Jeremiah 41:1
in Jeremiah 41In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate a meal together there.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.
KJV
Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.
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This verse in Jeremiah 41
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The seventh month - Gedaliah’s government lasted less than two months. Even - Rather, and. Ishmael was descended probably from Elishama the son of David 2Sa 5:16. Ten grandees each with his retinue would have aroused suspicion, but the smallness of Ishmael’s following put Gedaliah completely off his guard.
This site's exposition
in the seventh month
on Jeremiah 41:1-3
In the seventh month Ishmael, “a member of the royal family,” comes with ten men to Gedaliah, and “they ate a meal together there.” After the meal they strike Gedaliah down, with the Jews and the Chaldean soldiers. Keil notes the part of Baalis king of Ammon named in 40:14.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
8 ), and now came again to make him a visit; and they did eat bread together in Mizpah. he entertained them generously, and entertained no jealousy of them, notwithstanding the information given him by Johanan. They pretended friendship to him, and gave him no warning to stand on his guard; he was in sincerity friendly to them, and did all he could to oblige them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
Now - Three months after the city was taken. Ishmael - The same Ishmael that came to Gedaliah, ver. 8, 9, to whom he swear protection; only here we are told he was of the royal blood, which might both raise his spirits, as having a more legal pretense to the government, and rendered him a fitter instrument, for Baalis the king or queen of the Ammonites to make use of.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-8-anchored-1-1
Now it came to pass in the seventh month,....
We heartily wish Johanan could have taken revenge upon the murderers, but he prevailed only to rescue the captives. Those that had shed so much blood, it was a pity but their blood should have been shed; and it is strange that vengeance suffered them to live; yet it did.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
seventh month--the second month after the burning of the city (Jer 52:12, 13). and the princes--not the nominative. And the princes came, for the "princes" are not mentioned either in Jer 41:2 or in 2Ki 25:25: but, "Ishmael being of the seed royal and of the princes of the king" [MAURER].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Now - in the seventh month - Answering to the first new moon in our month of October. There they did eat bread together - This was the same as making a solemn covenant; for he who ate bread with another was ever reputed a friend.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
and officers of the king They were jealous of him that he took a high position.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י׀ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ | bachodesh | in the month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י | hashevii | <the> seventh | H7637 → | |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל | yishmael | Ishmael | H3458 → | 48 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נְתַנְיָ֣ה | netanyah | Nethaniah | H5418 → | 20 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע | ʾelishama' | Elishama | H476 → | 17 times |
| מִזֶּ֣רַע | mizera' | one of [the] offspring of | H2233 → | 229 times |
| הַ֠מְּלוּכָה | hamelukhah | <the> royalty | H4410 → | |
| וְרַבֵּ֨י | verabei | and [the] chiefs of | H7227 → | 454 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה | vaasarah | and ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֥ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| אִתּ֛וֹ | ʾito | [who were] with <the> him | H854 → | 929 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ | gedalyahu | Gedaliah | H1436 → | 32 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲחִיקָ֖ם | ʾachikam | Ahikam | H296 → | 20 times |
| הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה | hamitzpatah | <the> Mizpah towards | H4709 → | 40 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ | vaiyokhelu | and they were eating | H398 → | 810 times |
| שָׁ֥ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לֶ֛חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| יַחְדָּ֖ו | yachdav | together | H3162 → | 141 times |
| בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃ | bamitzpah | at <the> Mizpah | H4709 → | 40 times |
וַיְהִ֣י׀and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁin the month
bachodeshH2320 →284 times
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י<the> seventh
hasheviiH7637 →
בָּ֣אhe came
ba'H935 →2568 times
יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אלIshmael
yishmaelH3458 →48 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נְתַנְיָ֣הNethaniah
netanyahH5418 →20 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אֱלִישָׁמָ֣עElishama
ʾelishama'H476 →17 times
מִזֶּ֣רַעone of [the] offspring of
mizera'H2233 →229 times
הַ֠מְּלוּכָה<the> royalty
hamelukhahH4410 →
וְרַבֵּ֨יand [the] chiefs of
verabeiH7227 →454 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַעֲשָׂרָ֨הand ten
vaasarahH6235 →176 times
אֲנָשִׁ֥יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
אִתּ֛וֹ[who were] with <the> him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּGedaliah
gedalyahuH1436 →32 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אֲחִיקָ֖םAhikam
ʾachikamH296 →20 times
הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה<the> Mizpah towards
hamitzpatahH4709 →40 times
וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּand they were eating
vaiyokheluH398 →810 times
שָׁ֥םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
לֶ֛חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
יַחְדָּ֖וtogether
yachdavH3162 →141 times
בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃at <the> Mizpah
bamitzpahH4709 →40 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 13:18I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’
it leads to
- Psalms 41:9
Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
- John 17:12
While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture…
- Mark 14:20
He answered, “It is one of the Twelve—the one who is dipping his hand into the bowl with Me.
- Psalms 41:9
Through
Psalms 41:9Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
it leads to
- Matthew 26:23
Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 13:18
I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’
- Psalms 55:12–14
For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.
- Psalms 55:20–22
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
- John 13:26–27
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.” Then He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.
- Matthew 26:23
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.