What does Jeremias Chapter 41 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

An appointed governor and arriving mourners are killed. Captives are recovered and Ismahel escapes. Fear leads the rescued remnant toward Egypt.

Chapter breakdown

Jeremias 41 recounts Ismahel son of Nathanias son of Elisama, of royal blood and among the king’s nobles, coming with ten men to eat with Godolias at Masphath in the seventh month. They kill Godolias, the Jews with him and Chaldean soldiers. On the second day after the killing, unknown to others, eighty men from Sichem, Silo and Samaria approach with mourning signs, offerings and incense. Ismahel goes out weeping and invites them to Godolias. In the city’s midst he kills them and casts them into a pit, except ten who say they have field stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey.

The pit was made by Asa for fear of Baasa. Ismahel takes the king’s daughters and remaining people captive toward Ammon. Johanan and captains hear the evil and go to fight him by the great waters of Gabaon. Captives rejoice on seeing them, return toward Masphath and go to Johanan. Ismahel escapes with eight men to Ammon; the fate of the other two is not stated.

Johanan gathers the rescued remnant, including valiant warriors, women, children and eunuchs. They sojourn at Chamaam near Bethlehem intending to go to Egypt, fearing the Chaldeans because Ismahel killed the appointed governor. The source does not certify imminent retaliation, concealed motives, unarmed pilgrims, paid bribes, a reservoir, banners or a southern highway.

The story inside

Opening: An appointed governor and arriving mourners are killed. Development: Captives are recovered and Ismahel escapes. Conclusion: Fear leads the rescued remnant toward Egypt.

Lessons worth keeping

1
An appointed governor and arriving mourners are killed.
2
Captives are recovered and Ismahel escapes.
3
Fear leads the rescued remnant toward Egypt.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 88371–88382
41:1. And it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ismahel the son of Nathanias, the son of Elisama of the royal blood, and the nobles of the king, and ten men with him, came to Godolias the son of Ahicam into Masphath: and they ate bread there together in Masphath. 41:2. And Ismahel the son of Nathanias arose, and the ten men that were with him, and they struck Godolias the son of Ahicam, the son of Saphan with the sword, and slew him whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. 41:3. Ismahel slew also all the Jews that were with Godolias in Masphath, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the soldiers.
Lines 88387–88402
41:5. There came some from Sichem, and from Silo, and from Samaria, fourscore men, with their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and mourning: and they had offerings and incense in their hand, to offer in the house of the Lord. 41:6. And Ismahel the son of Nathanias went forth from Masphath to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and when he had met them, he said to them: Come to Godolias, the son of Ahicam. 41:7. And when they were come to the midst of the city, Ismahel the son of Nathanias, slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he and the men that were with him. 41:8. But ten men were found among them, that said to Ismahel: Kill us not: for we have stores in the field, of wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey. And he forbore, and slew them not with their brethren.
Lines 88404–88414
41:9. And the pit into which Ismahel cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he slew because of Godolias, is the same that king Asa made, for fear of Baasa the king of Israel: the same did Ismahel the son of Nathanias fill with them that were slain. 41:10. Then Ismahel carried away captive all the remnant of the people that were in Masphath: the king’s daughters, and all the people that remained in Masphath: whom Nabuzardan the general of the army had committed to Godolias the son of Ahicam. And Ismahel the son of Nathanias took them, and he departed, to go over to the children of Ammon.
Lines 88420–88432
41:12. And taking all the men, they went out to fight against Ismahel the son of Nathanias, and they found him by the great waters that are in Gabaon. 41:13. And when all the people that were with Ismahel, had seen Johanan the son of Caree, and all the captains of the fighting men that were with him, they rejoiced. 41:14. And all the people whom Ismahel had taken, went back to Masphath: and they returned and went to Johanan the son of Caree. 41:15. But Ismahel the son of Nathanias fled with eight men, from the face of Johanan, and went to the children of Ammon.
Lines 88434–88446
41:16. Then Johanan the son of Caree, and all the captains of the soldiers that were with him, took all the remnant of the people whom they had recovered from Ismahel the son of Nathanias, from Masphath, after that he had slain Godolias the son of Ahicam: valiant men for war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs whom he had brought back from Gabaon. 41:17. And they departed, and sat as sojourners in Chamaam, which is near Bethlehem: in order to go forward, and enter into Egypt, 41:18. From the face of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ismahel the son of Nathanias had slain Godolias the son of Ahicam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor in the land of Juda.