Jeremiah 41:10-13 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people All that he did not slay: see note on Jeremiah 41:3; and among the rest Zedekiah's daughters, who had been left to the care of Gedaliah, when his sons were slain. These, it seems, being recovered by Johanan, were taken with him into Egypt, where they perished among the other Jews. And Ishmael departed to go over to the Ammonites Probably intending to make a present of the captives he was taking with him, to Baalis king of Ammon, by whom he had been instigated to the murder of Gedaliah. But when Johanan, and all the captains heard, &c. It would have been well if Johanan, when he gave information to Gedaliah of Ishmael's treasonable design, had stayed with him; for he and his captains, and their forces, might have been a life-guard to him, and a terror to Ishmael, and so have prevented the mischief, without the effusion of blood. They took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael Upon receiving notice of the murders he had committed, and which way he had gone, they pursued him, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon Called the pool of Gibeon, of which we read 2 Samuel 2:13. Now when all the people which were with Ishmael Namely, the poor captives whom he was taking into the land of the Ammonites; saw Johanan, &c., they were glad As they might well be, to see a probability of escaping out of the hands of the bloody man who had slain so many of their brethren: and they presently found an opportunity to wheel about, and come over to Johanan and his captains, Ishmael not attempting to detain them, but readily quitting his prey to save his life.