Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 41:11–end
It would have been well if Johanan, when he gave information to Gedaliah of Ishmael's treasonable design, though he could not obtain leave to kill Ishmael and to prevent it that way, yet had staid with Gedaliah; for he, and his captains, and their forces, might have been a life-guard to Gedaliah and a terror to Ishmael, and so have prevented the mischief without the effusion of blood: but, it seems they were out upon some expedition, perhaps no good one, and so were out of the way when they should have been upon the best service. Those that affect to ramble are many times out of their place when they are most needed. However, at length they hear of all the evil that Ishmael had done (Jer 41:…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 41:14
cast about--came round.
John Gill on Jeremiah 41:15
But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men,.... Of the ten he brought with hin), Jeremiah 41:1; two of them being slain in this skirmish, or taken by Johanan, or they fled another way:
and went to the Ammonites; who had put him upon, or however encouraged and assisted him in, his wicked attempts; though he returned to them not according to their wishes, nor with that honour and glory he thought to have done.
John Calvin on Jeremiah 41:15
Jeremiah 41:15
15. But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.
15. Et Ismael (Ismael autem) filius Nathaniae servatus est (vel, evasit) cum octo hominibus a facie Joannis, et pro-fectus eat ad filios Ammon.
He indeed met with bad success; he fled before his enemy, when the whole people forsook him, when he lost his soldiers; and he could not come without the greatest disgrace before the king of Ammon. It seems, however, very strange that he was allowed to flee away; for how was it that God did not execute those well-known sentences, --
"He who smites with the sword shall perish by the sword;" "Whosoever sheds man's blood, his blood sha…
