Jeremiah 41:5

“That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, etc.] Places in the ten tribes, and which belonged to the kingdom of Israel; so that it seems even at this distance of time, though the body of the ten tribes had been many years ago carried captive, yet there were still some religious persons sons remaining, and who had a great regard to the temple worship at Jerusalem: [even] fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves; as mourners for the destruction of Jerusalem, and the captivity of the people. The two first of these rites, shaving the beard, and rending of clothes, were agreeably to the law; but that of cutting…”

“beards shaven, &c.--indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city. cut themselves--a heathen custom, forbidden (Lev 19:27-28; Deu 14:1). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen into heathen practices. offerings--unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to testify their piety. house of . . . Lord--that is, the place where the house of the Lord had stood (Kg2 25:9). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred [PAPINIAN]. Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, since it was at Shiloh it originally was set up (Jos…”

“These three towns all lay in the tribe of Ephraim, and in the district planted by Salmaneser with Cuthites; but through the fact of these men having cut themselves (see Jeremiah 16:6 note), is suspicious, yet they were probably pious Israelites, going up to Jerusalem, carrying the meat offering usual at the feast of tabernacles, of which this was the season, and mourning over the destruction, not of the city, but of the temple, to the repairs of which we find the members of this tribe contributing in Josiah’s time 2 Chronicles 34:9. return to 'Top of Page'”

“There came men - Who possibly had not heard of the temple being burnt. Cut themselves - With all indications of mourning used in those countries. Jeremiah 41:8”

“came: Kg2 10:13, Kg2 10:14 Shechem: Gen 33:18, Gen 34:2; Jos 24:32; Jdg 9:1; Kg1 12:1, Kg1 12:25 Shiloh: Jer 7:12, Jer 7:14; Jos 18:1 Samaria: Kg1 16:24, Kg1 16:29 their beards: All these were signs of deep mourning; which, though forbidden on funeral occasions, were customary, and perhaps counted allowable, on seasons of public calamity, and this mourning was probably on account of the destruction of Jerusalem. Lev 19:27, Lev 19:28; Deu 14:1; Sa2 10:4; Isa 15:2 to the: Sa1 1:7; Kg2 25:9; Psa 102:14 Jeremiah 41:6”