2 Kings 25:23

And[R.V. Now] when all the captains … heard The governorship of Gedaliah appears to have found much favour. We are told (Jeremiah 41) that when Jeremiah was set at liberty by Nebuzar-adan at Ramah he at once made his way to Gedaliah; beside that the captains of the forces gathered to him, and so did the Jews that had escaped into the countries round about, Moab, Ammon and Edom; and it is said -they gathered wine and summer fruits very much". Meantime Gedaliah was warned that Baalis the king of the Ammonites had sent Ishmael to slay him, but he refused to credit the report, and when one of his friends voluntered to slay Ishmael, Gedaliah would not permit it.

captains of the armies R.V. forces. Thus translated in Jeremiah 40:7.

to Mizpah See on 1 Kings 15:22. Jerusalem was now in ruins. Mizpah was a strong place about six miles north of the Holy City.

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah Jeremiah 41:1 (see also below verse 25) adds that Nethaniah was the son of Elishama of the seed royal. How he was connected with the royal blood we cannot discover. He had been in the country of the Ammonites during the destruction of Jerusalem, and when Gedaliah was set up as governor in Mizpah he came into Judah, apparently at the instigation of Baalis, king of Ammon, with the purpose of slaying Gedaliah and occupying his place. At first he acted as if friendly to Gedaliah, but after a short time, at a banquet where he and ten friends were entertained by Gedaliah, the murder of the governor was perpetrated, and at the same time all the Jews in the house with Gedaliah were likewise slain. All this was done with such precaution and secrecy that for two days nobody outside the governor's palace knew what had been done. After that time Ishmael, observing a party of fourscore pilgrims coming towards Mizpah, went to meet them, and bringing them into the courtyard of the house as if to see Gedaliah, had all but ten of them killed and cast into the well in the court. He now resolved on flight and taking away with him the daughters of Zedekiah, who had been put under Gedaliah's charge, he turned his steps to the land of Ammon. But Johanan and the other captains, who had by this time discovered the atrocious murders, pursued Ishmael, yet though they came up with him and his party -by the great waters that were in Gibeon", and though Ishmael's followers were at once ready to desert him, the villain, and eight more with him, escaped into the country of the Ammonites.

Johanan the son of Careah R.V. Kareah. This is the spelling of A.V. in Jeremiah 40:8; Jeremiah 41:11, &c. It was Johanan who warned Gedaliah of the plot against him. He is mentioned (Jeremiah 43:2-4) as one of those who were prominent in the proceedings when Jeremiah was carried off into Egypt. He is there classed among -all the proud men". A brother of his, Jonathan, is mentioned in Jeremiah 40:8.

Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth He is called here the Netophathite, but in the enumeration of Jeremiah that description is omitted, and some other persons are described as -the sons of Ephai, the Netophathite".

Jaazaniah the son of a[R.V. the] Maachathite The name is spelt Jezaniahin Jeremiah's narrative.