Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
Ishmael ... smote Gedaliah ... and slew him whom the king of Babylon had made governor. This assigns a reason for their slaying him, as well as showing the magnitude of their crime (Daniel 2:21; for "every soul" should "be subject unto the higher powers: for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God," Romans 13:1).