Was Gedaliah a good man? Ishmael was clearly not.

Yes—Gedaliah appears to have been a good man, or at least a decent and well-intentioned ruler, especially when compared to the wicked men around him.

The text presents him favorably in several ways.

First, he was appointed over the remnant in the land, and Jeremiah chose to dwell with him at Mizpah (Jer. 40:5-6). That alone suggests Gedaliah was not an enemy of the prophet or of the fear of the LORD. His father Ahikam had previously protected Jeremiah (Jer. 26:24), so Gedaliah came from a family that had shown kindness to God’s servant.

Second, Gedaliah encouraged the people in a wise direction. He told them not to fear serving the Chaldeans, but to remain in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and it would be well with them (Jer. 40:9-10). In that setting, this was the right counsel, because it agreed with Jeremiah’s repeated message that Judah should submit to Babylon under God’s chastening hand.

Third, under Gedaliah there was a brief measure of peace and stability. The scattered Jews returned, gathered summer fruits, and began rebuilding life in the land (Jer. 40:11-12). That reflects well on his leadership.

But Gedaliah also seems to have had a serious weakness: he was too trusting. When Johanan warned him plainly that Ishmael was coming to kill him, Gedaliah refused to believe it and said, “thou speakest falsely of Ishmael” (Jer. 40:16). So he was not evil, but he may have been naïve. His kindness was real, but his discernment was lacking.

So the best answer is this:

Gedaliah looks like an honorable, peaceable, and probably godly-minded man, but not a strong or discerning one.
He was not wicked like Ishmael. Yet he was not watchful enough to protect the remnant placed under his care.

A simple way to put it:

• Ishmael was treacherous and violent
• Gedaliah was peaceable and well-meaning
• Johanan was more perceptive than Gedaliah, but later disobedient to God

That makes Gedaliah a tragic figure: a better man than many in Judah, but still a flawed leader.

The lesson is that goodness and sincerity are not enough by themselves; a leader also needs discernment.