures. These treasures hid in the field were doubtless laid up in subterranean pits, similar to the mattamores in Barbary, in which, Dr. Shaw informs us, they deposit the grain when winnowed; two or three hundred of them being sometimes together, and the smallest holding four hundred bushels. The same mode of keeping corn prevails in Syria and the holy land.

9 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.

the pit. This was probably a large reservoir for receiving rain water, which Asa had caused to be made in the midst of the city, in case of a siege.

because of Gedaliah. or, near Gedaliah. Heb. by the hand or the side of Gedaliah. was it. Jos 10:16-18 Jud 6:2 1Sa 13:6 14:11,22 24:3 2Sa 17:9 Heb 11:38

for fear. 1Ki 15:17-22 2Ch 16:1-10

10 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 Nebuzaradan 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.

all the. See on ch. 40:11,12

even. 22:30 39:6 43:5-7 44:12-14

whom. 40:7

to the. 40:14 Ne 2:10,19 4:7,8 6:17,18 13:4-8

11 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,

Johanan. 2,3,7 40:7,8,13-16 42:1,3 43:2-5

12 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.

to fight. Ge 14:14-16 1Sa 30:1-8,18-20

the great. 2Sa 2:13

13 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.

that when. They appear to have been weary of the tyranny of Ishmael, and glad of an opportunity to abandon him.

14 So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.

no references listed for this verse.

15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

escaped. 1Sa 30:17 1Ki 20:20 Job 21:30 Pr 28:17 Ec 8:11,12 Ac 28:4

eight men. 2 2Ki 25:25

16 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:

even. 10 42:8 43:4-7

17 And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

Chimham. 2Sa 19:37,38

to go. As Johanan and the other princes had taken a decided part against Ishmael, they had no sufficient reason to fear that the Chaldeans would revenge on them the murder of Gedaliah; but perhaps Johanan was unwilling to be superseded in the command which he had rightly assumed, and so used his influence to induce the whole company to take refuge in Egypt; and their old attachment to the Egyptians rendered them more ready to concur in this ruinous measure.

42:14,19 43:7 Isa 30:2,3

18 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.

for they. 42:11,16 43:2,3 2Ki 25:25 Isa 30:16,17 51:12,13 57:11 Lu 12:4,5

because. 2

whom. 40:5