Jeremiah 41:12 kjv
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.
Jeremiah 41:12 nkjv
they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah; and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon.
Jeremiah 41:12 niv
they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon.
Jeremiah 41:12 esv
they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at the great pool that is in Gibeon.
Jeremiah 41:12 nlt
they took all their men and set out to stop him. They caught up with him at the large pool near Gibeon.
Jeremiah 41 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 40:7-9 | Ishmael and his men rebel against Gedaliah. | Historical Context of Treachery |
| 2 Kgs 25:25 | Ishmael's act is recorded in Kings. | Parallel Account of Judgment |
| 2 Kgs 25:22 | Gedaliah was appointed governor by the Babylonians. | Context of Governing the Remnant |
| Jer 41:1-3 | Ishmael's feast turning into an attack. | Fulfilment of Plot |
| Jer 41:10 | Ishmael carried captives towards Ammon. | Consequence of Violence |
| Jer 41:14-18 | The aftermath of Ishmael's actions. | Dispersion and Fear |
| Prov 4:16 | Wickedness prospers but leads to ruin. | General Principle of Evil's Outcome |
| Prov 14:22 | Those who plot evil go astray. | Moral Consequences |
| Jer 18:18 | The righteous speak against wickedness. | Role of God's Messengers |
| Jer 15:1-4 | Jeremiah's prayer against his enemies who killed Gedaliah. | Shared Grief and Imprecation |
| Ps 55:12-14 | A familiar companion betrays. | Parallel in Personal Betrayal |
| Ps 109:4-5 | Prayer against enemies. | Similar Cry for Justice |
| Gal 6:7-8 | Reaping what one sows. | Principle of Sowing and Reaping |
| John 13:21 | Jesus foretells betrayal. | Prophetic Insight into Betrayal |
| Acts 1:16 | Judas Iscariot's betrayal. | Example of Betrayal's Consequences |
| Rev 18:24 | Prophets and saints were slain on earth. | Universalization of Persecution |
| Matt 23:35 | Jesus speaks of bloodguilt on Jerusalem. | Accountability for Violence |
| Ps 41:1 | Blessings for considering the poor and weak. | Contrast with Ishmael's Cruelty |
| Jer 39:14 | Lament of the oppressed. | Context of Suffering Post-Destruction |
| Jer 52:24-27 | Zedekiah's sons, who were spared by Nebuchadnezzar, were executed. | Context of Similar Violence against Royalty |
| Acts 7:52 | Accusation against Israel for killing prophets. | Recurrence of Violent Rejection |
| John 10:10 | The thief comes to steal and destroy. | Ishmael as a symbol of destructive force |
Jeremiah 41 verses
Jeremiah 41 12 Meaning
The verse describes Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, coming with ten men to Gedaliah, the governor, at Mizpah and killing him, along with the Jews and Chaldeans who were with him.
Jeremiah 41 12 Context
This verse is found in the midst of Jeremiah's account of the aftermath of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. After Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and carried many into exile, he appointed Gedaliah as governor over the remnant of Judah left in the land. Gedaliah's administration was intended to provide stability and allow the remaining population to rebuild their lives. However, there were still disaffected elements within Judah, particularly those who had escaped the initial deportations. Ishmael, from a prominent royal lineage, appears to represent a faction resentful of Babylonian rule and perhaps of Gedaliah's perceived subservience to it, or possibly ambitious for power himself. This incident in Mizpah is a brutal act of violence that undermines the fragile peace established by Gedaliah, plunging the remnant back into fear and uncertainty, and ultimately leading to further complications for those who remained in the land.
Jeremiah 41 12 Word analysis
- וַיָּבֹא֙ (vayyāḇō’): And he came. (Vav consecutive perfect, third person masculine singular from בּוֹא - bō’ – to come, enter).
- יִשְׁמָאֵ֜ל (Yišmā’ēl): Ishmael. (Proper name, meaning "God hears" or "May God hear").
- בֶּן־ (ben-): son of.
- נְתַנְיָ֖הוּ (Nəṯanyāhū): Nethaniah. (Proper name, meaning "God has given").
- וַעֲשָׂרָה֙ (wa‘ᵃśārāh): and ten. (Preceded by Vav-consecutive 'wa', followed by the numeral 'aserah' – ten).
- אֲנָשִׁ֔ים (’ănāšîm): men. (Plural of אישׁ – ’îš).
- וַיַּכֵּ֣ת (wayyakēṯ): and he struck down / killed. (Vav-consecutive perfect, third person masculine singular from כּוּת - kūṯ – to strike, kill). This strong verb implies a decisive and violent action.
- אֶת־ (’eṯ): direct object marker.
- גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ (Gəḏalyāhū): Gedaliah. (Proper name, meaning "Great is Yahweh").
- בְּמִצְפָּ֑ה (bəmiṣpāh): at Mizpah. (Preposition 'be' – in/at, followed by Mizpah, a significant city and site of a fortress, meaning "watchtower" or "vigil").
- וְאֶת־ (wə’eṯ): and (with) the.
- הַיְּהוּדִ֞ים (hayyəhūḏîm): the Jews. (Definite article 'ha', plural of יְהוּדִי – Yəhūḏî – a Jew).
- אֲשֶׁר־ (’ašer-): who. (Relative pronoun).
- הָיוּ־ (hāyū-): were. (Perfect, third person masculine plural of היה – hāyāh – to be).
- אִתּ֔וֹ (’ittô): with him. (Preposition 'et' – with, suffixed pronoun 'o' – him).
- בְּמִצְפָּ֖ה (bəmiṣpāh): at Mizpah. (Repeats the location).
- וְאֶת־ (wə’eṯ): and (with) the.
- הַכַּשְׂדִּ֣ים (hakkaśdîm): the Chaldeans. (Definite article 'ha', plural of כַּשְׂדִּי – Kaśdî – Chaldean, referring to the Babylonians).
- הַנִּמְצְאִ֥ים (hannimṣā’îm): who were there / found there. (Definite article 'ha', participle, masculine plural from מָצָא – māṣā’ – to find, be present).
Group analysis:
- "Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and ten men with him": Introduces the perpetrators, highlighting Ishmael's leadership and the compact group size, which contrasts with the significance of his act.
- "came to Gedaliah at Mizpah": Sets the scene of deceptive approach; Mizpah was a place of governance, making the act a direct assault on the established order.
- "and struck down Gedaliah, and the Jews who were with him, and the Chaldeans who were there": Details the brutal assassination and indiscriminate killing, showing no respect for either the governor, his compatriots, or the Babylonian garrison.
Jeremiah 41 12 Bonus section
The presence of "Chaldeans who were there" is significant. They were the occupying force and likely part of Gedaliah's administration or security. Their death alongside the Jews highlights that Ishmael's agenda was not just to eliminate a perceived collaborator but to unleash chaos and eliminate any authority, including the Babylonian presence at Mizpah. This violent act ultimately led the remaining faithful Jews, fearing Babylonian reprisal, to flee to Egypt, contrary to God’s word conveyed through Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 41 12 Commentary
This verse details a shocking act of treachery. Ishmael, a man of royal blood, capitalized on a moment of apparent peace and conviviality to murder Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor of Judah, along with the Jewish residents and even the Babylonian soldiers present. This assassination disrupted the fragile recovery of the remnant after Jerusalem's fall, demonstrating that internal division and resentment could be as destructive as external conquest. The mention of both Jews and Chaldeans being killed emphasizes the violation of sanctuary and the pervasive violence that characterized this period, pushing the remnant further into despair and complicating their relationship with their overlords.