Jeremiah Chapter 41 — The Assassination of Gedaliah
Ishmael assassinates Governor Gedaliah and several others before taking captives; Johanan eventually rescues the people, who then flee toward Egypt.
1Now in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they ate bread together in Mizpah.
2Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
3Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean men of war who were found there.
4The second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it,
5men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the LORD’s house.
6Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went, and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”
7It was so, when they came into the middle of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them, and cast them into the middle of the pit, he, and the men who were with him.
8But ten men were found among those who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey.”
9Now the pit in which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had killed, by the side of Gedaliah (this was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel), Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with those who were killed.
10Then Ishmael carried away captive all of the people who were left in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.
11But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
12then 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.
13Now when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, then they were glad.
14So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.
15But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.
16Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—the men of war, with the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.
17They departed and lived in Geruth Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt
18because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Jeremiah 41:2
“Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him...”
This verse describes the central act of betrayal that destabilized the remaining Judean community.
Jeremiah 41:18
“...because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.”
This verse explains the motivation for the remnant's eventual flight to Egypt, driven by fear of Babylonian vengeance.
Chapter Summary
Jeremiah 41 details a violent internal conflict among the Judean survivors after the fall of Jerusalem. Ishmael, a man of royal descent, visits Governor Gedaliah in Mizpah under the guise of friendship. During a meal, Ishmael and ten associates assassinate Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Babylonian soldiers present. Ishmael then deceives eighty pilgrims from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria who were bringing offerings to the ruins of the temple; he murders most of them and casts their bodies into a cistern, sparing only ten men who offer him hidden supplies of food. Ishmael takes the remaining people of Mizpah captive, including the king's daughters, and attempts to cross into Ammonite territory. However, Johanan and other military officers pursue Ishmael, catching him near Gibeon. The captives escape back to Johanan, while Ishmael flees to Ammon with eight men. Fearing that the Babylonians will retaliate for the murder of their appointed governor, Johanan leads the survivors toward Bethlehem with the intention of entering Egypt for refuge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, was a member of the Judean royal family and a high-ranking officer. He led the conspiracy to assassinate Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonians.
After Ishmael murdered Gedaliah and the Babylonian soldiers stationed with him, the remaining Judeans feared that King Nebuchadnezzar would hold the entire community responsible. They sought refuge in Egypt to escape potential Babylonian retaliation.
Ishmael lured the eighty mourners into Mizpah and slaughtered seventy of them, throwing their bodies into a large cistern. He spared ten of them only because they told him they had hidden stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey in the fields.
Study Note
The large cistern used by Ishmael to hide the bodies was originally built by King Asa of Judah for defense against King Baasha of Israel nearly 300 years earlier.
Related Chapters
2 Kings 25
This chapter provides a parallel historical summary of Gedaliah's short-lived governorship and assassination.
Jeremiah 40
The previous chapter explains how Gedaliah was warned about Ishmael's plot but refused to believe it.
Jeremiah 42
The following chapter records the remnant's petition to Jeremiah to ask God whether they should proceed to Egypt.
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