Following the tragic assassination of the appointed leader, a brutal massacre unfolds, leaving behind a grim scene. The assassin, Ishmael, disposes of his victims' bodies by throwing them into a massive pit. This location carries a dark historical weight. The pit was originally a wide trench, constructed as part of a defensive fortification system by King Asa of Judah to protect against Baasha, the king of Israel [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A tragic historical cycle closes here: a trench initially dug during a bloody civil war between Judah and Israel now serves as a mass grave. It is filled once again with victims from Israel, this time slaughtered by Ishmael, a descendant of the royal house of Judah [חומת אנך].
A significant question arises regarding the responsibility for these deaths. The historical account seemingly attributes the killing of these men to Gedaliah, even though Ishmael was the actual murderer. Commentators offer several ways to understand this apparent contradiction, ranging from physical circumstances to deep moral accountability.
From a geographic perspective, the association with Gedaliah simply indicates the location of the massacre, meaning the victims were killed in his domain, the city of Mizpah [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, the connection describes the event itself, noting that these men were struck down in the exact same incident and shared the same fate as their leader [אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Others view Gedaliah as the underlying cause of the tragedy. Since the victims had gathered in Mizpah specifically for him and because of his leadership, he is seen as the indirect reason for their deaths [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Building upon this idea, a stronger moral approach rooted in the teachings of the Sages places a heavy burden of responsibility squarely on Gedaliah's shoulders. Before the massacre, Johanan son of Kareah explicitly warned Gedaliah about Ishmael's deadly intentions. Because Gedaliah chose to ignore this crucial advice and failed to take the threat seriously, he is held accountable. By disregarding the warning, it is as though he killed the men himself, and therefore, their deaths are attributed directly to his inaction [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל].