mh_parser/vol_split/24 - Jeremiah/Chapter 41.xml

<div2 id="Jer.xlii" n="xlii" next="Jer.xliii" prev="Jer.xli" progress="43.61%" title="Chapter XLI">
<h2 id="Jer.xlii-p0.1">J E R E M I A H.</h2>
<h3 id="Jer.xlii-p0.2">CHAP. XLI.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Jer.xlii-p1" shownumber="no">It is a very tragical story that is related in
this chapter, and shows that evil pursues sinners. The black cloud
that was gathering in the foregoing chapter here bursts in a
dreadful storm. Those few Jews that escaped the captivity were
proud to think that they were still in their own land, when their
brethren had gone they knew not whither, were fond of the wine and
summer-fruits they had gathered, and were very secure under
Gedaliah's protectorship, when, on a sudden, even these remains
prove ruins too. I. Gedaliah is barbarously slain by Ishmael,
<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.1-Jer.41.2" parsed="|Jer|41|1|41|2" passage="Jer 41:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. All the
Jews that were with him were slain likewise (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.3" parsed="|Jer|41|3|0|0" passage="Jer 41:3">ver. 3</scripRef>) and a pit filled with their dead
bodies, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.9" parsed="|Jer|41|9|0|0" passage="Jer 41:9">ver. 9</scripRef>. III. Some
devout men, to the number of fourscore, that were going towards
Jerusalem, were drawn in by Ishmael, and murdered likewise,
<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.4-Jer.41.7" parsed="|Jer|41|4|41|7" passage="Jer 41:4-7">ver. 4-7</scripRef>. Only ten of
them escaped, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.8" parsed="|Jer|41|8|0|0" passage="Jer 41:8">ver. 8</scripRef>. IV.
Those that escaped the sword were taken prisoners by Ishmael, and
carried off towards the country of the Ammonites, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.10" parsed="|Jer|41|10|0|0" passage="Jer 41:10">ver. 10</scripRef>. V. By the conduct and
courage of Johanan, though the death of the slain is not revenged,
yet the prisoners are recovered, and he now becomes their
commander-in-chief, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.11-Jer.41.16" parsed="|Jer|41|11|41|16" passage="Jer 41:11-16">ver.
11-16</scripRef>. VI. His project is to carry them into the land of
Egypt (ver. <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p1.8" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.17-Jer.41.18" parsed="|Jer|41|17|41|18" passage="Jer 41:17-18">17, 18</scripRef>),
which we shall hear more of in the next chapter.</p>
<scripCom id="Jer.xlii-p1.9" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41" parsed="|Jer|41|0|0|0" passage="Jer 41" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Jer.xlii-p1.10" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.1-Jer.41.10" parsed="|Jer|41|1|41|10" passage="Jer 41:1-10" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Jer.xlii-p1.11">
<h4 id="Jer.xlii-p1.12">The Murder of Gedaliah. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xlii-p1.13">b. c.</span> 588.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jer.xlii-p2" shownumber="no">1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month,
<i>that</i> 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,
<i>even</i> with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were
found there, <i>and</i> the men of war.   4 And it came to
pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew
<i>it,</i>   5 That there came certain from Shechem, from
Shiloh, and from Samaria, <i>even</i> fourscore men, having their
beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves,
with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring <i>them</i> to
the house of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xlii-p2.1">Lord</span>.   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 <i>so,</i> when they came into the midst of the city, that
Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, <i>and cast them</i> into
the midst of the pit, he, and the men that <i>were</i> 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, <i>was</i> it which Asa the king had made for fear of
Baasha king of Israel: <i>and</i> Ishmael the son of Nethaniah
filled it with <i>them that were</i> slain.   10 Then Ishmael
carried away captive all the residue of the people that <i>were</i>
in Mizpah, <i>even</i> 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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xlii-p3" shownumber="no">It is hard to say which is more
astonishing, God's permitting or men's perpetrating such villanies
as here we find committed. Such base, barbarous, bloody work is
here done by men who by their birth should have been men of honour,
by their religion just men, and this done upon those of their own
nature, their own nation, their own religion, and now their
brethren in affliction, when they were all brought under the power
of the victorious Chaldeans, and smarting under the judgments of
God, upon no provocation, nor with any prospect of advantage—all
done, not only in cold blood, but with art and management. We have
scarcely such an instance of perfidious cruelty in all the
scripture; so that with John, when he saw the <i>woman drunk with
the blood of the saints,</i> we may well <i>wonder with great
admiration.</i> But God permitted it for the completing of the ruin
of an unhumbled people, and the filling up of the measure of their
judgments, who had filled up the measure of their iniquities. Let
it inspire us with an indignation at the wickedness of men and an
awe of God's righteousness.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xlii-p4" shownumber="no">I. Ishmael and his party treacherously
killed Gedaliah himself in the first place. Though the king of
Babylon had made him a great man, had given him a commission to be
<i>governor of the land</i> which he had conquered, though God had
made him a good man and a great blessing to his country, and his
agency for its welfare was as life from the dead, yet neither could
secure him. Ishmael was of <i>the seed royal</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.1" parsed="|Jer|41|1|0|0" passage="Jer 41:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>) and therefore jealous of
Gedaliah's growing greatness, and enraged that he should merit and
accept a commission under the king of Babylon. He had <i>ten
men</i> with him that were <i>princes of the king</i> too, guided
by the same peevish resentments that he was; these had been with
Gedaliah before, to put themselves under his protection (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.40.8" parsed="|Jer|40|8|0|0" passage="Jer 40:8"><i>ch.</i> xl. 8</scripRef>), and now came again
to make him a visit; <i>and they did eat bread together in
Mizpah.</i> He entertained them generously, and entertained no
jealousy of them, notwithstanding the information given him by
Johanan. They pretended friendship to him, and gave him no warning
to stand on his guard; he was in sincerity friendly to them, and
did all he could to oblige them. But those that did <i>eat
bread</i> with him <i>lifted up the heel</i> against him. They did
not pick a quarrel with him, but watched an opportunity, when they
had him alone, and assassinated him, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.2" parsed="|Jer|41|2|0|0" passage="Jer 41:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xlii-p5" shownumber="no">II. They likewise put all to the sword that
they found in arms there, both Jews and Chaldeans, all that were
employed under Gedaliah or were in any capacity to revenge his
death, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.3" parsed="|Jer|41|3|0|0" passage="Jer 41:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. As if
enough of the blood of Israelites had not been shed by the
Chaldeans, their own princes here mingle it with the blood of the
Chaldeans. The vine-dressers and the husbandmen were busy in the
fields, and knew nothing of this bloody massacre; so artfully was
it carried on and concealed.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xlii-p6" shownumber="no">III. Some good honest men, that were going
all in tears to lament the desolations of Jerusalem, were drawn in
by Ishmael, and murdered with the rest. Observe, 1. Whence they
came (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.5" parsed="|Jer|41|5|0|0" passage="Jer 41:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>)—
<i>from Shechem, Samaria,</i> and <i>Shiloh,</i> places that had
been famous, but were now reduced; they belonged to the ten tribes,
but there were some in those countries that retained an affection
for the worship of the God of Israel. 2. Whither they were
going—<i>to the house of the Lord,</i> the temple at Jerusalem,
which, no doubt, they had heard of the destruction of, and were
going to pay their respects to its ashes, to see its ruins, that
their eye might affect their heart with sorrow for them. They
<i>favour the dust thereof,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.102.14" parsed="|Ps|102|14|0|0" passage="Ps 102:14">Ps.
cii. 14</scripRef>. They took <i>offerings and incense in their
hand,</i> that if they should find any altar there, though it were
but an altar of earth, and any priest ready to officiate, they
might not be without something to offer; if not, yet they showed
their good-will, as Abraham, when he came to <i>the place of the
altar,</i> though the altar was gone. The people of God used to go
rejoicing to the <i>house of the Lord,</i> but these went in the
habit of mourners, with <i>their clothes rent</i> and <i>their
heads shaven;</i> for the providence of God loudly called to
weeping and mourning, because it was not with the faithful
worshippers of God as in months past. 3. How they were decoyed into
a fatal snare by Ishmael's malice. Hearing of their approach, he
resolved to be the death of them too, so bloodthirsty was he. He
seemed as if he hated every one that had the name of an Israelite
or the face of an honest man. These pilgrims towards Jerusalem he
had a spite to, for the sake of their errand. Ishmael went out to
meet them with crocodiles' tears, pretending to bewail the
desolations of Jerusalem as much as they; and, to try how they
stood affected to Gedaliah and his government, he courted them into
the town and found them to have a respect for him, which confirmed
him in his resolution to murder them. <i>He said, Come to
Gedaliah,</i> pretending he would have them come and live with him,
when really he intended that they should come and die with him,
<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.6" parsed="|Jer|41|6|0|0" passage="Jer 41:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>. They had heard
such a character of Gedaliah that they were willing enough to be
acquainted with him; but Ishmael, when he had them <i>in the midst
of the</i> town, fell upon them and <i>slew them</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.7" parsed="|Jer|41|7|0|0" passage="Jer 41:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>), and no doubt took the
offerings they had and converted them to his own use; for he that
would not stick at such a murder would not stick at sacrilege.
