King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 41:6 Mean?

Jeremiah 41:6 in the King James Version says “And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass,...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 41 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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. weeping: Heb. in going and weeping”

Jeremiah 41:6 · KJV

Context

4

And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

5

That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.

6

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. weeping: Heb. in going and weeping

7

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.

8

But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

Read Jeremiah 41 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Ishmael's deceptive greeting to the pilgrims—'Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam'—exploited their trust and likely desire to meet with Judah's governor. By invoking Gedaliah's name, Ishmael used the murdered man's reputation to lure victims, compounding betrayal with exploitation. The phrase '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' shows cold efficiency: bringing them to an isolated location before executing them and disposing of bodies in a cistern. This wasn't heat-of-moment violence but calculated mass murder. The detail about the 'pit' suggests Ishmael used existing infrastructure (likely a large cistern or storage pit) as mass grave, showing premeditation—he had planned disposal of bodies before committing murders. The ten men who accompanied Ishmael (v.1) likely participated in or witnessed these killings, making them accomplices and demonstrating how sin corrupts communities beyond initial perpetrators. That only 10 of 80 pilgrims survived (v.8) indicates systematic slaughter, not selective judgment.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The practice of invoking a governor's name to establish trust reflects ancient Near Eastern protocols where travelers sought protection and hospitality from regional authorities. The pilgrims would naturally desire to pay respects to Gedaliah and perhaps receive his blessing for their worship activities. Cisterns (pits) in ancient Israelite cities were large underground chambers for water storage, often 20-30 feet deep and 10-15 feet in diameter. Using a cistern as mass grave served dual purposes: concealing bodies and making retrieval difficult. Archaeological excavations at sites like Tell en-Nasbeh (likely Mizpah) have uncovered large cisterns that could accommodate multiple bodies. The murder of pilgrims traveling to worship violated multiple covenant obligations: hospitality to travelers, respect for those engaged in religious activity, and the sanctity of those traveling under peace. Such violations demonstrated complete moral collapse. That Ishmael felt confident committing these murders suggests he expected either to maintain control of Mizpah or to flee before discovery.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Ishmael's exploitation of trust through invoking Gedaliah's name illustrate tactics of manipulative evil?
  2. What does the murder of these pilgrims teach about how violence against innocent people pursuing righteous activities represents the complete corruption of conscience?
  3. In what ways do believers need to balance appropriate trust with wise discernment to avoid exploitation by those masquerading as godly authorities?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 20 words
וַ֠יֵּצֵא1 of 20

“went forth”

H3318

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim

יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל2 of 20

“And Ishmael”

H3458

jishmael, the name of abraham's oldest son, and of five israelites

בֶן3 of 20

“the son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

נְתַנְיָ֤ה4 of 20

“of Nethaniah”

H5418

nethanjah, the name of four israelites

לִקְרָאתָם֙5 of 20

“to meet”

H7125

an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite)

מִן6 of 20
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה7 of 20

“from Mizpah”

H4709

mitspah, the name of two places in palestine

הָלֹ֖ךְ8 of 20

“all along”

H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

הָלֹ֖ךְ9 of 20

“all along”

H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

וּבֹכֶ֑ה10 of 20

“them weeping”

H1058

to weep; generally to bemoan

וַֽיְהִי֙11 of 20
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

כִּפְגֹ֣שׁ12 of 20

“and it came to pass as he met”

H6298

to come in contact with, whether by accident or violence; figuratively, to concur

אֹתָ֔ם13 of 20
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר14 of 20

“them he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם15 of 20
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

בֹּ֖אוּ16 of 20

“unto them Come”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אֶל17 of 20
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ18 of 20

“to Gedaliah”

H1436

gedaljah, the name of five israelites

בֶן19 of 20

“the son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

אֲחִיקָֽם׃20 of 20

“of Ahikam”

H296

achikam, an israelite

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 41:6 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 41:6 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jeremiah 50:42 Samuel 3:162 Samuel 1:2-16Proverbs 26:23-26

Places in This Verse

Mizpah 3Settlement · Modern: Tell en Nasbeh · 31.89°N, 35.22°E32 verses across 7 books
View all places in Jeremiah 41 →

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