Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 40:15
Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know [it]: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
15. the remnant of Judah perish ] Johanan no doubt hoped to influence a high-minded man like Gedaliah by this argument that on his life depended the welfare of those who remained yet in the country.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Discerning that Gedaliah took no great notice of his word spoken to him in the presence of the other captains, he goeth to him secretly, offereth him his service to prevent the stroke, if he might have commission from him; mindeth him that if he did not value his own life, yet he ought to consider in what a condition the people would be in case he were cut off; they were now but a small remnant, and then that remnant also would perish.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly,…. Partly that he might, as he thought, more easily prevail upon him, and persuade him to believe the information given; and partly for the sake of the proposal he had to make to him, which it was not proper should be publicly made:
saying, let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know [it]; that he had slain him, or that Gedaliah had given him leave to do it:
wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews that are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish? suggesting, that it was not barely his losing his own life, which is, and ought to be, precious to every man, and should be carefully preserved, but it would be a public loss; the people, being without a governor, would disperse here and there, fearing their own lives and property would not be safe under a murderer; and that the Chaldeans would be so incensed by such an action, as to come and revenge his death on them; and thus being scattered about, some one way, and some another, would be no more under any form of government as a body politic, and so perish as such, at least; and thus all their hopes, which began to revive, of their beings commonwealth again, would be lost: with this argument Johanan hoped to prevail on Gedaliah to give him leave to slay the conspirator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jer 40:15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know [it]: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
Ver. 15. Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael. ] He offereth his service for the slaying of Ishmael, and it had been happy he had done it, sed immodico obsequio sibi fidem derogat, his forwardness rendereth him suspected. Gedaliah seemeth to have been of our Queen Elizabeth’s temper, who was heard to profess, that she could believe nothing of her people that parents would not believe of their children. a
a Camden.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
man. Hebrew ‘Ish. App-14.
gathered = gathered out.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Let: 1Sa 24:4, 1Sa 26:8, Job 31:31
wherefore: Jer 12:3, Jer 12:4, 2Sa 18:3, 2Sa 21:17, Eze 33:24-29, Joh 11:50
Reciprocal: 2Ki 25:25 – Ishmael Isa 24:1 – scattereth Isa 33:15 – stoppeth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 40:15. Johanan was so confident in his view of the situation that he offered to prevent the plot by slaying Ishmael. That would have been a just act since all wlio plot to overthrow a lawful ruler by force have forfeited their right to live.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Johanan offered to assassinate Ishmael secretly, so Gedaliah would not die, and harm would not come to the remnant community.