Becker Bible Teacher Resources

Jeremiah 41:1-10

Ishmael murders Gedaliah

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

1      וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בָּ֣א יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע מִזֶּ֣רַע הַ֠מְּלוּכָה וְרַבֵּ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אִתּ֛וֹ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֖ם הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ שָׁ֥ם לֶ֛חֶם יַחְדָּ֖ו בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃
2      וַיָּקָם֩ יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֜ה וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים׀ אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ אִתּ֗וֹ וַ֠יַּכּוּ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֧ם בֶּן־שָׁפָ֛ן בַּחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּ֣מֶת אֹת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
3      וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֨וּ אִתּ֤וֹ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁ֑ם אֵ֚ת אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה הִכָּ֖ה יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃
4      וַיְהִ֛י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י לְהָמִ֣ית אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֑הוּ וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃
5      וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֲ֠נָשִׁים מִשְּׁכֶ֞ם מִשִּׁל֤וֹ וּמִשֹּֽׁמְרוֹן֙ שְׁמֹנִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ מְגֻלְּחֵ֥י זָקָ֛ן וּקְרֻעֵ֥י בְגָדִ֖ים וּמִתְגֹּֽדְדִ֑ים וּמִנְחָ֤ה וּלְבוֹנָה֙ בְּיָדָ֔ם לְהָבִ֖יא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃
6      וַ֠יֵּצֵא יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֤ה לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ הָלֹ֖ךְ וּבֹכֶ֑ה וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּפְגֹ֣שׁ אֹתָ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּ֖אוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָֽם׃ ס
7      וַיְהִ֕י כְּבוֹאָ֖ם אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הַבּ֔וֹר ה֖וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּֽוֹ׃
8      וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים נִמְצְאוּ־בָ֗ם וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אַל־תְּמִתֵ֔נוּ כִּֽי־יֶשׁ־לָ֤נוּ מַטְמֹנִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה חִטִּ֥ים וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְשֶׁ֣מֶן וּדְבָ֑שׁ וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל וְלֹ֥א הֱמִיתָ֖ם בְּת֥וֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
9      וְהַבּ֗וֹר אֲשֶׁר֩ הִשְׁלִ֨יךְ שָׁ֤ם יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אֵ֣ת׀ כָּל־פִּגְרֵ֣י הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִכָּה֙ בְּיַד־גְּדַלְיָ֔הוּ ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֔א מִפְּנֵ֖י בַּעְשָׁ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֹת֗וֹ מִלֵּ֛א יִשְׁמָעֵ֥אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֖הוּ חֲלָלִֽים׃
10      וַיִּ֣שְׁבְּ׀ יִ֠שְׁמָעֵאל אֶת־כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֨ית הָעָ֜ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּצְפָּ֗ה אֶת־בְּנ֤וֹת הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָם֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִפְקִ֗יד נְבֽוּזַרְאֲדָן֙ רַב־טַבָּחִ֔ים אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֑ם וַיִּשְׁבֵּם֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ לַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ ס

The Lexham Hebrew Bible (Logos Bible Software, 2012), Je 41:1–10.