Jeremiah 41:17

17 And they went (on their way), and sat being pilgrims in Chimham (for a time), which is beside Bethlehem, (before) that they should go, and enter into Egypt, from the face of Chaldees (to escape from the Chaldeans);

Jeremiah 41:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 41:17

And they departed
From Mizpah, Johanan, and the captains of the forces, and all the people rescued from Ishmael: and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem:
so called perhaps from Chimham, the son of Barzillai the Gileadite, to whom David or Solomon might give this place to dwell in, ( 2 Samuel 19:37 ) ( 1 Kings 2:7 ) . The Targum is express for the former, calling it

``the habitation which David gave to Chimham, the son of Barzillai the Gileadite;''

and as it was near Bethlehem, it might be a part of the patrimony which belonged to David, as a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite; which he might give to Chimham, out of respect to his father Barzillai, who showed kindness to him when he was obliged to flee from Absalom; which, though it returned to David's family in the year of jubilee, as all inheritances did, yet might continue to be called after the name of Chimham, in commemoration of the royal grant of it to him. Josephus ^F18 calls the name of the place Mandra. The reason why Johanan and those with him pitched on this place was, because it lay in the way to go to enter into Egypt;
where they had an inclination to go; having still a friendly regard to that people, and a confidence in them, as appears by some following chapters; and that they might be ready and at hand to flee thither, should the Chaldeans come against them, which they feared.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F18 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 9. sect. 5.

Jeremiah 41:17 In-Context

15 Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled with eight men from the face of Johanan, and went to the sons of Ammon. (But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.)

16 Therefore Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, took all the remnants of the common people, which they brought again from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, that were of Mizpah, after that he killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; he took strong men to battle, and women, and children, and geldings, which he had brought again from Gibeon. (And so Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him, took all the remnant of the common people, who were from Mizpah, whom he had rescued from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, after that he had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; yea, he took the strong men of battle, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, and brought them back from Gibeon.)

17 And they went (on their way), and sat being pilgrims in Chimham (for a time), which is beside Bethlehem, (before) that they should go, and enter into Egypt, from the face of Chaldees (to escape from the Chaldeans);

18 for they dreaded those Chaldees, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had slain Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom the king Nebuchadnezzar had made sovereign in the land of Judah. (for they feared those Chaldeans, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom King Nebuchadnezzar had made the ruler of the land of Judah.)