The Living Word

KING JAMES VERSION

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

— Isaiah 40:8

Jeremiah 41

Listen to the Word

Initializing audio...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

4

And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

11

But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

WhatsApp Copy

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 are in Gibeon.

WhatsApp Copy

13

Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

15

But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

WhatsApp Copy

16

Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:

WhatsApp Copy

17

And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

WhatsApp Copy

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.

WhatsApp Copy

Previous Next

Chapter Study & Analysis

Overview

Jeremiah 41 - The Insurrection of Ishmael: Ishmael, of the royal seed, assassinates Gedaliah and slaughters seventy men. He attempts to take the remnant captive to the Ammonites, but Johanan rescues them, though fear of Babylon remains.

THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

1. Internal Strife: Even after the national collapse, the "royal seed" (Ishmael) acts with treachery, showing that a title without a transformed heart is dangerous.
2. The Horror of Civil War: The murder of the governor appointed by Babylon creates a new wave of terror and instability.
3. The Pit of Asas (v. 9): A historical reference to a pit filled with corpses, symbolizing the depth of Judah's tragedy.

Practical Lessons

PRACTICAL LESSONS

1. The Fruit of Bitterness: Ishmael’s actions show how envy and lost status can lead to destructive behavior.
2. Fear-Driven Decisions: The people begin to look toward Egypt because they fear Babylonian retaliation for a crime they didn't commit.

Copied to clipboard!