And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
23. And [R.V. Now ] when all the captains heard ] The governorship of Gedaliah appears to have found much favour. We are told (Jeremiah 41) that when Jeremiah was set at liberty by Nebuzar-adan at Ramah he at once made his way to Gedaliah; beside that the captains of the forces gathered to him, and so did the Jews that had escaped into the countries round about, Moab, Ammon and Edom; and it is said ‘they gathered wine and summer fruits very much’. Meantime Gedaliah was warned that Baalis the king of the Ammonites had sent Ishmael to slay him, but he refused to credit the report, and when one of his friends voluntered to slay Ishmael, Gedaliah would not permit it.
captains of the armies ] R.V. forces. Thus translated in Jer 40:7.
to Mizpah ] See on 1Ki 15:22. Jerusalem was now in ruins. Mizpah was a strong place about six miles north of the Holy City.
Ishmael the son of Nethaniah ] Jer 41:1 (see also below verse 25) adds that Nethaniah was the son of Elishama of the seed royal. How he was connected with the royal blood we cannot discover. He had been in the country of the Ammonites during the destruction of Jerusalem, and when Gedaliah was set up as governor in Mizpah he came into Judah, apparently at the instigation of Baalis, king of Ammon, with the purpose of slaying Gedaliah and occupying his place. At first he acted as if friendly to Gedaliah, but after a short time, at a banquet where he and ten friends were entertained by Gedaliah, the murder of the governor was perpetrated, and at the same time all the Jews in the house with Gedaliah were likewise slain. All this was done with such precaution and secrecy that for two days nobody outside the governor’s palace knew what had been done. After that time Ishmael, observing a party of fourscore pilgrims coming towards Mizpah, went to meet them, and bringing them into the courtyard of the house as if to see Gedaliah, had all but ten of them killed and cast into the well in the court. He now resolved on flight and taking away with him the daughters of Zedekiah, who had been put under Gedaliah’s charge, he turned his steps to the land of Ammon. But Johanan and the other captains, who had by this time discovered the atrocious murders, pursued Ishmael, yet though they came up with him and his party ‘by the great waters that were in Gibeon’, and though Ishmael’s followers were at once ready to desert him, the villain, and eight more with him, escaped into the country of the Ammonites.
Johanan the son of Careah ] R.V. Kareah. This is the spelling of A.V. in Jer 40:8; Jer 41:11, &c. It was Johanan who warned Gedaliah of the plot against him. He is mentioned (Jer 43:2-4) as one of those who were prominent in the proceedings when Jeremiah was carried off into Egypt. He is there classed among ‘all the proud men’. A brother of his, Jonathan, is mentioned in Jer 40:8.
Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth ] He is called here the Netophathite, but in the enumeration of Jeremiah that description is omitted, and some other persons are described as ‘the sons of Ephai, the Netophathite’.
Jaazaniah the son of a [R.V. the ] Maachathite ] The name is spelt Jezaniah in Jeremiah’s narrative.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The captains of the armies – i. e., the officers of the troops who had fled from Jerusalem with Zedekiah 2Ki 25:4, and had then dispersed and gone into hiding 2Ki 25:5.
For Mizpah, see Jos 18:26 note.
The Netophathite – Netophah, the city of Ephai (compare Jer 40:8), appears to have been in the neighborhood of Bethlehem Neh 7:26; Ezr 2:21-22. The name is perhaps continued in the modern Antubeh, about 2 12 miles S. S. E. of Jerusalem.
A Maachathite – Maachah lay in the stony country east of the upper Jordan, bordering upon Bashan Deu 3:14.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. To Mizpah] This is said to have been situated on the east side of the river Jordan, and most contiguous to Babylon, and therefore the most proper for the residence of Gedaliah, because nearest to the place from which he was to receive his instructions. But there were several places of this name, and we do not exactly know where this was situated.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The captains of the armies, which escaped away when Zedekiah was taken. See Poole “2Ki 25:4“, See Poole “2Ki 25:5“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[See comments on 2Ki 25:22]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(23) The captains of the armies.Rather, the army captains; or, the captains of the forces. They and their men had fled with the king, and dispersed themselves over the country (Jer. 40:7). Now they came out of hiding.
