Verse 1

The seventh month - Gedaliah‘s government lasted less than two months.

Even - Rather, and. Ishmael was descended probably from Elishama the son of David 2 Samuel 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.

Verse 5

These three towns all lay in the tribe of Ephraim, and in the district planted by Salmaneser with Cuthites; but through the fact of these men having cut themselves (see Jeremiah 16:6 note), is suspicious, yet they were probably pious Israelites, going up to Jerusalem, carrying the meat offering usual at the feast of tabernacles, of which this was the season, and mourning over the destruction, not of the city, but of the temple, to the repairs of which we find the members of this tribe contributing in Josiah‘s time 2 Chronicles 34:9.

Verse 6

Ishmael‘s conduct seems to have been dictated by the malicious desire utterly to frustrate Gedaliah‘s work.

Weeping - By this artifice he lured them into Mizpah. The Septuagint: “as they were … weeping.”

Verse 7

The pit - the cistern, and in Jeremiah 41:9.

Verse 8

Treasures - Hidden stores; which would be of great value to Ishmael in his retreat back to Baalis.

Verse 9

Because of Gedaliah - By the side “of Gedaliah.” Ishmael now cast beside Gedaliah‘s body those of the pilgrims.

Verse 12

An open pool still exists at Gibeon, and a large subterranean reservoir fed by a copious natural spring. Gibeon is about two miles north of Mizpah.

Verse 17

The habitation of Chimham - The Hebrew text has Geruth-Chemoham, of which place nothing is known. The Masoretes read: Geruth-Chimham, the Khan or Caravanserai of Chimham, son of the rich Barzillai (marginal reference). The substitution is incapable now of proof or disproof, but it is possibly right.