John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 41:10

"Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king`s daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon." — Jeremiah 41:10 (ASV)

It is not known whether Ishmael had this design at the beginning, or whether, when he saw that he had no power to stand his ground, he took the captives with him so that he might dwell with the king of Ammon. It is, however, probable that this was done according to a previous resolution, and that before he slew Gedaliah, it was determined that the remnant should be drawn away to that country.

Perhaps the king of Ammon wished to send some of his own people to dwell in Judea; thus he hoped to become the ruler of Judea, and also hoped to pacify the king of Babylon by becoming his tributary. It was, however, a great thing to possess a land so fertile.

However this may have been, there is no doubt that the king of Ammon hoped for something great after the death of Gedaliah. It is probable that for this reason the people were drawn away, to whom a habitation in Judea had been permitted.

The Prophet now tells us that Ishmael took the remnant of the people captives. It appears that in a short time he had a greater force than at the beginning, for he could not with a few men collect the people.

The number of those who had been left, as we have seen, was not inconsiderable. They were dispersed through many towns, and Ishmael could not have prevailed on them by his command alone to move to the land of Ammon.

But after he had killed Gedaliah, his barbarity frightened them all, and no doubt many joined him, for an impious faction always finds many followers when any hope is offered them. All then who were miserable among the people followed him as their leader, and thus he was able to lead away the whole people as captives.

But here again a question arises, that is, respecting the daughters of the king; for the poor and the obscure, who were of the lowest class, had alone been left, and the royal seed, as we have seen, had been carried away. It is probable that some of the king’s daughters had escaped when the city was besieged, for Ishmael himself was of the royal seed, but he had escaped before the city was taken.

Nebuchadnezzar then could not have had him as a captive. The same was the case with the daughters of the king, whom Zedekiah might have sent to some secure places. And Gedaliah afterwards brought them together when he saw that it could be done without danger or risk of exciting suspicion; he had indeed obtained this power, as we have seen before, from Nebuzaradan.

Though Gedaliah then ruled over the poor and those of no repute, yet the daughters of the king, who had been removed to quieter places, afterwards dwelt with him. And so Ishmael, and John the son of Kareah, and other leaders of the army, came to him; the reason was the same.

It is again repeated, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan had committed to Gedaliah, or, over whom he appointed Gedaliah, as we have seen before.

But the repetition was not made without reason, for Jeremiah expressed again what was worthy of special notice: that the fury and violence of Ishmael were so great that he did not see that the mind of Nebuchadnezzar would be so exasperated as to become implacable. His madness was so furious that he had no regard for himself or for others.

He then says that he took away captive the people and went so that he might pass over to the children of Ammon. Thus their condition was much worse than if they had been driven into exile, for the Ammonites were in no degree more kind than the Chaldeans. Indeed, they were exposed there, as we shall see later, to greater reproaches; it would indeed have been better for them and more tolerable had they been killed at once, than to have been thus removed to a most miserable exile.

It hence appears that Ishmael was wholly devoid of all humane feelings, having been thus capable of the impiety of betraying the children of Abraham. For where there is ambition, it often happens that a lust for empire impels men to deeds of great enormity; but to draw away unhappy people to the Ammonites was certainly an act more than monstrous.

As to the people, we shall see later that they deserved all their reproaches and miseries; and this calamity did not happen to them except through the righteous providence of God. For though they were freed, as we shall see, by the son of Kareah, yet they soon went into Egypt, despite the remonstrances of the Prophet and his severe denunciations if they moved there. Although the base and monstrous cruelty of Ishmael is here set before us, let us yet know that the Jews deserved to be driven away into exile and to be subjected to all kinds of miseries.

Oh, miserable sentence! When it is said that seventy men were slain in the hand of Gedaliah. Some render “hand,” as I have noted, “on account of Gedaliah;” and others, “in the place of Gedaliah.” But as this explanation seems forced, we may take “hand” for stroke or wound, and this seems the most suitable meaning, as “hand” is often so taken in Scripture. They were then slain in the wound of Gedaliah, that is, they were slain in the same manner as him, as it were, in addition to the wound he received. Let us now proceed—