Jeremiah, chapter 41
interpretation - meaning - commentary - explanation
Chapter 41 from the Book of Jeremiah could be inserted into a bloody adventure book.
(1) Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. (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. (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.
We learn from the previous chapter that the Babylonian king, after capturing Jerusalem, appointed Gedaliah as governor of the captured cities of Judah. The Ishmael in question came from a royal family. We don't know the motivation behind his murder of the governor. The two main reasons are that he killed Gedaliah for officially serving the Babylonians, and the second is that he didn't accept that he wasn't the one elevated to the position. There is also a third interpretation, but an unlikely one: that Ishmael wanted to rule Judea, but this seems an erroneous assumption, given that by killing Chaldean warriors he could not count on Nebukadnesar's favor, and the fact that he went to the Ammonites shortly thereafter. It is correct to assume that Ishmael was a man imbued with evil who could not bear the thought that he was not the one to become governor.
(4) And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, (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.
It is not possible to say conclusively whether these people came to their senses and came to ask God for forgiveness, or whether they were still blind to the fact that God was not protecting the tabernacle because of the sins of its inhabitants. One could also quote from Isaiah 1.13-15 "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. (14) Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. (15) And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood."
Shorn beards and torn robes may indicate a sign of mourning and repentance.
The problem is cut wounds. If they were wounds inflicted by the Babylonians during the war then it is not an offense, but if they inflicted them on themselves as part of atonement then it would be abnormal and against God's will. God strongly condemns self-inflicted wounds and is not fond of destroying the human body. What people in the Philippines are doing, i.e. scourging until they bleed, and there are even those willing to crucify them, is an abomination in the eyes of God, and instead of bringing people closer to God, it causes them to move away from Him. Anyway, it's no wonder that such foolish behavior is in the Philippines, it's one of the wildest countries in terms of prostitution.
Ishmael kills people again
(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. (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.
Ishmael and 10 men defeated 80 others, apparently they must have been well trained and the opponent defenseless. What was "the midst of the pit"? You could say a tank designed to hold water.
(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. (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.
A horrible sight, reminiscent of mass graves during world wars or other local bloody conflicts. We live so many years, and evil still rules us.
Abduction of residents
(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.
The 11 men terrorized the entire population in Mizpah. As mentioned above, they must have been very well-trained or there were no weapons in Mizpah, because the weapons were captured by the Babylonians, and the inhabitants themselves must have been a handful.
(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, (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. (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. (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. (15) But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. (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: (17) And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt, (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.
As we will see in later chapters, they were not as noble as they may have seemed. They disobeyed the words of the prophet Jeremiah, called him a liar and abducted him to Egypt. They disregarded the word of God, putting their foolish wisdom above God.
