GEDALIAH or GEDALIAHU 01'9%, God-educaled ; Sept. PoSoMas), son of A hikam, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar governor of Juda after the destruction of Jerusalem. He was probably of the number of those who quitted the city at the instance of the prophet, justly despairing of the successful defence of a place which God had abandoned. Gcdaliah had in herited his father's respect for Jeremiah (Jer. xl. 5, sq.), and was moreover enjoined by Nebuzara dan to look to his safety and welfare. Gedaliah was in every way worthy of the difficult post he had to fill ; and lie adopted as the principle of his conduct that submission to existing circum stances which was requisite in one who believed that Judah bad, according to the declared will of God, been justly doomed and punished for her iniqui ties, and who yet believed that his loving-kindness had not utterly departed from her. He established the seat of his government at Mizpeh in the tribe of Benjamin ; and there the Jews, who had fled at the advance of the Chalelzean armies, or when the troops of Zedekiah were dispersed in the plains of Jericho, quitting their retreats, began to gather around him. Gedaliah wisely counselled them to submission and quietness ; and he promised on that condition to ensure them the undisturbed en joyment of their possessions, and of the produce of the ground. In this hope the labours of the field were resumed, aim the extraordinary returns of that season seemed; as if spec:ally given to rena'i the recent injuries of war. But this calm was of
short duration. Among those who returned was member of the royal family, named Ishmael, who had taken refuge with Baalis, king of the Ammonites. He appears to have been irritated at seeing one who was not of the house of David seated upon even the shadow of David's throne ; and some of the friends of Gedaliah believed him to be in a plot with Baalis to take away his life. But the noble-minded governor refused to enter tain such a suspicion, and rejected with horror the proposal of an over-zealous friend,, who offered to assassinate Ishmael. The suspicion which he thus generously repelled was, however, correct. He was murdered in the midst of a repast by this very Ishmael, whom he had received as a fricnd. This event happened about two months after the destruc tion of Jerusalem, and byit the present ruin of Judaea seemed to be consummated, B.C. 5SS (2 Kings xxv. 22-26 ; Jer. xxxix. 14 ; xl. 5 ; xli. —J. K [Four others of this name are mentioned in the O. T., viz., r. The son of Jeduthun, who played the harp in the service of God (i Chron. xxv. 3, 9) ; 2. A priest in the time of Ezra (Ezra X. 18) ; 3. The son of Pashur (Jer. xxxviii. 1) ; 4. The grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet (Zeph.