Jeremiah 41:2

Then arose Ishmael … and the ten men Gedaliah's retinue may not have been very large, and were probably quite unsuspecting. The murders seem to have been committed privately at the entertainment. Next day (Jeremiah 41:4) no one knew of it. Ishmael's action was apparently useless as well as criminal. However, he may have been prepared to go any length to shew spite at the appointment of a ruler who was not, like himself (see Jeremiah 41:1), of the royal house, or his object possibly was to keep the land in a state of unrest, so as to help out Baalis's ambitious wishes; also, if Baalis was going to annex Judah, Ishmael may have had an eye to the governorship.