Atomic Bible

Assassinated Gedaliah the governor; led captives to Ammon.

Ishmael

Named in 21 verses across 2 books, first in 2 Kings 25:23.

יִשְׁמָעֵאלIshmael

The name means “God that hears.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

Father
Nethaniah

About Ishmael Written by AI

Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, was a member of the royal family of Judah (2 Kings 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 (2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8). Despite being warned of Ishmael's treacherous intentions (Jeremiah 40:13 to 16), Gedaliah welcomed him. However, Ishmael, acting under the orders of Baalis, king of the Ammonites, assassinated Gedaliah and his men (2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 41:1 to 3). Ishmael then led captives, including the king's daughters, from Mizpah toward Ammon (Jeremiah 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 (Jeremiah 41:11 to 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 (Jeremiah 41:16 to 18), directly disobeying God's command through Jeremiah (Jer.42-43).

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

This entry is on the name Ishmael, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.

God hears. (1.) Abraham’s eldest son, by Hagar the concubine (Gen. 16:15; 17:23). He was born at Mamre, when Abraham was eighty-six years of age, eleven years after his arrival in Canaan (16:3; 21:5). At the age of thirteen he was circumcised (17:25). He grew up a true child of the desert, wild and wayward. On the occasion of the weaning of Isaac his rude and wayward spirit broke out in expressions of insult and mockery (21:9, 10); and Sarah, discovering this, said to Abraham, “Expel this slave and her son.” Influenced by a divine admonition, Abraham dismissed Hagar and her son with no more than a skin of water and some bread. The narrative describing this act is one of the most beautiful and touching incidents of patriarchal life (Gen. 21:14-16). (See HAGAR.)

Ishmael settled in the land of Paran, a region lying between Canaan and the mountains of Sinai; and “God was with him, and he became a great archer” (Gen. 21:9-21). He became a great desert chief, but of his history little is recorded. He was about ninety years of age when his father Abraham died, in connection with whose burial he once more for a moment reappears. On this occasion the two brothers met after being long separated. “Isaac with his hundreds of household slaves, Ishmael with his troops of wild retainers and half-savage allies, in all the state of a Bedouin prince, gathered before the cave of Machpelah, in the midst of the men of Heth, to pay the last duties to the ‘father of the faithful,’ would make a notable subject for an artist” (Gen. 25:9). Of the after events of his life but little is known. He died at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years, but where and when are unknown (25:17). He had twelve sons, who became the founders of so many Arab tribes or colonies, the Ishmaelites, who spread over the wide desert spaces of Northern Arabia from the Red Sea to the Euphrates (Gen. 37:25, 27, 28; 39:1), “their hand against every man, and every man’s hand against them.”

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(2.) The son of Nethaniah, “of the seed royal” (Jer. 40:8, 15). He plotted against Gedaliah, and treacherously put him and others to death. He carried off many captives, “and departed to go over to the Ammonites.”

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names him

  1. 2 Kings 25:23

    When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.

  2. 2 Kings 25:25

    In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

  3. Jeremiah 40:8

    they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.

  4. Jeremiah 40:14

    and said to him, “Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

  5. Jeremiah 40:15

    Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?”

  6. Jeremiah 40:16

    But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.”

  7. Jeremiah 41:1

    In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate a meal together there.

  8. Jeremiah 41:2

    Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.

  9. Jeremiah 41:3

    Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.

  10. Jeremiah 41:6

    And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”

  11. Jeremiah 41:7

    And when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.

  12. Jeremiah 41:8

    But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.

  13. Jeremiah 41:9

    Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

  14. Jeremiah 41:10

    Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.

  15. Jeremiah 41:11

    When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,

  16. Jeremiah 41:12

    they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon.

  17. Jeremiah 41:13

    When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced,

  18. Jeremiah 41:14

    and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.

  19. Jeremiah 41:15

    But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.

  20. Jeremiah 41:16

    Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon.

  21. Jeremiah 41:18

    to escape the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.