Bible Commentaries
2 Kings 10

Introduction

Second Kings Chapter 10

2 Kings 10:1 "And 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,"

The LORD had specifically told Jehu, through the prophet that anointed him, not to let any male descendents of Ahab live. Samaria was the principal residence of the king and his family. Jezreel, that we read about in the last lesson, was like a country home. The letters were sent, so there would be no way of denying they had heard of Jehu’s plans. The rulers, or elders, were those in charge.

2 Kings 10:2 "Now 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;"

Samaria was the best fortified city, because it was the capital city. Many of the sons of Joram, and the male descendents of Ahab, would be there too. Jehu reminds them, that they have chariots, and horses, and items of war.

2 Kings 10:3 "Look 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."

Jehu gives them warning, that he is going to take the throne. He is giving them an opportunity to prepare to fight against him, and keep the kingdom for themselves. Joram had sons, and perhaps, one of them would be strong, and brave, and could lead them in battle.

2 Kings 10:4 "But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?"

It appears, they were afraid, because Jehu had killed Ahaziah and Joram. They had not been in the army, and they feared they would not be able to fight, and keep what they had. They had given up, even before they began. Fear gripped them.

2 Kings 10:5 "And 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."

The letters that Jehu had sent, had caused the people to decide exactly what they would do. It appeared, the elders and the city officials had decided to serve Jehu, instead of fight. They will not try to crown another king. They were willing for Jehu to be king. In every sense, they had surrendered.

2 Kings 10:6 "Then 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 232 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."

Jehu tested their loyalty to him. He says, if they were really willing to be his servant, they must show it by killing the 70 male descendents of Ahab and bringing their heads to him. He will remain at Jezreel. This had to be difficult for the men to do, but they knew they would all die, if they did not do this.

2 Kings 10:7 "And 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."

They, probably, killed them privately, and put the heads in baskets to get them out of town without too much local notice. They sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

2 Kings 10:8 "And 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."

The heads were put on display, so all might see. Everyone, who entered the gates, saw the heads of the princes.

2 Kings 10:9 "And 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?"

This speech to the people was to stop the talk, that was generally whispered around about the new king. They thought Jehu conspired against his master, Joram. In a sense, he did just that. We must remember, that the LORD anointed him king, and told him to rid Israel of the descendents of Ahab. He did kill Joram and Ahaziah, but their own people killed the seventy, whose heads were on display there in the street.

2 Kings 10:10 "Know 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."

Elijah had been told of God of this very thing, before he died. We must continue to remember the evil that Ahab and Jezebel had done. They not only, were vicious to people they were involved with, but they were the worst of any of the kings in bringing the worship of Baal to Israel. Every Word the LORD had spoken about the destruction of Ahab’s descendents, will be carried out under the rule of Jehu.

2 Kings 10:11 "So 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."

We would really be guessing, if we tried to estimate how many people were directly, or indirectly, associated with Ahab. We do know from the Scripture, above, that every one of them were killed. The priests, the Scripture is speaking of, were, probably, priests of Astarte, who were not killed at mount Carmel. The land was to be cleansed of the evil of Ahab.

2 Kings 10:12 "And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. [And] as he [was] at the shearing house in the way,"

2 Kings 10:13 "Jehu 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."

The size of this group of men indicated that they were not really on a visit, but probably, had been sent to help with the problems in Israel. They were not the brothers of Ahaziah, because they were dead. These may be the nephews of Ahaziah. They, too, were descendents of Ahab and Jezebel. In fact, it was the children and grandchildren of Ahab and Jezebel, that they claim they were coming to see.

2 Kings 10:14 "And 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."

He killed them, because they were Ahab’s relatives.

2 Kings 10:15 "And 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."

Jehonadab was the great Kenite leader. The descendents of Rechab had bound themselves to abstain from wine, and would always be nomads. It appears, that Jehu knew who he was. He asked him, if he was on his side. It appears, that Jehu had a great respect for Jehonadab, and wanted his approval of removing the Baalites from the land. When he told Jehu that he was on his side, Jehu brought him up to ride in his chariot with him.

2 Kings 10:16 "And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot."

2 Kings 10:17 "And 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."

All of this killing seems so cruel, but we must remember, that the LORD was removing the worship of Baal from the land. Jehu was just the instrument that the LORD used for this purpose.

2 Kings 10:18 "And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve him much."

This really was a lie. He was tricking all of the followers of Baal to reveal who they were so he could kill them.

2 Kings 10:19 "Now 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."

This is a clever plot of Jehu to get all of those who worshipped Baal, all of his priests, and all of every group that served him, to appear before Jehu.

2 Kings 10:20 "And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed [it]."

2 Kings 10:21 "And 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."

We can see how widespread the worship of Baal had become. Not only was the family of Ahab involved, but they had influenced many others, as well. They had to come, because a solemn assembly had been called.

2 Kings 10:22 "And he said unto him that [was] over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments."

The vestments were linen garments.

2 Kings 10:23 "And 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."

Jehu was making sure, that no worshippers of the True God were in here. The entire congregation was made up of the evil Baal worshippers. Jehu was still pretending to be one of them, so he would be sure to get all of them.

2 Kings 10:24 "And 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."

Jehu and Jehonadab have gone out, and now, have stationed 80 men to kill everyone of the Baal worshippers. If they let one of them go, they will have to pay with their own lives.

2 Kings 10:25 "And 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."

Jehu carried the deceit up to the very last moment. He even sacrificed for them on the altar. He, then, went out and told his men to come in and kill every person. It appears, that all of the bodies were cast out of the temple, after they had killed everyone of them. They went to the house, that had been erected for Baal in Samaria.

2 Kings 10:26 "And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them."

2 Kings 10:27 "And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day."

2 Kings 10:28 "Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel."

He not only, burned the images of Baal, but he tore the buildings down, that had been dedicated to Baal. They did not move the broken walls of the houses that had been dedicated to Baal. They left them as a reminder of what happened to those who worship false gods. The worship of Baal stopped, and never was revived in Israel.

2 Kings 10:29 "Howbeit [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 Beth-el, and that [were] in Dan."

The golden calves had been set up in two places of worship. They were mingled in with the worship of the LORD. They were put there to keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship. Jehu allowed this to go on. It was not as bad as the worship of Baal, but was definitely a sin in the sight of the LORD. God had cursed this type of worship from the onset. While Jehu was house cleaning, he should have destroyed the two calves, but he did not. This is the very reason Jeroboam was destroyed.

2 Kings 10:30 "And 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."

Actually, Jehu had done what the young prophet had told him to do. Of course, the young prophet was just conveying a message from the LORD. The LORD was pleased with Jehu getting rid of the Baal worship and worshippers. His reward from God for his actions was a promise that four generations of his would sit on the throne of Israel.

2 Kings 10:31 "But 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."

The blessings of God are promised to those who keep His commandments. Jehu had performed well, a job that the LORD had given him to do. He stopped, as if he had won the prize. He did not live the life that he had started. He fell into the sins of Jeroboam. The calf worship was something that was an abomination to the LORD.

2 Kings 10:32 "In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;"

The LORD would not bless them in battle, because of their unfaithfulness to Him in the calf worship. They had no special favors from the LORD. Hazael was from Syria. He was a continuous threat to Israel.

2 Kings 10:33 "From 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."

This is telling of some of the places, where Israel was attacked and did not fare well.

2 Kings 10:34 "Now 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?"

This is that same book of records, that is mentioned so much, here in the book of Kings.

2 Kings 10:35 "And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead."

Jehu was buried in the capital of Samaria. "Jehoahaz" means Jehovah has laid hold of. He would be an evil king, like his father.

2 Kings 10:36 "And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty and eight years."

Jehu’s reign of 28 years had been full of bloodshed. He pleased God in the destruction of Baal worship, but he did not follow the commandments of God.

2 Kings 10 Questions

1. How many sons of Ahab were in Samaria?

2. What was the capital city of Israel?

3. What was Jezreel?

4. In 2 Kings 10:2, Jehu encouraged them to do what?

5. Who did he suggest they put on the throne?

6. Why were they so afraid of Jehu?

7. What message did they send back to Jehu?

8. Who are they willing to be king?

9. What did Jehu tell the leaders to do, if they were truly on his side?

10. They put the heads in ____________.

11. What did Jehu do with their heads?

12. Quote 2 Kings 10:10.

13. Who were killed, that were associated with Ahab?

14. Who were the priests mentioned in verse 11?

15. Who were the 42 Jehu met at the shearing house?

16. What happened to them?

17. Why were they killed?

18. Who was Jehonadab?

19. What was peculiar about the people of Rechab?

20. When Jehu found him to be a friend, what did he do?

21. Jehu told him to come with him, and see his _______ for the LORD.

22. Who had the LORD told to prophesy the destruction of Ahab’s descendents?

23. What lie did Jehu tell the people of Israel?

24. Why did he do it?

25. How did Jehu plot to get all of the Baal worshippers in one place?

26. What were the vestments?

27. Who did Jehu have kill the Baal worshippers?

28. What did he do, after he killed all of the Baal worshippers?

29. What did he not do, that disturbed the LORD?

30. How many generations would Jehu have descendents on the throne of Israel?

31. Who attacked Israel, and the LORD did not help them?

32. Who reigned in the place of Jehu at his death?

33. How long had Jehu reigned?

Verse 1

2Ki 10:1