the son of Nethaniah

January 7, 2017

Ishmael goes to Mizpah (Jer 41:1-41:1)

“In the seventh month,

Ishmael,

The son of Nethaniah,

The son of Elishama,

Of the royal family,

One of the chief officers

Of the king,

Came with ten men

To Gedaliah,

The son of Ahikam,

At Mizpah.

They ate bread together

There at Mizpah.”

Next Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a royal family member, came to Mizpah in the seventh month that may have been the feast of Tents. Ishmael was an officer of the king also. He came with 10 men to greet Governor Gedaliah. They even ate a meal together at Mizpah. Thus this seems like everything was okay. Ishmael was mad either because he was passed over by not being named governor or he was mad at the Babylonians for taking his king, King Zedekiah.

January 7, 2017

The warning from Johanan (Jer 40:13-40:14)

“Now Johanan,

The son of Kareah,

With all the leaders

Of the forces

In the open country,

Came to Gedaliah

At Mizpah.

He said to him.

‘Are you at all aware

That King Baalis

Of the Ammonites

Has sent Ishmael,

The son of Nethaniah,

To take your life?’

But Gedaliah,

The son of Ahikam,

Would not believe them.”

Johanan, the son of Kareah, was one of the open field leaders against Babylon. He and the other rebel leaders came to Mizpah to see what was going on there. When he got there, he told Governor Gedaliah that the king of the Ammonites, King Baalis, had sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, also another Judean country leader, to kill Gedaliah. They have actually found a seal from this King Baalis of Ammon dated around 600 BCE. However, Gedaliah did not believe him, since Ishmael was also a member of the Judean royal household.