Jeremias 41
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Jeremias 41:1-3
41:1 "Now it came about" Jeremiah 41 continues the literary unit which began in Jeremiah 40, specifically about the plot to assassinate Gedaliah (Jer. 40:13-16). ▣ "while they were eating bread together there at Mizpah" The viciousness of this act can only be seen in the eastern culture's attitude toward the importance of eating together (i.e. Ps. 41:9). 41:2 "arose and struck down Gedeliah" The exact date is uncertain but it preceded the deportation of 582 B.C. (cf. Jer. 52:30). The time can be from three months after the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.) four years after the fall of Jerusalem (the deportation of 582 B.C., cf. Jer. 52:30). ▣ "struck down Gedaliah" Josephus, who recorded the current Jewish thoughts of his day, comments that Gedaliah was drunk (Antiq. 10.9.4). 41:3 "and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war" As we learn from Jer. 41:18, the remaining Jews were afraid of Neo-Babylon's reprisals (cf. Josephus, Antiq. 10.9.5).
Jeremias 41:4-8
41:5 "Shechem. . .Shiloh. . .Samaria" These were three northern cities. Samaria was the ancient capital of the Northern Ten Tribes, established by Omri. This area was devastated and the people exiled by Assyria in 722 B.C. The people from these cities in the northern kingdom (now exiled) still viewed Jerusalem as YHWH's special city and the temple as His special meeting place! It is this theology that expected and demanded a reunification of the tribes of Jacob. ▣ "with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed" These were Jews going to Jerusalem to bemoan the destruction of the temple. The gashing of their bodies is related to pagan mourning rites. These mourning rites are mentioned often in Job 1:20; Isa. 22:12; Jer. 16:6; 47:5; 48:37; Ezek. 7:18; Amos 8:10; Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1; 1 Kgs. 18:28. The elements of the amalgamated worship of YHWH and the gods of Canaan continue. SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES 41:6-10 Something of Ishmael's personality can be seen. fake crying, Jer. 41:6 killing 70 innocent mourners, apparently just to cover up his slaughter of Gedaliah sparing ten people for their hidden supplies or for ransom polluting the water supply of Mizpah with the dead corpses kidnapping the remainder of the population of Mizpah, for what reason is unsure, possibly to sell into slavery or as a gift to Baalis 41:8 "oil and honey hidden in the field" This was a usual procedure both for keeping the food cool and for hiding it in times of war.
Jeremias 41:9-10
41:9 "because of Gedaliah" The Masoretic Text has "by the hand of Gedaliah." This is obviously an impossible translation. There are several suggestions. a Ugaritic root to translate "because of Gedaliah" (NKJV) BDB 390 #3 suggests "by the side of" the LXX has the phrase "this is a large well" (NJB, REB, NRSV, NET) the JPSOA has "in the affair of Gedaliah" the Peshitta has "with Gedaliah" ▣ "the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel" See the account in 1 Kgs. 15:17-22; 2 Chr. 16:1-6. 41:10 "all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah" This group must have included Jeremiah. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE REMNANT (three senses) ▣ "the king's daughters" This could refer to some of the literal royal family left in Gedaliah's charge some of the line of David returning from the surrounding countries It could refer to the daughters of the "princes" of Judah. ▣ "to cross over to the sons of Ammon" This implies that he traveled to the east and planned to cross the Jordan River into the trans-Jordan region controlled by Baalis (cf. Jer. 40:14).
Jeremias 41:11-18
41:12 "the great pool that is at Gibeon" Archaeology has found a large rock cistern seventy to eighty feet deep at Gibeon (cf. 2 Sam. 2:12-16). 41:13 "they were glad" This must refer to those taken forcibly from Mizpah (cf. Jer. 41:10,16). 41:16 NASB, NKJV "the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael" "the people whom Ishmael. . .had carried away captive" "took charge of the people whom Ishmael had taken away as prisoners" REB, JPSOA "all the survivors who he had rescued from Ishmael" "then rallied all the remaining people whom Ishmael. . .had taken as prisoners" "took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael" "led off all the people who had been left alive" The MT has "all the rest of the people whom he recovered from Ishamel." This phrase is ambiguous, but the larger context helps the understanding. This is a good example of the crucial hermeneutical aspect of both historical setting literary context "Bible Interpretation Seminar" 41:17 "Geruth Chimham" The first word (BDB 158) means "lodging place" or "inn." It denoted a caravan camping place (possibly had a well or natural protection from the wind). The second word (BDB 484) can be a location near Bethlehem a person (cf. 2 Sam. 19:37,38,40, an attendant of David) Josephus calls the place "Mandara" (Antiq. 10.9.5) Its location is unknown. The name is found only here in the Hebrew Bible. ▣ "in order to proceed into Egypt" This shows that Johanan had already made up his mind to go to Egypt, and also sets the stage for Jeremiah 42. They went to Egypt out of fear of Nebuchadnezzar's reprisals!