Jeremiah 41:5-6
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These travelers from the north, bearing signs of deep mourning like shaved beards and torn clothes, were bringing grain and incense not for animal sacrifice (impossible after the Temple's destruction) but as an act of devotion to the sacred site itself. Their very presence and offerings highlight a persistent, even desperate, desire to connect with God, despite the devastation and even their own relapse into forbidden mourning practices.
eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the LORD. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come in to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just two days after the brutal murder of Gedaliah, a group of eighty men arrived from various towns bearing signs of deep mourning – shaved beards, torn clothes, and self-inflicted wounds. Despite the devastation, they were carrying grain offerings and incense, intending to present them at the Lord's temple, unaware of the treacherous events that had unfolded.
Why would these men show such extreme signs of mourning, like shaving beards and tearing clothes? These weren't just casual expressions of sadness.
The eighty men displayed intense grief, marked by shaved beards, torn clothes, and even self-inflicted cuts.
A Culture of Mourning
These outward expressions were common in ancient Near Eastern cultures to signify profound sorrow. Shaving beards and rending garments were deeply ingrained customs for expressing loss.
Forbidden but Practiced
While the Law of Moses explicitly forbade cutting oneself as a sign of mourning (Leviticus 19:27-28), this passage shows it was still practiced, especially in regions like Samaria, which had a history of mixing Israelite faith with surrounding pagan customs. These men, likely descendants of the Northern Kingdom, may have been less strict in adhering to this specific prohibition, or their grief was so overwhelming it superseded their adherence to the law.
A Glimmer of Hope?
Despite the destruction, their act of bringing grain offerings and incense to the site of the destroyed Temple suggests a persistent faith. Even though animal sacrifices were impossible, they sought to honor the Lord at the place where His presence once resided.
In a time of utter devastation, why would anyone travel to the destroyed Temple? What did they hope to find or offer?
These men weren't coming to offer sacrifices as they would have in normal times. The Temple had been burned, and the city of Jerusalem lay in ruins.
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A Journey of Lament
Scholars suggest these eighty men were on a pilgrimage of mourning. They traveled from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria – areas with ties to the Northern Kingdom – to lament the destruction of God's house.
Offerings for a Memory
Their offerings of grain and incense weren't for a functioning altar. Instead, they represented their continued devotion and sorrow. Even though the physical structure was gone, the site itself was still considered sacred, a place where they could express their faith and grief.
Location, Location, Location
These towns were located in the territory of the former Northern Kingdom. For descendants of Israel, Shiloh held special significance as the original site of the Tabernacle. Their journey, unknowingly heading towards Mizpah where they would meet their tragic end, highlights their commitment to worship and remembrance even in the face of overwhelming national catastrophe.
Understand the original words
galach · Hebrew Verb
A ritual practice in the ancient Near East often associated with mourning the dead, expressing profound grief, or occasionally signaling apostasy, despite being forbidden by Mosaic Law in certain contexts.
qara · Hebrew Verb
A physical manifestation of extreme sorrow or repentance, common in biblical narratives to signify a breaking of spirit or the onset of public lamentation.
gadad · Hebrew Verb
A practice often associated with pagan mourning rites, prohibited under the Holiness Code (Leviticus 19:28), expressing deep emotional or spiritual anguish.
minchah · Hebrew Noun
A voluntary or prescribed tribute offered to God, primarily consisting of flour, oil, and frankincense, intended to acknowledge God’s provision and the offerer's dedication.
qetoret · Hebrew Noun
A sweet-smelling substance burned in worship to symbolize the rising of prayers and the pleasing presence of God, often associated with the holiness of the sanctuary.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The proper name of the God of Israel, the covenant-keeping Creator who revealed Himself to Moses and dwelt among His people in the tabernacle and later the temple.
bayit · Hebrew Noun
The localized dwelling place of God’s presence on earth among His people, serving as the center for sacrificial worship and covenant identity.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, destroying its capital, Samaria. The population is deported, and foreign peoples are resettled in the land, creating a mixed population.
587/586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar II, conquers Judah, destroys Jerusalem, and razes Solomon's Temple. A significant portion of the population is exiled to Babylon.
c. 586 BC
Appointment of Gedaliah as Governor
Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah, a Jew who had served in the Babylonian court, as governor over the remaining population in Judah.
c. 586 BC
Assassination of Gedaliah
Ishmael, a member of the royal family, assassinates Gedaliah and several Babylonian officials and Jewish leaders at Mizpah.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Arrival of Mourners from the North
Eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, showing deep signs of mourning, travel to Jerusalem to present offerings at the ruined Temple site. They are intercepted and murdered by Ishmael and his men at Mizpah.
This passage directly prohibits the practices of shaving the edges of beards and cutting oneself, which these pilgrims from Samaria, Shechem, and Shiloh were doing, highlighting a syncretism of customs and a desperate state of grief.
2 Kings 25:9-10This passage describes the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, providing the context for the deep mourning and pilgrimage of these eighty men seeking to present offerings at the ruined sacred site.
Jeremiah 16:6This earlier passage in Jeremiah also mentions cutting oneself as a sign of mourning, reinforcing the idea that these specific customs, though forbidden, were sometimes employed by the people in extreme distress or pagan influence.
2 Chronicles 34:9This passage shows that even people from the northern regions, like those from Ephraim (where Samaria and Shechem were located), had contributed to the Temple's repairs in Josiah's time, indicating a historical connection and potential lingering devotion despite the divided kingdom.
Zechariah 7:5This passage speaks of fasting and mourning during the fifth and seventh months, aligning with the timing of the Temple's destruction and the pilgrims' potentially observed fasts or days of sorrow, further explaining their somber appearance and mission.
calvinJeremiah 41:4-5: "And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,"
That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.
Et venerunt viri ex Sichem, e Silo et Samaria octoginta rasi barba (vel, rasa barba,) et laceris vestibus, et scissi (vel, laniati) in cute…
pooleJeremiah 41:5: "That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD."
Samaria was the name both of a city and a province; Shechem was a city within that province, within the limits of the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 20:7 . These places were now inhabited by a mixed people, partly Jews, partly such as the…
These travelers from the north, bearing signs of deep mourning like shaved beards and torn clothes, were bringing grain and incense not for animal sacrifice (impossible after the Temple's destruction) but as an act of devotion to the sacred site itself. Their very presence and offerings highlight a persistent, even desperate, desire to connect with God, despite the devastation and even their own relapse into forbidden mourning practices.
Just two days after the brutal murder of Gedaliah, a group of eighty men arrived from various towns bearing signs of deep mourning – shaved beards, torn clothes, and self-inflicted wounds. Despite the devastation, they were carrying grain offerings and incense, intending to present them at the Lord's temple, unaware of the treacherous events that had unfolded.
Just two days after the brutal murder of Gedaliah, a group of eighty men arrived from various towns bearing signs of deep mourning – shaved beards, torn clothes, and self-inflicted wounds. Despite the devastation, they were carrying grain offerings and incense, intending to present them at the Lord's temple, unaware of the treacherous events that had unfolded.
"eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the LORD. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah c…" — These travelers from the north, bearing signs of deep mourning like shaved beards and torn clothes, were bringing grain and incense not for animal sacrifice (impossible after the Temple's destruction…
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Last reviewed October 2026
