41:1 Now it came to pass in the a seventh month, [that]
Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the
seed royal, and the princes of the b king, even ten men
with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and
there they c ate bread together in Mizpah.
(a) The city was destroyed in the fourth month and in the
seventh month, which contained part of September and
part of October, the governor Gedaliah was slain.
(b) Meaning, Zedekiah.
(c) They ate together as familiar friends.
41:5 That there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from
Samaria, [even] eighty men, having their beards shaven, and
their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with d
offerings and incense in their hand, to bring [them] to the
house of the LORD.
(d) For they thought that the temple had not been destroyed
and therefore came up to the feast of tabernacles but
hearing of the burning of it in the way, they showed
these signs of sorrow.
41:6 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 to them, Come e to Gedaliah
the son of Ahikam.
(e) For his death was kept secret, and he pretended that he
lamented for the destruction of Jerusalem and the
temple but later slew them when they seemed to favour
Gedaliah.
41:9 Now the pit into which Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies
of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, [was]
that which Asa the king had f made for fear of Baasha
king of Israel: [and] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled
it with [them that were] slain.
(f) Asa fortified Mizpah for fear of the enemy, and dug
ditches and trenches, (1Ki 15:22).
41:11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the g
captains of the forces that [were] with him, heard of all
the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
(g) Who had been captains under Zedekiah.
41:15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with
eight men, and went to the h Ammonites.
(h) For Baalis the king of the Ammonites was the cause of
this murder.
41:17 And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of i
Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
(i) Which place David of old had given to Chimham the son
of Barzillai the Gileadite, (2Sa 19:38).
