ירמיהו, פרק מ״א, פסוק ב׳

The assassination of Gedaliah is a dramatic event driven by a mix of violent group participation and a deeply personal motive. The attack itself unfolded in two distinct stages. Initially, the entire group of ten men accompanying Ishmael joined together to strike and beat Gedaliah. However, the fatal moment was ultimately a solitary act. Ishmael alone stepped forward to deliver the final, killing blow [מצודת דוד].

Beyond the physical details of the attack, the underlying reason for the murder is rooted in Gedaliah's political status as the governor appointed by the king of Babylon [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The mention of his high position is not merely a factual record of his rank, but rather the key to understanding the motive behind the assassination. The primary approach among commentators is that Ishmael was driven by intense jealousy. He was enraged that the Babylonian king had chosen to appoint Gedaliah as the ruler over the land, a resentment that culminated in this brutal betrayal.