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Lastly, signal punishment was dealt out to those who were regarded as ringleaders or as
representative persons during the late rebellion. "Seraiah,* the chief priest" (high priest),
"Zephaniah,** the second priest" (probably the substitute of the high priest), "and the
three keepers of the door" - that is, the chiefs of the Levites who kept watch at the three
Temple gates (Jeremiah 38:14), were brought before the court which sat at Riblah, and
executed.
- An ancestor of Ezra. Comp. 2 Kings 25:18; 1 Chronicles 6:14; Ezra 7:1.
** "The son of Maaseiah." Comp. about him, Jeremiah 21:1; 29:25-29; 37:3.
The same punishment as that of the Temple officials was meted out to the royal officers
in the city - the chamberlain who had charge of the troops,* five of the king's councilors,
and the secretary of the general of the army. With these were executed sixty of the people
of the land, either as prominent in the late rebellion, or as representing the people
generally.
- We have given this paraphrastic description of the first and the last mentioned of these
officers, who, no doubt, were connected with the civil department of the army.
The civil administration of the country was entrusted by Nebuchadrezzar to Gedaliah, the
son of Ahikam. The latter had held a high position in the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22:12),
and was even more distinguished for the piety and courage which saved the life of
Jeremiah in the time of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 26:24). The same adherence to the prophetic
Word had induced Gedaliah to support the unpopular advice of submission to
Nebuchadrezzar. Information of all that passed in the city would no doubt reach the camp
of the Chaldeans, and it would be in consequence of what he had heard that
Nebuchadrezzar appointed Gedaliah to his post. It was also this, as well as respect for the
prophet and his office, which must have induced the king to give such charge about
Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan, his chief captain (Jeremiah 39:11-14; 40:1-4). The prophet
was apparently set at liberty, but afterwards, by some mistake, carried with the other
captives in chains to Ramah. Here the error was discovered, and Nebuzar-adan gave the
prophet the choice of either going to Babylon, where all honorable provision should be
made for him, or of settling in any part of the country. With true patriotic feeling, as well
as in accordance with his prophetic work, Jeremiah chose to remain with the new Jewish
governor, in order to support his authority, and to guide by his counsel the remnant of the
people. But even this proved a thankless and a hopeless task. Gedaliah had taken up his
residence in the ancient historic Mizpah.
Thither all that was left of Judah's representative men gathered, as also the wives,
daughters, and children of the slain and the captives. Thither also came the fugitives who
had sought safety in neighboring lands, as well as the remnants of the dispersed Jewish
army. A court was being formed, and the governor was surrounded by a Chaldean and
(^)