Johanan

Johanan, the son of Kareah, was a prominent Judean military leader who played a significant role in the events following the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.

Johanan, the son of Kareah, was a prominent Judean military leader who was active in the aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC. After the Babylonians appointed Gedaliah as governor over the remnant of Judah, Johanan and other army officers came to him at Mizpah (2Ki 25:23; Jer 40:8). When Ishmael, a member of the royal family, assassinated Gedaliah and killed many others, Johanan pursued him and rescued the captives Ishmael had taken (Jer 41:11-16).

Following these events, Johanan and the other leaders sought the advice of the prophet Jeremiah, asking him to pray for guidance (Jer 42:1-3). However, when Jeremiah conveyed God's message that they should remain in the land and not flee to Egypt, Johanan and the others refused to obey (Jer 43:2-4). Instead, they took the remnant of Judah, including Jeremiah, and went to Egypt (Jer 43:5-7).

Johanan's story highlights the complex political situation in Judah after the Babylonian conquest and the challenges faced by those who remained in the land. While he initially seemed to support Gedaliah and sought Jeremiah's guidance, his ultimate refusal to obey God's word led him and the remnant of Judah into further disobedience and exile.

Son of Careah, one of the Jewish chiefs who rallied round Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had made governor in Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:23; Jer. 40:8). He warned Gedaliah of the plans of Ishmael against him, a warning which was unheeded (Jer. 40:13, 16). He afterwards pursued the murderer of the governor, and rescued the captives (41:8, 13, 15, 16). He and his associates subsequently fled to Tahpanhes in Egypt (43:2, 4, 5), taking Jeremiah with them. “The flight of Gedaliah’s community to Egypt extinguished the last remaining spark of life in the Jewish state. The work of the ten centuries since Joshua crossed the Jordan had been undone.”