A son of Nethaniah and royal family member. Ishmael killed the governor Gedaliah.
About Ishmael
A member of the royal family of King Zedekiah, through his father Nethaniah and grandfather Elishama (2 Kings 25:25). This story takes place during the time when Babylon controlled Judah. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had put a man named Gedaliah in charge as governor in the city of Mizpah.
Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, convinced Ishmael to kill Gedaliah. Before this happened, a man named Johanan warned Gedaliah about the plot to kill him. Johanan even asked permission to kill Ishmael first to protect Gedaliah, but Gedaliah refused to believe the warning (Jeremiah 40:14–16).
Ishmael came to Mizpah with ten men. While they were eating a meal with Gedaliah, they killed him and the Babylonian soldiers who were with him. The next day, a group of 80 religious pilgrims was traveling from the north to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Ishmael invited them into Mizpah and then killed 70 of them. He let ten of them live because they offered to give him their hidden food supplies. Ishmael hid all the dead bodies in a large cistern (underground water storage).
After this, Ishmael took everyone else in Mizpah as prisoners, including the prophet Jeremiah and some women from the royal family. He started taking them toward the land of the Ammonites. However, Johanan gathered some soldiers and caught up with Ishmael at a place called Gibeon. Johanan rescued all the prisoners, but Ishmael and his men escaped to Ammonite territory (Jeremiah 41).
Family Relationships
- Parents
- Nethaniah
Key References
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.
they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.
Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.
All Scripture References (21)
2 Kings (2)
When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.
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.
Jeremiah (19)
they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?”
But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.”
In 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.
Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.
Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.
And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
And when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.
But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.
Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.
When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,
they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon.
When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced,
and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.
But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.
Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon.
to escape the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.