John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 41:6-7

"And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, [and cast them] into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him." — Jeremiah 41:6-7 (ASV)

Here Jeremiah relates another circumstance in the nefarious conduct of Ishmael: by flatteries he enticed simple men, who feared no evil, and while pretending kindness, killed them. The slaughter was in itself very detestable, but added to it was the most abominable deceit, for he pretended to weep with them and offered an act of kindness—to bring them to Gedaliah—and then he traitorously killed them!

From this we see that it was an act of extreme wickedness. In saying that he wept, it was no doubt a sign of feigned piety. He saw these good men in torn garments and in tears on account of the Temple being destroyed, and therefore he pretended that he had the same feeling.

This was to falsely pretend a regard for God, and his tears were those of the crocodile, for he shed tears as though he lamented the ruin of the Temple and of the city. He thus gained the confidence of the unwary men, and then after leading them into the middle of the city, he killed them.

The place also is mentioned—near the middle of the pit (for so I render it, rather than in the middle)—as it is not credible that he killed them in the pit itself. Instead, when they were led to the pit, they were killed and then cast into it, as we shall see. He then killed them outside the pit and immediately cast them in.

However, it may be asked whether he could, with so few men, successfully attack so many. For it seems strange that, as they were eighty men, they did not resist; they might at least have frightened their enemies.

But we must, first, remember that they were, as we have seen, unarmed, for they had brought only a sacred offering with incense. Ishmael’s men, on the other hand, were armed and well trained for war. They had also been reduced to a state of hopeless despair, so that they had undoubtedly developed great ferocity, as those who are continually in danger accustom themselves to acts of cruelty. So, Ishmael and his companions were armed, but the others were without any arms, and were also simple men, not at all accustomed to war. This is why they were killed like sheep, while Ishmael and his associates were like wolves, altogether ferocious.