Jeremiah 41:16

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: MEN OF WAR. Therefore "the men of war," stated in to have been slain by Ishmael, must refer to the military about Gedaliah's person; "the men of war" here, to those not so. EUNUCHS. The kings of Judah had adopted the bad practice of having harems and eunuchs, from the surrounding pagan kingdoms....

The Prophet now shews, that though some kind of virtue appeared in John the son of Kareah, he was not yet of a right mind. He was an energetic and a _discreet _man, but he discovered his unbelief, when he led the remnant of the people into Egypt, while the Prophet was forbidding such a thing. He already knew that this was not lawful, but his obstinacy was two-fold more, when the Prophet repudiated his project, as we shall see. This passage then teaches us, that though the leaders of the forces, who had put Ishmael to flight, and avenged his perfidy, were men of courage, and shewed regard for the public good, they were destitute of faith: there was thus wanting in them the chief thing, that is piety and the fear of God. Then the Prophet says, that _John _and the rest _took the remnant of the people whom they had recovered from Ishmael, from Mizpah, _not that they were recovered from that...

11-18 The success of villany must be short, and none can prosper who harden their hearts against God. And those justly lose comfort in real fears, who excuse themselves in sin by pretended fears. The removal of a prudent and peaceable ruler, and the succession of another who is rash and ambitious, affects the welfare of many. Only those are happy and steady who fear the Lord and walk in his ways....

Verse Jeremiah 41:16. _THE WOMEN, - CHILDREN, AND THE EUNUCHS_] These were all most probably, persons who belonged to the palace and harem of Zedekiah: some of them his own concubines and their children....

EXPOSITION JEREMIAH 41:1 Assassination of Gedaliah and other Jews. JEREMIAH 41:1 IN THE SEVENTH MONTH; _i.e._ two months after the destruction of Jerusalem and the appointment of Gedaliah. It seems strange, however, that the occurrences related in Jeremiah 40:1; Jeremiah 41:1. should have taken so short a time. Gratz calls in question the accuracy of the chronological statement. He quotes Ezekiel 33:24, which shows that at least six months (accor

THEN TOOK JOHANAN THE SON OF KAREAH, AND ALL THE CAPTAINS OF THE FORCES THAT [WERE] WITH HIM,.... After Ishmael had made his escape, whom they did not think fit to pursue, and the people had committed themselves to their care and protection; and having brought them to Mizpah again, they took them from thence, as follows: 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: those whom he had rescued from Ishmael, and had returned to Mizpah, be persuaded to go with him from thence; who are more particularly described, as follows: [EVEN] MIGHTY MEN OF WAR, AND THE WOMEN, AND THE CHILDREN, AND THE EUNUCHS, WHOM HE HAD BROUGHT AGAIN FROM GIBEON; or "men, [even] men of war" q; warlike men, soldiers; by which it appears that Ishmael must have more than ten men with him when he came to Mizpah, a...

III. AFTER THE FALL OF JERUSALEM (40-45) Chapter S 40-41 The Treachery in the Land and the Flight to Egypt _ 1. Jeremiah's choice (Jeremiah 40:1) _ 2. Gedaliah and Ishmael's deed (Jeremiah 40:7; Jeremiah 41:1) 3. Ishmael's further atrocities and retreat (Jeremiah 41:4) Jeremiah 40:1. The opening paragraph of this chapter tells us of the choice which was given to Jeremiah. He was loosed from the prisoner's chains and told by the captain of the guard “If it seems good unto thee to come with me i

ISHMAEL'S DEEDS AND FLIGHT. Eighty pilgrims from N. Israel to Jerusalem, mourning its fall, and carrying offerings (Jeremiah 17:26), were met by Ishmael and enticed into Mizpah. There he killed them all except ten who acknowledged that they had stores of grain, etc. Ishmael threw all the dead bodies into a great cistern, made by Asa, and started for Ammon, with the surviving Jews as his captives, including certain princesses (doubtless also Jeremiah and Baruch; _cf._ Jeremiah 42:2; Jeremiah 43:3). Johanan and other Jews pursued Ishmael and overtook him at Gibeon, but he escaped with eight men. His captives were taken by Johanan to the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, with a view to migration into Egypt (for other ref

Jeremiah 41:4-18. Ishmael commits further massacres and carries off captives The section may be summarized as follows. (i) Jeremiah 41:4. The following day eighty pilgrims arrive. Ishmael goes weeping to meet them, and bids them come to Gedaliah. Having thus decoyed them into the city, he puts them all to death, except ten men who purchase their lives by disclosing the places where they possess hidden stores of food. Ishmael fills a pit with the slain, and carries away captive all the rest of the inhabitants of Mizpah. (ii) Jeremiah 41:11. Johanan and the captains who were with him go in pursuit of Ishmael, and release his captives. Ishmael himself with ten men escapes to the country of Ammon, while J

4. _The deliverance of the hostages_ (Jeremiah 41:10-16) TRANSLATION (10) Then Ishmael took captive the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the daughters of the king, and all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah whom Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out with the intention of crossing over unto the Ammonites. (11) And Johanan the son of Kareah and all the officers of the forces which were with him heard all the terrible things that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. (12) And he took all the men and set out with the intention of fighting with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah; and they caught up with him at the great pool which was in Gibeon. (13) And when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the officers of t