2 Kings 10

Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the men who were raising Ahab's sons. The letters said:

1And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,

NoteSamaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel; Jezreel, where Jehu is, was a second royal city about twenty-five miles away. "Seventy sons" means Ahab's whole male line, sons and grandsons; seventy is a round number used elsewhere for a complete royal family. Ahab himself was already dead. Royal sons were commonly fostered out to be raised in the households of leading men of the city, which is why the letters go to guardians rather than to a palace nursery. The Hebrew of "the rulers of Jezreel" is awkward here, since the letters are sent to Samaria; some ancient copies read "the rulers of the city."

2"This letter will reach you soon. Your master's sons are with you, and so are chariots and horses, a walled city, and weapons.

2Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

NoteJehu is listing what the men in Samaria have and daring them to use it, a challenge, not advice. A "walled city" was the basic unit of defense: a town with fortifications that could withstand a siege.

3So choose the best and most fit of your master's sons, put him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's family."

3Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

NoteThe throne of Israel was not strictly hereditary by birth order in the north, so "the best and most fit" son was a real choice, not an empty phrase.

4But they were terrified. They said, "Two kings could not stand up to him. How can we stand up to him?"

4But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

NoteThe two kings are Joram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah, both killed by Jehu in the previous chapter.

5So the man in charge of the palace, the man in charge of the city, the elders, and the men raising the children sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants. We will do anything you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think is best."

5And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

6Then Jehu wrote them a second letter. It said, "If you are on my side, and if you will listen to me, then take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the king's seventy sons were living with the leading men of the city, who were raising them.

6Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

NoteThe Hebrew phrase "take the heads of your master's sons" is deliberately double-edged: "heads" can mean the chief men, so the sentence could be read as "bring the leading ones of your master's sons to me." The recipients read it the other way, and Jehu never has to admit he gave the order.

7When the letter reached them, they took the king's sons and killed all seventy of them. They put the heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

7And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

8A messenger came and told Jehu, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." Jehu said, "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate, and leave them there until morning."

8And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.

NoteThe city gate was the public square of an ancient town, where elders sat, judgments were given and business was done. Displaying the severed heads of enemies at a gate was a known practice of the period, both a proof of what had happened and a warning.

9In the morning Jehu went out and stood in front of all the people. He said, "You are not guilty. I am the one who plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

9And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

Note"You are righteous" here means "you are in the clear, no charge against you", a legal sense, not a moral compliment. Jehu's point in the question that follows is that others besides him have blood on their hands.

10So understand this: not one word the LORD spoke against Ahab's family will fall to the ground unfulfilled. The LORD has done exactly what he said through his servant Elijah."

10Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

Note"Nothing shall fall to the ground" is a Hebrew idiom for a word that fails or comes to nothing, like something dropped and lost. The saying of Elijah referred to is his sentence on Ahab's household in 1 Kings 21.

11So Jehu killed everyone left in Jezreel from Ahab's family, along with all his important men, his close friends, and his priests. He left no one alive.

11So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

Note"Kinsfolks" in the King James renders a Hebrew word for intimates or close acquaintances rather than blood relatives. The "priests" are those attached to Ahab's court and its Baal worship, not the priests at Jerusalem.

12Then Jehu set out and went toward Samaria. On the way, at Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

12And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

NoteThe King James "shearing house" is an attempt to translate the place name Beth-eked, which appears to mean something like "house of binding", probably a spot where sheep were tied and sheared.

13Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah, the king of Judah. He asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are relatives of Ahaziah. We are on our way down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother."

13Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

Note"Brethren" covers relatives generally, not only full brothers; Ahaziah's actual brothers had already been carried off. "The queen" translates a Hebrew title for the king's mother, who held a recognized official position at court, here Jezebel. The travelers do not yet know that Jehu has seized power and killed both kings.

14Jehu said, "Take them alive." So his men took them alive and then killed them at the well of Beth-eked. There were forty-two of them. He left none of them alive.

14And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

NoteThe "pit" was a cistern or well, a large lined pit for storing water, common at a place where flocks were watered and worked.

15When he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, "Is your heart as loyal to me as my heart is to you?" Jehonadab answered, "It is." Jehu said, "If it is, give me your hand." So Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot.

15And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

NoteJehonadab son of Rechab was head of the Rechabites, a group who kept a deliberately austere, tent-dwelling life and drank no wine (described in Jeremiah 35). His public backing carried weight as a mark of strict devotion to the LORD. Giving the hand was a formal gesture sealing an agreement, and taking a man up into your chariot displayed the alliance for everyone on the road to see.

16Jehu said, "Come with me and see how strongly I stand up for the LORD." So they had him ride along in Jehu's chariot.

