John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 40:13-14

"Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, and said unto him, Dost thou know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take thy life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not." — Jeremiah 40:13-14 (ASV)

A sad history is given here, from which we may conclude that God’s wrath against the people had not been appeased by the destruction of the city and the burning of the Temple. It was some sign of mercy when Gedaliah was placed over the remnant of the people and the poor, who had been allowed to live in the land. But now Gedaliah is killed, and a miserable scattering must have followed. The wrath also of the king of Babylon was aroused, because the Chaldeans, who had been given as guards, were killed at the same time. It was then God’s purpose to execute His judgment also on this remnant.

But the Prophet shows how Gedaliah was killed: specifically because Ishmael had been hired and advised by the king of Ammon. He says, however, that Gedaliah had been warned by the sons of Kareah, who have been mentioned, but that he did not believe them. And so the Prophet begins by saying that John the son of Kareah and the other leaders came to him.

Gedaliah had, as we have seen, received them before and had sworn to them that he would be their defender, so that no one would hurt them. He had undertaken to face all danger and offered his own life as a pledge that the Chaldeans would not attempt anything against them. They came then to him, because public benefit was connected with his safety. He had, then, bound them to himself by a significant benefit, and it was for their good that he, who was in favor with the king of Babylon, should be safe and secure.

They therefore came and said that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah was suborned by the king of Ammon. It may be that the king of Ammon had hoped to be the king of Judea, or to have all that land as his own after the departure of the Chaldean army. But as his expectation was disappointed, he began to attempt another thing: to render the land desolate by creating disturbances. This then seems to have been the reason why he induced Ishmael to undertake the impious and abominable act of killing Gedaliah.

Regarding Gedaliah not believing their words, a question may be raised here: How was it that God allowed this holy man, endowed with such rare virtues, to be basely killed by a traitor and an assassin? First, we must hold it to be true that God’s judgments are just, even if they do not align with our ideas.

Indeed, it seems at first glance very inexplicable that Gedaliah should have been killed, who yet had emerged, so to speak, from death and had obtained favor with the Chaldeans. But it was God’s purpose to take him to Himself, and at the same time to execute His vengeance to the utmost on the people. For we will see that those who had been left were wholly unworthy of God’s favor, and we will also see that, like mad wild beasts, they ran headlong to death and never ceased to provoke God’s wrath against them.

Let us then learn from this passage that when God calls His servants from this world, He considers their salvation, so that death is for their good. For Gedaliah might have seen that, had he lived longer, things more bitter than a hundred deaths would have happened to him. It was then God’s will to take him at the right time, before he was overwhelmed with sorrows.

For it was a significant cause of grief to see the people obstinately struggling against the goodness of God until their final ruin came. This obstinacy then might have been the cause of incredible sorrow to the holy man; therefore, the Lord removed him at the proper time. Meanwhile, as I have said, He opened a way for His wrath, so that after it became evident that the remnant that had been saved were wholly unworthy of mercy, they were destroyed together with the rest.

But, secondly, we see that there was a fault mixed with virtue in Gedaliah. Love, indeed, is not suspicious, as Paul says, and should not easily accept an accusation (1 Corinthians 13:5). But he should have been circumspect, not only for his own sake, but because his death brought with it the ruin of the whole people.

He should then have been more cautious. But from this we learn how difficult it is even for the best of men, endowed with particular virtues, to conduct themselves so as not to deviate to either side.

It was a praiseworthy simplicity that Gedaliah did not suspect that Ishmael would be so perfidious and so wicked; but since in this instance he showed no regard for himself or for the public safety, he was to be blamed. However, as I have said, it was God’s purpose to remove him to his rest, for had he lived, he would have been a hundred times overwhelmed with troubles.

Ungodly men may slander the memory of the holy man because he had been so stupid; but as I have already said, since he must have erred on one side or the other, it was better that Ishmael should not be accused until he was found guilty. Gedaliah’s only mistake was that he disregarded the treachery of which he had been warned.