Ishmael Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, assassinated Gedaliah the governor and led captives to Ammon before being pursued by Johanan.
son of Nethaniah, a captain of Judean forces during the Babylonian captivity (2KI 25:23)
Lineage: Elishama › Nethaniah › Ishmael
Names
-
en
Ishmael
God that hears
-
en
Ishmael
· Also called · H3458 none · 2KI 25:23 G-d [El] he heard
-
he
יִשְׁמָעֵאל
yishəmael · H3458 · 2KI 25:23 G-d [El] he heard
- he יִשְׁמָעֵאל · H3458H
- el Ισμαηλ Ismaēl · none · 2KI 25:23
- bg Измаил
Mentioned in (21)
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
Loading book references…
Family of origin
- Father: Nethaniah
- Mother: Unknown
Ishmael Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, was a member of the royal family of Judah (2Ki 25:25). After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and appointed Gedaliah as governor over the remnant, Ishmael and other army officers came to Gedaliah at Mizpah (2Ki 25:23; Jer 40:8).
Despite being warned of Ishmael's treacherous intentions (Jer 40:13-16), Gedaliah welcomed him. However, Ishmael, acting under the orders of Baalis, king of the Ammonites, assassinated Gedaliah and his men (2Ki 25:25; Jer 41:1-3).
Ishmael then led captives, including the king's daughters, from Mizpah toward Ammon (Jer 41:10). When Johanan and the other leaders heard of Ishmael's actions, they pursued him. Ishmael's captives were rescued, but he escaped to the Ammonites with eight men (Jer 41:11-15).
Ishmael's treachery further devastated the remnant of Judah after the Babylonian conquest. His actions led the survivors to flee to Egypt out of fear of Babylonian reprisals (Jer 41:16-18), directly disobeying God's command through Jeremiah (Jer.42-43).
Ishmael 2 Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Ishmael_2) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Ishmael@2Ki.25.23-Jer) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, ishmael_631)