16And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

Note"Zeal" here translates a Hebrew word for fierce, jealous ardor, the same word used of a husband's jealousy. It describes intensity of commitment, not enthusiasm in the mild modern sense.

17When Jehu reached Samaria, he killed everyone there who was left of Ahab's family, until they were all destroyed. This was just what the LORD had said to Elijah.

17And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

18Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little. Jehu will serve him much more.

18And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

NoteBaal was the Canaanite storm and fertility god; his worship had been promoted in Israel under Ahab and his wife Jezebel. To "serve" a god meant to maintain his temple, staff and sacrifices, a public, state-funded business, not a private opinion.

19So call for me all the prophets of Baal, all who serve him, and all his priests. Make sure no one is missing, because I am holding a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who is missing will not stay alive." But Jehu was being tricky. He meant to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

19Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

20Jehu said, "Announce a holy gathering for Baal." So they announced it.

20And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

NoteA "solemn assembly" translates a Hebrew term for a sacred convocation, the word normally used of the great festival gatherings held for the LORD. Calling one for Baal announced a state occasion that no worshiper could plausibly skip.

21Jehu sent word all through Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came. Not one man stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal, and it was full from one end to the other.

21And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

22Jehu said to the man in charge of the robes, "Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal." So he brought out robes for them.

22And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

NoteSpecial garments were put on for worship at major temples; a temple official kept them in store and issued them. Here the robes also serve Jehu's purpose, since they mark out exactly who is a Baal worshiper.

23Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the worshipers of Baal, "Look around and make sure there are no servants of the LORD here among you, only worshipers of Baal."

23And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.

24So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Meanwhile Jehu had stationed eighty men outside. He warned them, "I am handing these men over to you. If any one of them escapes, the man who let him get away will pay with his own life."

24And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

NoteA burnt offering was an animal burned whole on the altar, as opposed to a sacrifice from which the worshipers ate a share. "His life shall be for the life of him" is the standard formula for a substitute penalty: the guard forfeits his own life in place of the man he let escape.

25As soon as the burnt offering was finished, Jehu said to the guards and the officers, "Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out." So they cut them down with their swords. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and went on to the city of the house of Baal.

25And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

Note"The guard" translates a word meaning "the runners", the king's armed bodyguard, who ran alongside his chariot. The King James "city of the house of Baal" is obscure; the Hebrew seems to mean the innermost or walled part of the temple complex, where the image stood.

26They carried the sacred stone pillars out of the temple of Baal and burned them.

26And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

NoteThe objects are standing stones, upright pillars set up as sacred markers at a shrine. Burning stone is odd, and some think the word here has been confused with the wooden cult poles that also stood at such sites.

27They smashed the sacred pillar of Baal, tore down the temple of Baal, and turned the place into a public toilet, which it still is today.

27And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

NoteTurning a demolished temple into a latrine made the ground permanently unusable for worship, since human waste rendered a site ritually unclean. "Unto this day" is the writer speaking to readers of his own generation, long after the events.

28So Jehu wiped out the worship of Baal in Israel.

28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29But Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into sin. He kept the golden calves that were at Bethel and at Dan.

29Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

NoteWhen the kingdom split after Solomon, Jeroboam I set up golden calf images at Bethel and Dan, at the southern and northern ends of his territory, so that his people would not travel to the temple in Jerusalem. The books of Kings treat this as the founding fault of every northern king, and measure each one against it.

30The LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well in carrying out what I say is right. You have done to Ahab's family everything I had in mind. Because of this, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel for four generations."

30And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

Note"Four generations" was fulfilled in Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II and Zechariah, the longest-lasting dynasty the northern kingdom had.

31But Jehu was not careful to follow the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, who had led Israel into sin.

31But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

32In those days the LORD began to make Israel smaller. Hazael defeated the Israelites all along their borders.

32In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

NoteHazael was king of Aram, the kingdom centered on Damascus, north-east of Israel and its main rival for the territory east of the Jordan.

33He took the land east of the Jordan River: all of Gilead, the territory of the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead all the way to Bashan.

33From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

NoteThis is the whole Israelite territory east of the Jordan River. Gilead is the hill country immediately east of the river; Bashan lies north of it; Aroer sits on the north rim of the Arnon gorge, the traditional southern boundary. Gad, Reuben and Manasseh were the tribes settled on that side of the Jordan.

34The rest of the things Jehu did, everything he accomplished and all his power, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

34Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

NoteThis is a royal record kept by the northern kingdom, now lost, not the biblical books of Chronicles. The writer repeatedly refers readers to it for the political and military detail he leaves out.

35Jehu died, and they buried him in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became king in his place.

35And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is the standard Hebrew phrase for dying peacefully and being buried in the family tomb, as opposed to being killed.

36Jehu ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.

36And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.