Notice is taken of his disposing of the dead bodies of these and
the rest that he had slain; he tumbled them all into a great
<i>pit</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.7" parsed="|Jer|41|7|0|0" passage="Jer 41:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>),
the same pit that Asa king of Judah had digged long before, either
in the city or adjoining to it, when he built or fortified Mizpah
(<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.6" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.15.22" parsed="|1Kgs|15|22|0|0" passage="1Ki 15:22">1 Kings xv. 22</scripRef>), to be a
frontier-garrison against <i>Baasha king of Israel</i> and <i>for
fear of</i> him, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.7" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.9" parsed="|Jer|41|9|0|0" passage="Jer 41:9"><i>v.</i>
9</scripRef>. Note, Those that dig pits with a good intention know
not what bad use they may be put to, one time or other. He slew so
many that he could not afford them each a grave, or would not do
them so much honour, but threw them all promiscuously into one pit.
Among these last that were doomed to the slaughter there were ten
that obtained a pardon, by working, not on the compassion, but the
covetousness, of those that had them at their mercy, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.8" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.8" parsed="|Jer|41|8|0|0" passage="Jer 41:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>. They <i>said to
Ishmael,</i> when he was about to suck their blood, like an
insatiable horseleech, after that of the companions, <i>Slay us
not, for we have treasurers in the field,</i> country treasures,
large stocks upon the ground, abundance of such commodities as the
country affords, <i>wheat and barley, and oil and honey,</i>
intimating that they would discover it to him and put him in
possession of it all, if he would spare them. <i>Skin for skin, and
all that a man has, will he give for his life.</i> This bait
prevailed. Ishmael saved them, not for the love of mercy, but for
the love of money. Here were riches kept for the owners thereof,
not <i>to their hurt</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.9" osisRef="Bible:Eccl.5.13" parsed="|Eccl|5|13|0|0" passage="Ec 5:13">Eccl. v.
13</scripRef>) and to cause them to <i>lose their lives</i>
(<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p6.10" osisRef="Bible:Job.31.39" parsed="|Job|31|39|0|0" passage="Job 31:39">Job xxxi. 39</scripRef>), but to
their good and the preserving of their lives. Solomon observes that
sometimes <i>the ransom of a man's life is his riches.</i> But
those who think thus to bribe death, when it comes with commission,
and plead with it, saying, <i>Slay us not, for we have treasures in
the field,</i> will find death inexorable and themselves wretchedly
deceived.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xlii-p7" shownumber="no">IV. He carried off the people prisoners.
<i>The king's daughters</i> (whom the Chaldeans cared not for
troubling themselves with when they had the king's sons) and the
poor of the land, the vine-dressers and husband-men, that were
committed to Gedaliah's charge, were all led away prisoners towards
the country of <i>the Ammonites</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.10" parsed="|Jer|41|10|0|0" passage="Jer 41:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>), Ishmael probably intending to
make a present of them, as the trophies of his barbarous victory,
to the king of that country, that set him on. This melancholy story
is a warning to us never to be secure in this world. Worse may be
yet to come when we think the worst is over; and that end of one
trouble, which we fancy to be the end of all trouble, may prove to
be the beginning of another, of a greater. These prisoners thought,
<i>Surely the bitterness of death,</i> and of captivity, <i>is
past;</i> and yet some died by the sword and others went into
captivity. When we think ourselves safe, and begin to be easy,
destruction may come that way that we little expect it. There is
many a ship wrecked in the harbour. We can never be sure of peace
on this side heaven.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jer.xlii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.11-Jer.41.18" parsed="|Jer|41|11|41|18" passage="Jer 41:11-18" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Jer.xlii-p7.3">
<h4 id="Jer.xlii-p7.4">Johanan Pursues Ishmael; Ishmael's
Retreat. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xlii-p7.5">b. c.</span> 588.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jer.xlii-p8" shownumber="no">11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all
the captains of the forces that <i>were</i> 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 <i>are</i> in
Gibeon.   13 Now it came to pass, <i>that</i> when all the
people which <i>were</i> with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of
Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that <i>were</i> 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 <i>were</i> with him, all the
remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after <i>that</i> he had slain Gedaliah the
son of Ahikam, <i>even</i> 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 Beth-lehem, 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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xlii-p9" shownumber="no">It would have been well if Johanan, when he
gave information to Gedaliah of Ishmael's treasonable design,
though he could not obtain leave to kill Ishmael and to prevent it
that way, yet had staid with Gedaliah; for he, and his captains,
and their forces, might have been a life-guard to Gedaliah and a
terror to Ishmael, and so have prevented the mischief without the
effusion of blood: but, it seems they were out upon some
expedition, perhaps no good one, and so were out of the way when
they should have been upon the best service. Those that affect to
ramble are many times out of their place when they are most needed.
