Gedaliah
גְּדַלְיָ֫הוּ · ge.dal.yah · H1436Bגְּדַלְיָה · ge.dal.yah · H1436G“God is my greatness” Hitchcock's 186926 mentions in 2 books, most in Jeremiah (22)
Who he was
Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, was appointed governor of Judah by the Babylonians after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 40:5). He established his base at Mizpah and encouraged the remaining Jews to submit to Babylonian rule and live peacefully in the land (Jeremiah 40:9–10). Many Jews who had fled to surrounding countries returned to Judah and settled under Gedaliah's leadership (Jeremiah 40:11–12). However, Ishmael, a member of the royal family, conspired against Gedaliah and assassinated him along with the Babylonian officials and Jews who were with him (2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 41:1–3). This act of treachery led to the flight of the remaining Jews to Egypt, fearing Babylonian reprisals (2 Kings 25:26; Jer.41.16-18; 43.5-7). Gedaliah's assassination marked the end of Jewish self-rule in the land and the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The prophet Jeremiah, who had been released from prison by the Babylonians and entrusted to Gedaliah's care (Jer.39.14; 40.5-6), witnessed these tragic events and mourned the loss of Gedaliah and the fate of his people (Jeremiah 41:4–6).
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Family
FatherAhikam
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
26 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
2 Kings4 mentions
2 Kings 25:22As for the people who were left in the land of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor.2 Kings 25:23Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah…2 Kings 25:24Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well…2 Kings 25:25But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah so that he died, with the Jews and the…
Jeremiah22 mentions
Jeremiah 39:14sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should bring him home. So he lived among the people.Jeremiah 40:5Now while he had not yet gone back, “Go back then,” he said, “to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and…Jeremiah 40:6Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.Jeremiah 40:7Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had…Jeremiah 40:8then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the…Jeremiah 40:9Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will…Jeremiah 40:11Likewise when all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah…Jeremiah 40:12then all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered very much wine and summer fruits.Jeremiah 40:13Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,Jeremiah 40:14and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam didn’t believe them.Jeremiah 40:15Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, “Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man will know it. Why should he take…Jeremiah 40:16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely of Ishmael.”Jeremiah 41:1Now in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the…Jeremiah 41:2Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, 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…Jeremiah 41:3Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean men of war who were found there.Jeremiah 41:4The second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it,Jeremiah 41:6Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went, and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”Jeremiah 41:9Now the pit in which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had killed, by the side of Gedaliah (this was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel)…Jeremiah 41:10Then Ishmael carried away captive all of the people who were left in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard…Jeremiah 41:16Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah…Jeremiah 41:18because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.Jeremiah 43:6the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah…
What the dictionary says
Made great by Jehovah.
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain