News soon spread that the Babylonians had made Gedaliah governor over men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile in Babylon.
The first to respond to this news are all the captains of the forces in the open country.
These are probably groups of fighting men who had taken refuge in the countryside from the Babylonian invasion. Some of these captains are named because they will play a role in the narrative that follows, especially Ishmael and Johanan. Gedaliah is described as a governor and not a king, because he is not a descendant of David. The scene that is set is one of a small remnant whose only hope of survival is to gather together under Gedaliah thereby accepting the rule of Babylon over them. But life would be hard in a devastated land.1
7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon,