The Meaning of Jeremiah 41:1 Explained

Jeremiah 41:1

KJV: Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, in the seventh month, come hath Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and of the chiefs of the king, and ten men with him, unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and they eat there bread together in Mizpah.

Darby: And it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the royal seed, and one of the king's chief men, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam unto Mizpah, and there they ate bread together, in Mizpah.

ASV: Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now it came to pass in the seventh  month,  [that] Ishmael  the son  of Nethaniah  the son  of Elishama,  of the seed  royal,  and the princes  of the king,  even ten  men  with him, came  unto Gedaliah  the son  of Ahikam  to Mizpah;  and there they did eat  bread  together  in Mizpah. 

What does Jeremiah 41:1 Mean?

Study Notes

seventh month
i.e. October.

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 41:1 mean?

And it came to pass in month the seventh [that] came Ishmael son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama of family the royal and of the officers of the king and ten with men with to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah And they ate there bread together in Mizpah
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בָּ֣א יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־ נְתַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־ אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע מִזֶּ֣רַע הַ֠מְּלוּכָה וְרַבֵּ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אִתּ֛וֹ אֶל־ גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־ אֲחִיקָ֖ם הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ שָׁ֥ם לֶ֛חֶם יַחְדָּ֖ו בַּמִּצְפָּֽה

וַיְהִ֣י ׀  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ  in  month 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י  the  seventh 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.
בָּ֣א  [that]  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל  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.
נְתַנְיָ֣ה  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.
בֶן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע  of  Elishama 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁמָע  
Sense: an Ephraimite chief in the wilderness.
מִזֶּ֣רַע  of  family 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
הַ֠מְּלוּכָה  the  royal 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלוּכָה  
Sense: kingship, royalty, kingly office.
וְרַבֵּ֨י  and  of  the  officers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה  and  ten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
אֲנָשִׁ֥ים  with  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ  Gedaliah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדַלְיָה 
Sense: a son of Jeduthun in the time of David.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲחִיקָ֖ם  of  Ahikam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיקָם  
Sense: son of Shaphan, an officer in Josiah’s reign.
הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה  at  Mizpah 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִצְפָּה  
Sense: a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn.
וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ  And  they  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֛חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
יַחְדָּ֖ו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
בַּמִּצְפָּֽה  in  Mizpah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְפָּה  
Sense: a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn.