And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.
Ver. 14. That Baalis the king of the Ammonites.] Set on work by Beelzebub the prince of devils to hinder so good a work.
But Gedaliah believed them not.] No more did Julius Caesar those that forewarned him of the conspiracy against him. The Duke of Guise, the same day that he was slain by the command of Henry III, King of France, had a scroll laid under his napkin, as he sat at dinner, wherein was written, that his life was in danger; he underwrote: They dare not; and so threw it from him under the table. But it proved that they both dared to do it, and did do it, the same day. a Gedaliah, likely, thought that Ishmael dared not attempt anything against him, because of the Babylonians; besides, he knew his own innocence, and Ishmael's pretended familiarity with him, which he might think the other captains envied. Sure it is, that good Gedaliah was too secure. Nam qui omnia credit, et qui nihil credit, ex aequo peccat. b It is no less a fault to believe nothing, than to believe everything; sine vano publica fama. Reports are neither to be overly heeded, nor overly slighted, especially where life is concerned.
a Speed, 1212.
b Seneca.