וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע לָהֶ֤ם גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ וּלְאַנְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֖וּ מֵעַבְדֵ֣י הַכַּשְׂדִּ֑ים שְׁב֣וּ בָאָ֗רֶץ וְעִבְד֛וּ אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל וְיִטַ֥ב לָכֶֽם׃ (ס)
And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said unto them: ‘Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.’
From David to Destruction
Gedaliah is appointed by the Nevuchadnetzar-led Babylonian Empire to govern the few Jews who were permitted to remain in Eretz Yisrael after the Churban Beit HaMikdash. He tells this remnant not to fear the servants of the Chaldeans, settle in the land, and serve the king of Babylonia, and he guarantees that “all will be well” with them (Melachim II 25:24 and Yirmiyahu 41:9). Yishmael ben Netaniah views Gedaliah ben Achikam as a traitor who disgracefully capitulates to the evil Nevuchadnetzar.