1 - 3 The Murder of Gedaliah
1 In the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and [one] of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. While they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, 2 Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. 3 Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, [that is] with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.
In the seventh month, Ishmael – someone of whom we now read that he is of royal descent – comes with the chief officers and ten men to Gedaliah (verse 1). He pretends to have peaceful intentions. Gedaliah seems to be up to no good, as he offers them a meal. During the meal – a picture of fellowship – the company, led by Ishmael, turns against Gedaliah and they kill him (verse 2). It is emphasized that they kill him “whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land”. Ishmael also kills all who are with Gedaliah, including some Babylonian men (verse 3).
In Ishmael we see the madness of power-seeking men, something we see again and again throughout human history and in the Word of God. Satan is always out to destroy the testimony of God. He succeeds here by a man bent on seizing power. The king of Babylon has allowed the poorest of the land in Israel to stay and has put Gedaliah over them. Under his leadership, they can rebuild something that can be to the glory of God, acknowledging the authority of a heathen ruler whom God has set over them because of their unfaithfulness.
4 - 10 The Massacre of the Pilgrims
4 Now it happened on the next day after the killing of Gedaliah, when no one knew about [it], 5 that eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed, having grain offerings and incense in their hands to bring to the house of the LORD. 6 Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went; and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!” 7 Yet it turned out that as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men that were with him slaughtered them [and cast them] into the cistern. 8 But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, “Do not put us to death; for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field.” So he refrained and did not put them to death along with their companions. 9 Now as for the cistern where Ishmael had cast all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down because of Gedaliah, it was the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. 10 Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had put under the charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and proceeded to cross over to the sons of Ammon.
Two days later, no one is yet aware about the murder of Gedaliah (verse 4). But there is no rest for Ishmael. Men come from Shechem with the intention of offering grain offerings and incense in the house of the LORD (verse 5). These offerings are sacrifices without blood because there is no possibility of slaughtering animals (cf. Deu 12:13-14,17-18).
The company consists of eighty men. They wear signs of mourning including the heathen sign of carving in the body. Ishmael leaves Mizpah to meet them and hypocritically joins them by weeping with them (verse 6). He invites them to go with him to Gedaliah. When they arrive in the city, Ishmael casts off his mask and slaughters them (verse 7). The bodies he casts in the cistern. However, ten of the eighty men escape death by telling Ishmael that they have hidden supplies of wheat, barley, oil and honey in the field (verse 8).
The cistern into which the bodies of all the slain men are thrown, including those of Gedaliah and his men, has a history (verse 9). It is the cistern that King Asa made as a shelter. He did this for fear of Baasha, the king of Israel, threatening him (1Kgs 15:22; 2Chr 16:6). This cistern is filled by Ishmael with the fallen.
Then he carries off the remnant as captives and seeks refuge with the Ammonites (verse 10). He thought he could be king of Israel, but sees that he has ventured into an adventure, the consequences of which he has not foreseen. This is how many criminals act who expect a lot from their crime to improve their lives, while it only brings misery.
11 - 15 The Escape of Ishmael
11 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. 12 So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. 13 Now as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the commanders of the forces that were with him, they were glad. 14 So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon.
Johanan, who has warned Gedaliah of Ishmael’s evil intentions, hears of all the evil that Ishmael has done (verse 11). He realizes that Nebuchadnezzar’s anger will kindle when he hears this and he will kill all in the land. To prove himself a faithful servant of the king of Babylon, he wants to fight Ishmael (verse 12). He meets Ishmael at the great pool that is in Gibeon. When all the people who are with Ishmael see Johanan, they are glad (verse 13) and defect to him (verse 14). Ishmael flees with eight of the ten men who are with him and escapes (verse 15). It appears that two were killed.
16 - 18 The Run Into Egypt
16 Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, [that is], the men who were soldiers, [the] women, [the] children, and [the] eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. 17 And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt 18 because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
Starting in verse 16, it is about the journey to Egypt. In it we see the human considerations for running to Egypt. Everything is plausible to the human mind. However, it is not a work of faith. Faith is the great missing factor in all deliberations. The LORD is consulted, but without the willingness to do what He says, because the plans have been made and the decision has been made. The LORD only has to put His signature on it, as it were, by blessing their self-made plans.
Johanan is the deliverer of the remnant of the people who had been taken captive by Ishmael (verse 16). However, this does not put him out of danger. The king of Babylon will certainly hear what has happened and send a punitive expedition to Israel. Therefore, with all who are with him, he goes to Geruth Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, and from there continues on to Egypt (verse 17). He flees from the Chaldeans because Ishmael has killed the governor whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land (verse 18). Ishmael has fled and therefore Johanan can prove nothing of his intention to kill him and thereby show that the whole rebellion was not from him.