Jeremiah 41:2Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
The setting
Mizpah, Israel, ~582 BC. A dinner gathering turns to massacre as royal guest draws sword against his host, the Babylonian-appointed governor...
The emotion here: recording horror with prophetic sorrow
The original word
nakah (נָכָה) — to strike down, smite; the same word used for God striking Egypt's firstborn
Why it matters
Gedaliah was eating with Ishmael when killed — ancient Middle Eastern hospitality made this betrayal especially heinous
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 41:2
They were likely sharing a meal when the murder happened — the ultimate violation of hospitality
Common misconceptionPeople see this as random violence, but Gedaliah's murder destabilized the last hope for Jewish self-governance under Babylon.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 41:2
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 41:2 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 41:2 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include betrayal, violence, assassination. Notable phrases: struck Gedaliah with the sword; killed him.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 41:2 mean to you, today?
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