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<p>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> (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.11" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.11">Jer. 41:11</a>), 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> (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.12" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.12">Jer. 41:12</a>), upon notice of the murders he had committed (for though he concealed it for a time, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.4" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.4">Jer. 41:4</a>; 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, <a class="bibleref" title="2Sam.2.13" href="/passage/?search=2Sam.2.13">2 Sam. 2:13</a>. 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 (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.13" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.13">Jer. 41:13</a>), and they immediately found a way to wheel about and come over to them (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.14" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.14">Jer. 41:14</a>), 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>, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.15" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.15">Jer. 41:15</a>. It seems, two of his ten men, that were his banditti or assassins (spoken of <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.41.1" href="/passage/?search=Jer.41.1">Jer. 41:1</a>), 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> (<a class="biblere
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