tz Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of ſudah, to Gedaliah unto Mizpah,and gathered wine, and ſummer- fruits very much p. ya
p Probably upon the King of Babylon's firſt invading Judah, many fled, and more as he went on his Corquelts, over-running the Conntty,and it is likely at the raking of the City many elcap- ed, and fled into feveral Countries as they had opportunity, 0r judged this or that Country would be fateſt, ſome fledl to Moas,
ſome to Ammon, ſome to Edom, ſome one way, lome anotner : But when they had heard that the King of Baby/on had let a Go vernour of their own Religion and Country over them they came back to him, andrhere being few People left 1n the land, which was of it felt wondertu!ly fruitful, they gathered a grea:t plenty oi Grapes and other Summer-fruits which the country produced.
13 $ Moreover, Johauan the ſon of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah 4. |
g They had been with him before, Fer. 8, 9. but how they come to dilcover a conſpiracy againſt his Life.
14 And ſaid unto him, Doſt thon certainly know 7 that Baalis the king of the Ammonires hath ſent Iſhmael the-ſon of Nethaniah || to flay thee ? / But
Gedaliah the ſon of Ahikam believed them not 7.
r Poſt thou, for doſt thou nor, for not is plainly underſtood as the lence makes evident. { Whether this Baalis be a proper name of the king of the Ammenites, or as tome think an appella- tive Naine, ſignifying the Lady or the Queen Regent, 1s 1ncertain, What made the prince of theAmmonizes do this can be but gueſſed, probab!y the old hatred they had to Iſrael, or hopes they ſhould have the better fiſhing in theſe Waters when they were trouved, 7 Gedaliah feems a Man of a good Humour, not too creculous, 2nd believes not the information.
I5 Then Johanan the ſon of Kareah ſpake to Ge-! daliah in Mrzpah ſecretly, ſaying, let me go, 1 pray; thee, and I will flay Iſhmael the ſon of Nethaniah, and no man ſhall know zx : wherefore ſhould he flay thee; that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee ſhould be ſcattered, and the remnanc of Judah pe- riſh z. | |
u Dilcerning that Gedaliahtook no great notice of his words ipoken to him in the preſence of the other Captains, he goeth to him ſecretly, oftereth him his" Service to prevent the ſtroke, if he might have Commiſſion trom him ; mindeth him that it he did not value his own Life, yet he ought to conſider, in what a condition the People would be in, in caſe he were cur off, they were now but a imall Remnant,and then that Remnant alſo would periſh.
16 But Gedaliah the ſon of Ahikam, faid unto Jo- tanan the ſon of Rarcah, Thou ſhalt not do this thing, tor thou ſpeakeſt fallly of Iſhmael .
w Thus God dementates thoſe whom he defigneth to deſtroy. Gelaliah inthis ſheweth en excellent Temper, not to be over cre- dnlovs and ſuſpicious, Charity thinks no i/1, but not that Prudence which became a chiet Magiſtrate. He ought to have been watch- tul againſt one.againſt whom he had received ſuch an informarti- on,which we ſhall in the next Chapter find he was not, but was ſlain by kim.
CH AP?7XLI.
Tihmael under a colour of friendſhip Jilleth Gedaliah and others, both Jews and Chaleans, 1, -— 9. He fpurpoſeth to carry the
MIAH
tj was Deputy Governour to the king of Batylor ; ſo deſperately
hardened were thele 7ews that they would not yet ſee that God had given their Country into the hard of the king of Babylon, who having now a right of Conqueſt over them, had authority tolet whom he pleated as his Fice-Rey or Deputy,Governour 0- ver them, to whom they ought to have yielded all ſubjection and obedience.
3 Iſhmael alſo ſlew all the Jews that were with him g, even with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, ard the men of Ware
g It appeareth from Ver. 10. that by all the Fews here muſt be underſtood only all thole who were about the Court of Gedalzzh, for it is there {aid that he carried away many that were with him.
4 And it came to paſs the ſecond day after he had
flain Gedaliah, and no man knew 7zt h. | þ That is, no Man who lived at any great diſtance from 2777+ pth, for Ihmzel was concerned what in him lay to keep this faughter private for tear the news of it ſhould have reached the ears of the King of Babylon, or the Commanders of lone of Nis
Forces, ſo as he ſhould not have had time to make his elcape.
5 That there came certain from Sechem, from Shilo, and from Samaria z, even fourſcoremen, ha- ving their beards ſhaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themſelves #, with offerings and incenſe in their hands to bring them to the houſe of the LORD/. | |
i Samariz vias the Name both of a City and a Province, She- chem was a City within that Province within the limits of the Tribe of Ephr1im, Fof. 20. 7. Theſe places were now inhabited by a mixt People, partly Jews, partly ſuch as the King of 4{ſy73. had upon his Conqueſt of the ten Tribes brought to inhabir there; from thence came $0 Men, k who poſſibly had nor heard of the Temple being burar, at leaft when they came out, or if they had heard otic, ye: thought, hearing ſome* Fews were lefr, that they might tave erected {ome Altar for Sacrifices, or it may be they brought no Beaſts, / For the Text ſpeaks only of incenſe and ot- ferings, they came with all indications of mourning uſed inthote Countries, ſyavn Beards, Cloathes rent, and having cut themſelves in a barbarous faſhion uſe1 by the Heathens, and forbidden the Jews, but yet practiſed by many of them.
hikam . Ti m He cometh out weeping, the better to deceive them into his
God's Diipenlations, and inviteth them to the. new Governour for Protection ;as if he had been one of his Courtiers and Eriends 5 by thcle Arts he concealeth his bloody deſign againſt them.
7 And it was ſo when they came into the midlt of the city that Iſhmael the ſon of Nethaniah flew them, and caſt them into the midſt of the pit, he, and the men that were with him 7. ws
» When he had thus enticed them into Mizph, he, and bis fol- lowers flay them, and throw their dead Bodies into a Pit, with aſliſtance of thoſe bloody Men thar were with him.
8 But ten men were found amongſt them, that ſaid unto Iſhmael, Slay us not, for we have treaſures in the field, offwheat, and of barly, and of oy], and of honey: So he forbare, and flew them not among{t their Brethren 0.