Their men.The Hebrew text has the men, but all the versions, and Jer. 40:7, read rightly, their men.
Mizpah.See 1Ki. 15:22. It was well suited to be the governors residence, as it lay high, and was a naturally strong position. Moreover, it was the seat of an ancient sanctuary (Jdg. 20:1), which might serve in some sort as a substitute for the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem (Jer. 41:5).
Ishmael.Grandson of Elishama the royal secretary (2Ki. 25:25; Jer. 36:12; Jer. 36:20), and of royal blood (Jer. 41:1).
Johanan the son of Careah.Jer. 40:8, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Careah.
The Netophathite.The words, and the sons of Ophai, have fallen out before this epithet (Jer. 40:8), and probably the names of these sons of Ophai in both passages. Netophah is mentioned in Ezr. 2:22; Neh. 7:26. It may be Beit Nettif south-west of Jerusalem.
The son of a (the) Maachathite.His father was an alien, and belonged to the Syrian state of Maachah (2Sa. 10:6; 2Sa. 10:8).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. The captains of the armies The men of war who fled by night with Zedekiah from Jerusalem, (2Ki 25:4,) but soon after deserted him, and had become scattered “in the fields.” Jer 40:7.
To Mizpah In the land of Benjamin. See on Jos 18:25, and 1Sa 7:5. The city had been strongly fortified by Asa, (1Ki 15:22,) and Gedaliah occupied it instead of Jerusalem, because the latter city was in too ruinous a condition to be any proper residence for a governor.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 25:23. To Mizpah See Gen 31:49-50 where the reason of the name of this place will be found. It was situate on the east side of the river Jordan, and in the division of the land fell to the tribe of Dan; and here it was that Gedaliah chose to fix his habitation, or perhaps was ordered to fix it, because it lay nearest of any to Babylon, from whence he was to receive his instructions, as to the administration of the government. See Wells’s Geography. A fuller account of the events recorded in the following verses will be found in the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ki 25:23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
Ver. 23. And when all the captains of the army. ] Palantes per agros, qui dispersi fuerant; those, likely, that were scattered from Zedekiah. 2Ki 25:5
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
when all the captains, &c. For fuller account see Jer 40:7 Jer 43:13.
Ishmael. He was of the seed royal (2Ki 25:25), and laid claim to the throne. Compare Jer 40:8; Jer 41:1-18. Josephus, Antiquities X. 2 9, 2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And when: Jer 40:7-9, Jer 40:11, Jer 40:12
Mizpah: There were several places of the name of Mizpah, or Mizpeh, and we do not certainly know which of them this was; but it is probable that it was that situated east of Jordan, in the mountains of Gilead – Gen 31:49, and most contiguous to Babylon; and therefore the most proper for the residence of Gedaliah.
Reciprocal: Jos 12:5 – unto the Jdg 20:1 – in Mizpeh 1Sa 7:5 – Mizpeh 1Ch 6:9 – Johanan Jer 36:14 – Nethaniah Jer 40:8 – even Jer 42:1 – Jezaniah Eze 11:1 – Jaazaniah Zec 7:5 – seventh
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 25:23. When all the captains of the armies Who escaped when Zedekiah was taken; heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor One of themselves, and that things were put into a good posture: there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah A place in the land of Benjamin, famous in Samuels time; Ishmael, Johanan, &c., they and their men To put themselves under his protection. Gedaliah, though he had not the pomp and power of a sovereign prince, yet might have been a greater blessing to them than many of their kings had been, especially having such a privy counsellor as Jeremiah, who was now with them, and interested himself in their affairs, Jer 40:5-6.