In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. In the seventh monthThis phrase refers to the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishri, which typically falls around September-October. This month is significant in the Jewish calendar as it includes important festivals such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The timing of this event during a sacred period may underscore the gravity and sacrilege of the act. however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama
Ishmael was of royal lineage, being a descendant of David, which may have given him a sense of entitlement or ambition to reclaim power. His father, Nethaniah, and grandfather, Elishama, are not extensively detailed in the biblical text, but Elishama is possibly linked to a scribe in the court of King Jehoiakim, suggesting a background of influence and education. who was a member of the royal family
This highlights Ishmael's potential claim to leadership and his possible motivation for the assassination. His royal connection would have made him a significant figure in the political landscape of Judah, especially after the Babylonian conquest. came with ten men
The mention of ten men indicates a premeditated plan, suggesting that Ishmael's actions were not impulsive but carefully orchestrated. This small group could imply a covert operation, aiming to avoid drawing attention until the act was completed. and struck down and killed Gedaliah
Gedaliah was appointed by the Babylonians as governor over the remnant in Judah. His assassination was a pivotal moment, leading to further chaos and instability. Gedaliah's death marked the end of any semblance of organized Jewish governance in the land at that time. along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah
The killing of both Judeans and Chaldeans indicates a broader political motive, possibly aiming to disrupt the Babylonian control and any collaboration between the local population and the occupying forces. Mizpah served as the administrative center under Gedaliah, and its mention underscores the strategic nature of the attack.
This event is a critical moment in the narrative of Judah's decline, illustrating the internal strife and external pressures that led to the further scattering of the Jewish people. It also reflects the broader biblical theme of the consequences of disobedience and the loss of divine protection, as prophesied by Jeremiah and other prophets. Persons / Places / Events 1. Ishmael son of NethaniahA member of the royal family, Ishmael was a leader who opposed the Babylonian-appointed governor, Gedaliah. His actions were driven by political motives and possibly personal grievances. 2. GedaliahAppointed by the Babylonians as governor over the remaining people in Judah, Gedaliah was a symbol of Babylonian authority and sought to maintain peace and order. 3. MizpahA significant location in Judah where Gedaliah set up his administration. It became a center of governance after the fall of Jerusalem. 4. The Jews and the ChaldeansThe Jews were the remaining inhabitants of Judah, and the Chaldeans were Babylonian officials or soldiers stationed there to maintain control. 5. The Seventh MonthThis timing is significant in the Jewish calendar, often associated with important festivals and events, adding a layer of religious and cultural tension to the assassination. Teaching Points The Consequences of Political AmbitionIshmael's actions were driven by a desire for power and control, leading to violence and chaos. This serves as a warning against allowing political ambition to override moral and ethical considerations. The Importance of Godly LeadershipGedaliah's role as governor was to maintain peace and order. His assassination underscores the need for leaders who are committed to justice and righteousness, even in difficult circumstances. Trust in God's SovereigntyDespite the turmoil and tragedy, God's plan for His people continued. Believers are reminded to trust in God's sovereignty, even when human actions seem to disrupt His purposes. The Dangers of Betrayal and DeceptionIshmael's betrayal of Gedaliah highlights the destructive power of deceit and treachery. Christians are called to be people of integrity and truth. The Role of Remembrance and RepentanceThe timing of the event in the seventh month invites reflection on the need for repentance and remembrance of God's faithfulness, even in times of judgment. Bible Study Questions 1. What motivated Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah, and how can we guard against similar motivations in our own lives? 2. How does the assassination of Gedaliah reflect the broader themes of judgment and exile in the Old Testament? 3. In what ways can we apply the lessons of godly leadership from Gedaliah's life to our own roles and responsibilities? 4. How does the account of Ishmael and Gedaliah challenge us to trust in God's sovereignty, even when human actions seem to disrupt His plans? 5. What steps can we take to ensure that we are people of integrity and truth, avoiding the pitfalls of betrayal and deception? Connections to Other Scriptures Jeremiah 41This chapter provides a detailed account of the assassination of Gedaliah by Ishmael, offering more context and insight into the motivations and consequences of this event. 2 Chronicles 36:20-21These verses discuss the Babylonian exile and the land's rest, connecting the events in 2 Kings 25 to the broader account of Judah's judgment and exile. Genesis 4:8The murder of Abel by Cain can be seen as a parallel to Ishmael's murder of Gedaliah, highlighting themes of jealousy, betrayal, and the consequences of sin. People Ahikam, Babylonians, Careah, Elishama, Evilmerodach, Gedaliah, Ishmael, Jaazaniah, Jehoiachin, Johanan, Kareah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, Nethaniah, Seraiah, Shaphan, Solomon, Tanhumeth, Zedekiah, ZephaniahPlaces Arabah, Babylon, Egypt, Hamath, Jericho, Jerusalem, Mizpah, RiblahTopics Along, Assassinated, Attack, Attacked, Babylonians, Blood, Causing, Chaldaeans, Chaldeans, Chalde'ans, Chaldees, Death, Died, Dieth, Elishama, Eli'shama, Family, Gedaliah, Gedali'ah, However, Ishmael, Ish'mael, Jews, Judah, Killed, Kingdom, King's, Mizpah, Month, Nathaniah, Nethaniah, Nethani'ah, Pass, Royal, Seed, Seventh, Smite, Smote, Struck, TenDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Kings 25:22-24 7245 Judah, kingdom of Library The End
'1. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3. And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4. And the city was broken up, and all the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Last Agony
'In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. 3. And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarse-chim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture 'As Sodom'
'Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3. For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4. And it came to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica How those who Use Food Intemperately and those who Use it Sparingly are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 20.) Differently to be admonished are the gluttonous and the abstinent. For superfluity of speech, levity of conduct, and lechery accompany the former; but the latter often the sin of impatience, and often that of pride. For were it not the case that immoderate loquacity carries away the gluttonous, that rich man who is said to have fared sumptuously every day would not burn more sorely than elsewhere in his tongue, saying, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Historical Books.
1. In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it. The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given. They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God's dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them. They look at the course of human events on the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
1. The Greek word canon (originally a straight rod or pole, measuring-rod, then rule) denotes that collection of books which the churches receive as given by inspiration of God, and therefore as constituting for them a divine rule of faith and practice. To the books included in it the term canonical is applied. The Canon of the Old Testament, considered in reference to its constituent parts, was formed gradually; formed under divine superintendence by a process of growth extending through …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Kings 25:25 NIV2 Kings 25:25 NLT2 Kings 25:25 ESV2 Kings 25:25 NASB2 Kings 25:25 KJV
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