The Meaning of Jeremiah 41:7 Explained

Jeremiah 41:7

KJV: 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.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at their coming in unto the midst of the city, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah doth slaughter them, at the midst of the pit, he and the men who are with him.

Darby: And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, he and the men that were with him, slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 41:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When they entered Mizpah, Ishmael and his henchmen turned on them, murdered them, and threw their corpses into a cistern. By not explaining his reason for doing Song of Solomon , the text paints Ishmael as a brutal murderer who was bent on carrying out a vendetta against all who had willing contact with Babylon and its representatives.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 41

1  Ishmael, treacherously killing Gedaliah and others,
7  purposes with the residue to flee unto the Ammonites
11  Johanan rescues the captives, and is minded to flee into Egypt

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 41:7 mean?

So it was when they came into the midst of the city that killed them [and cast them] Ishmael son of Nethaniah of a pit he and the men who were with him
וַיְהִ֕י כְּבוֹאָ֖ם אֶל־ תּ֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־ נְתַנְיָה֙ הַבּ֔וֹר ה֖וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־ אִתּֽוֹ

וַיְהִ֕י  So  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּבוֹאָ֖ם  when  they  came 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
תּ֣וֹךְ  the  midst 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הָעִ֑יר  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם  that  killed  them  [and  cast  them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחַט 
Sense: to kill, slaughter, beat.
יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל  Ishmael 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׁמָעֵאל  
Sense: son of Abraham and Sarah’s handmaid Hagar and the progenitor of the Arabian peoples.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נְתַנְיָה֙  of  Nethaniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְתַנְיָה 
Sense: son of Elishama of the royal family of Judah and father of Ishmael who murdered Gedaliah.
הַבּ֔וֹר  of  a  pit 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים  and  the  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  were 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִתּֽוֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.