^41:9Now the cistern where Ishmael threw all the dead bodies of those he had killed was a large one¹⁵ that King Asa had constructed as part of his defenses against King Baasha of Israel.¹⁶ Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with dead bodies.¹⁷

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Footnotes

15 The translation here follows the reading of the Greek version. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; some understand it to mean “because of Gedaliah [i.e., to cover up the affair with Gedaliah]” and others understand it to mean “alongside of Gedaliah.” The translation presupposes that the Hebrew text reads בּוֹר גָּדוֹל הוּא (bor gadol hu’) in place of בְּיַד־גְּדַלְיָהוּ הוּא (béyad-gédalyahu). The meaning of בְּיַד (béyad) does not fit any of the normal ones given for this expression and those who retain the Hebrew text normally explain it as an unparalleled use of “because” or “in the affair of” (so ) or a rare use meaning “near, by the side of “(see 391 יָד 5.d where only Ps 141:6 and Zech 4:12 are cited. themselves suggest reading with the Greek version as the present translation does [so 391 יָד 5.c(3)]). For the syntax presupposed by the Greek text which has been followed consult §16.3.3d and 133 §8.4.2b. The first clause is a classifying clause with normal order of subject-predicate-copulative pronoun and it is followed by a further qualifying relative clause.
16 It is generally agreed that the cistern referred to here is one of several that Asa dug for supplying water as part of the defense system constructed at Mizpah (cf. 1 Kgs 15:22; 2 Chr 16:6).
17 Or “with corpses”; Heb “with the slain.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men whom he had struck down along with Gedaliah was the large cistern that King Asa had made for defense against Baasha king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now the cistern where Ishmael had thrown all the corpses of the men he had struck down was a large one that King Asa had made in the encounter with King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

NLTNew Living Translation

The cistern where Ishmael dumped the bodies of the men he murdered was the large one dug by King Asa when he fortified Mizpah to protect himself against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with corpses.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now the pit into which Ishmael threw all the corpses of the men whom he had killed along with Gedaliah was the same one that King Asa had made because of Baasha the king of Israel, who was against him. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain ones.

KJV 1900King James Version

Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.

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