Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 40:15

15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish .

Discerning that Gedaliah took no great notice of his words spoken to him in the presence of the other Captains, he goeth to him secretly, offereth him his service to prevent the stroke, if he might have commission from him; mindeth him that if he did not value his own life, yet he ought to consider, in what a condition the people would be in, in case he were cut off, they were now but a small remnant, and then that remn[illegible: 1 letter]nt also would perish.