p Probably upon the King of Babylon firſt invading Judah, many fled, and more as he went on tin his Conqueſts over -running the Conntry, and it is likely at the taking of the City many eſcaped, and fl:d into ſeveral Countries as they had opportunity, or judged this or that Country would be ſafeſt, ſome fl:d to Moab ; ſome to Ammon ſome to Ed'm, ſome one way ſome another : But when they heard that the King of Babylon had tet a Governour of their jown Religion and Country over them they came baek to him. and there being few People lefc in the Land, which-was of it ſelf wonder- fully fruitful, they gathered a great plenty of Grapes, and other
ummer-frnits which the Country produced. 13 CMoreover, Johanan the ſon of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came
to Gedaliah to Mizpah g.
q They had been with him.before,Yer. 8.9.but now they come to diſcover a conſpiracy againſt his Life.
14 And ſaid unto him, Doſt thou certainly know 7 that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath ſent Ithmae! the ſon of Nethaniah [|to ſlay thee 2 { But Gedaliah
th: ſon of Ahikam believed them not ?.
r Doeft thou for doeſt thou not, for not is plainly underſftond ay the ſence makes evident. { Whether this Baat/; bz a proper name of the King of the Ammonites, or as fome thing an appellativeName, ſignifying the Lady or the 2uccn Regent, 1s incertain. What mace the Prince of the 4mmonites do t'11s, can be but gueſſed, probably the old hatred they had to 1/rael, or hopes that they ſhould have tie better fiſhing in theſe Waters when they were troubled. 7 Gedaliah ſeems a Man of a good Humor, not roo credulous and belieycs not the Information.
15 Then Johanan the ſon of Kareah ſpake to Geda- liah in Mizpah ſcreetly, ſaying, Let me go, I pray the and I will ſlay Iſhmael the ſon of Nethaniah, and no man ſhall know it: wherefore ſhould he ſlay thee, that all the Jews bi:h are gathered unto thee ſhould be
ſcattered, and theremnant of Judah periſh #.
« Diſcerning that Gedaliah took no great notice of his words ſpoken to him in the preſence of the other Captains, he goeth tc him ſecretly, offereth him his Service to prevent the ſtroke, if he might have Commiſſion from him.; mindeth him that if he dio not value his own Life, yet he ought to confider what a conditi» on the People would be in, in cafe he were cut off, they were now but a {mall Remnant, and then that Remnant alſo would periſh
16 ButGedaliah the ſonof Ahbikam, ſaid unto Joha- nan the ſon of Kareah, Thou ſhalt not dothis thing,
for thou ſpeakeſt falſly of Iſhmael . w Thus God dementates thoſe whom he deſigneth to deſtroy Gedaaliah in this ſheweth an excellent Temper not to be over credu- lous and ſuſpcious, Charity: thinks no ill, but not thar prudence which became a Chief Magiſtrate, He ought ro have been watch- fal againſt one, againſt whom he had received ſuch an information which weſhall in the nextChap. find he was not,but was ſlain by him | CHAP. XLI
Iſhmael, under # collour of friendſhip killeth Gedaliah ans others, both Jews and Chaldeans, r,-<-9. He purpoſeth to carry the Reſidue Captive ro:he Ammonites, but they are reſcued from him by Johanan, who in= rende:b tofles into Egypt, 1c==+18, [4
EET
Chap. XL} 2 K'ng 25s 25, Ul!
E MT AH
2 N OW it came to paſs in the ſeventh month a,7hat
Iſhmaelthe ſon of Nethaniah theſon of Eliſhama of che ſeed royal b, and the princes of theking, even ten men with hime, came unto Gedaliah the fon o Ahikam to Mizpah, and there they did eat bread to- gether in Mizpah d.
a That is three Months after the City was taken, Chap 39. 2. b The ſame 1/bmael that came to Gedaliah, Verſe 8. 9. to whom be ſware ProteQion ; only here we are told that he was of the Royal Blood, which might both raiſe his Spirits, as having 2 More legal pretence to the Government, and rendred him a fitrer inſtrument, tor Baalis the King or Queen of the Ammonites to make uſe of. 6 Some of the Princes, who had eſcaped the Army of the King of Bas bzlon, they and their Retinue came in pretended Complement to Gedaliah. Who treated them kindly,they Dined or Supped with him
2 Then aroſe Iſhmael the fon of Nethaniah, and the ten mea that were with him, and ſmote Gedaliah the ſon of Ahikam, the ſon of Shaphan, with the ſword, and ſlew him e, whom the king of Babylon had made governour over the land f. BE.
e Theſe ten Men with their retinue fall upon Ged2l:ah and bar barouſly murder him. f Their Quarrel againſt him was, that he was Deputy Governour to the King of Babylonz ſo deſperatly hard= ned were theſe Jews,that they wou}d not yet ſee that God had gia ven their Countrey into the hand of the king of Babylon, who hav= ing now a right of Conqueſt over them, had authority ro ſet whonme he pleaſed a5 his Yice-Roy or Deputy Governour over them, to whom they ought ro have yeilded all ſuvjeCtion and obedience.
3 Iibmael alſo flew all the Jews that were with him gz, even with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans :hat were found there, and the men of war, . - _.
g It appeareth from Yer. 10. that by all che: Jews here muſt be tnderſtood only all thoſe who were about the Court of Gedalish,for it is thereſaidthat he carried away manyrthat were with him, +
4 And it came to paſs the ſecond day after he had ſlain Gedaliah, and no man knew 3t þ,
þ That is, no Man who lived at any great diſtance from Mizpah, tor 1bmael was concerned what in him Jay to keep this ſlaughter privatefor fear the News of it ſhould have reached the ears of the King of Babyloy, or the Commanders of ſome of his Forces, ſo as he thould not have had time to make his eſcape. -
5 That there came certain from Shechem, from Shi- lo, and from Samaria z, eve» fourſcore men, having their beards ſhaven, and their clothes rent, and hav- ing cut thernſelves &, with offerings and incenſe in their handsto bring hem to the houſe of the LORD 7. |