Military leader in Judah after the fall of Jerusalem
También conocido como: Jochanan, John, Johanan's
El exilioWarriorLeaderc. 600s BC
Johanan, son of Kareah, was one of the military leaders who remained in Judah after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC. He warned Gedaliah against Ishmael's murder plot but was not heard. After Gedaliah was killed, he led the remaining Jews to Egypt, contrary to the prophet Jeremiah's warning.
14and said to him, "Are you not aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah: "Let me go and strike down Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know. Why should he take your life and scatter all the Judeans who have gathered around you, so that the remnant of Judah perishes?"
1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was of royal descent and one of the king's chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there at Mizpah,
2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
Johanan gathered his men and pursued Ishmael after the murder of Gedaliah. He rescued the captives Ishmael had taken, but Ishmael himself escaped to the Ammonites.
16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces with him took charge of all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah at Mizpah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom he brought back from Gibeon.
Johanan and the people asked the prophet Jeremiah to pray to the Lord to find out whether they should stay in the land or go to Egypt. They promised to obey God's answer.
1Then all the commanders of the forces came forward—Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest—
2and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our plea come before you: pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant. For we are left few out of many, as your own eyes can see.
4Jeremiah the prophet answered them, "I have heard you. I will indeed pray to the LORD your God as you have asked, and whatever the LORD answers you, I will tell you; I will keep nothing back from you."
5Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act on everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us.
6Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."
After ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: The people were to remain in Judah and not fear the king of Babylon, for God would protect them. Going to Egypt would lead to destruction.
10If you will indeed remain in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.
11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.
14saying, 'No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will see no war, hear no sound of the trumpet, and never go hungry for bread—there we will settle,'
15then hear the word of the LORD, you remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: If you are determined to go to Egypt and settle there,
16then the sword you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine you dread will follow close behind you into Egypt, and there you will die.
17All the men who are determined to go to Egypt and settle there will die by the sword, by famine, and by plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I am bringing upon them.
18For this is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: As my anger and wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach, and you will never see this place again.
20that you went astray at the cost of your own lives. For you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God; tell us everything the LORD our God says, and we will do it.'
Despite God's clear warning through Jeremiah, Johanan and the other leaders refused to obey. They led the entire remaining group, including Jeremiah, down to Egypt.
1When Jeremiah had finished telling all the people every word of the LORD their God—everything the LORD their God had sent him to tell them, all these words—
2Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to settle there.'
4So Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people refused to obey the voice of the LORD, which told them to stay in the land of Judah.
5Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the whole remnant of Judah—those who had come back from all the nations where they had been scattered, to live in the land of Judah:
6the men, the women, the children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, along with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.