However, at length they <i>hear of all the evil that Ishmael had
done</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.11" parsed="|Jer|41|11|0|0" passage="Jer 41:11"><i>v.</i> 11</scripRef>),
and are resolved to try an after-game, which we have an account of
in these verses. 1. We heartily wish Johanan could have taken
revenge upon the murderers, but he prevailed only to rescue the
captives. Those that had shed so much blood, it was a pity but
their blood should have been shed; and it is strange that vengeance
suffered them to live; yet it did. Johanan gathered what forces he
could <i>and went to fight with Ishmael</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.12" parsed="|Jer|41|12|0|0" passage="Jer 41:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>), upon notice of the murders he
had committed (for though he concealed it for a time, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.4" parsed="|Jer|41|4|0|0" passage="Jer 41:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>, yet murder will out) and
which way he was gone; he pursued him, and overtook him by the
great <i>pool of Gibeon,</i> which we read of, <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.4" osisRef="Bible:2Sam.2.13" parsed="|2Sam|2|13|0|0" passage="2Sa 2:13">2 Sam. ii. 13</scripRef>. And, upon his appearing with
such a force, Ishmael's heart failed him, his guilty conscience
flew in his face, and he durst not stand his ground against an
enemy that was something like a match for him. The most cruel are
often the most cowardly. The poor captives <i>were glad when they
saw Johanan</i> and <i>the captains that were with him,</i> looking
upon them as their deliverers (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.13" parsed="|Jer|41|13|0|0" passage="Jer 41:13"><i>v.</i> 13</scripRef>), and they immediately found a
way to wheel about and come over to them (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.6" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.14" parsed="|Jer|41|14|0|0" passage="Jer 41:14"><i>v.</i> 14</scripRef>), Ishmael not offering to
detain them when he saw Johanan. Note, Those that would be helped
must help themselves. These captives staid not till their
conquerors were beaten, but took the first opportunity to make
their escape, as soon as they saw their friends appear and their
enemies thereby disheartened. Ishmael quitted his pray to save his
life, and <i>escaped with eight men,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.7" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.15" parsed="|Jer|41|15|0|0" passage="Jer 41:15"><i>v.</i> 15</scripRef>. It seems, two of his ten men,
that were his banditti or assassins (spoken of <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.8" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.1" parsed="|Jer|41|1|0|0" passage="Jer 41:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>), either deserted him or were
killed in the engagement; but he made the best of his way to the
Ammonites, as a perfect renegado, that had quite abandoned all
relation to the commonwealth of Israel, though he was of the seed
royal, and we hear no more of him. 2. We heartily wish that
Johanan, when he had rescued the captives, would have sat down
quietly with them, and governed them peaceably, as Gedaliah did;
but, instead of that, he is for leading them into the land of
Egypt, as Ishmael would have led them into the land of the
Ammonites; so that though he got the command over them in a better
way than Ishmael did, and honestly enough, yet he did not use it
much better. Gedaliah, who was of a meek and quiet spirit, was a
great blessing to them; but Johanan, who was of a fierce and
restless spirit, was set over them for their hurt, and to complete
their ruin, even after they were, as they thought, redeemed. Thus
did God still walk contrary to them. (1.) The resolution of Johanan
and the captains was very rash; nothing would serve them but they
would <i>go to enter into Egypt</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.9" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.17" parsed="|Jer|41|17|0|0" passage="Jer 41:17"><i>v.</i> 17</scripRef>), and, in order to that, they
encamped for a time <i>in the habitation of Chimham, by
Bethlehem,</i> David's city. Probably it was some land which David
gave to Chimham, the son of Barzillai, which, though it returned to
David's family at the year of the Jubilee, yet still bore the name
of <i>Chimham.</i> Here Johanan made his headquarters, steering his
course towards Egypt, either from a personal affection to that
country or an ancient national confidence in the Egyptians for help
in distress. Some of the <i>mighty men of war,</i> it seems had
escaped; those he took with him, <i>and the women and children,
whom he had recovered from Ishmael,</i> who were thus emptied from
vessel to vessel, because they were yet unchanged. (2.) The reason
for this resolution was very frivolous. They pretended that <i>they
were afraid of the Chaldeans,</i> that they would come and do I
know not what with them, <i>because Ishmael had</i> killed
<i>Gedaliah,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xlii-p9.10" osisRef="Bible:Jer.41.18" parsed="|Jer|41|18|0|0" passage="Jer 41:18"><i>v.</i>
18</scripRef>. I cannot think they really had any apprehensions of
danger upon this account; for, though it is true that the Chaldeans
had cause enough to resent the murder of their viceroy, yet they
were not so unreasonable, or unjust, as to revenge it upon those
who appeared so vigorously against the murderers. But they only
make use of this as a sham to cover that corrupt inclination of
their unbelieving ancestors, which was so strong in them, <i>to
return into Egypt.</i> Those will justly lose their comfort in real
fears that excuse themselves in sin with pretended fears.</p>
</div></div2>