A group of eighty men makes a journey from the former cities of the Kingdom of Israel—Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria—carrying grain offerings and frankincense intended for God [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Their appearance reflects deep sadness and heavy mourning over the fall of Jerusalem, the burning of the Temple, and the exile of Judah [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. They bear the visible signs of grief: their clothes are torn, their facial hair is shaved [מצודת ציון], and their bodies are gashed with scratches self-inflicted in sorrow [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק].
Carrying offerings to a destroyed Temple is puzzling. Commentators offer two main ways to understand the men's intentions. One approach suggests they began their journey completely unaware that the Temple had fallen. Only while traveling did the bitter news reach them, prompting them to tear their clothes and adopt the customs of mourning [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This raises a natural question: how could two months have passed without them hearing of such a monumental event? The explanation is that they actually knew Jerusalem had been conquered and its people exiled. However, because the Babylonians left the poorest citizens behind in the land, these men assumed the Temple had also been spared to allow for ongoing sacrifices. It was only on the road that they discovered the building had been completely burned to the ground, leading them to mourn before continuing their journey toward Gedaliah [רד״ק].
Conversely, another perspective argues that the men were fully aware of the destruction before they even set out. They brought their offerings with the specific intention of sacrificing them on the site of the original altar, relying on the religious law that permits sacrifices to be offered at the altar's location even when the Temple itself no longer stands [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Beyond their personal grief, the arrival of these men becomes entangled in a darker political conspiracy. They are targeted and killed as part of a calculated plot to frame Gedaliah. The assassins intended to spread a false rumor that Gedaliah himself had ordered the slaughter. By doing so, they hoped to convince the public that the King of Babylon had commanded Gedaliah to execute anyone caught mourning the ruined Temple or attempting to bring offerings to God [מלבי״ם].