This chapter gives a further account of the destruction of the house of Ahab by Jehu, or his orders, even of all his sons and relations, 2 Kings 10:1–11, and also of the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, 2 Kings 10:12–14, of his taking up Jehonadab the son of Rechab into his chariot, to be a…

And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria These might not be all his immediate sons, but some of them his grandsons, as such are sometimes called in Scripture: and Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel; who fled thither, perhaps on Jehu’s coming to Jezreel, having slain…

Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you Sons of Ahab, and some of Joram, and all either the sons or grandsons of Ahab: and there are with you chariots and horses; military ones: a fenced city also: as Samaria was, well walled and fortified, and able to hold…

Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons Most fit for government, whether on account of age or proper qualifications, and wisdom, courage and set him on his father’s throne; proclaim him king: and fight for your master’s house; that the crown may continue in his family; all which he…

But they were exceedingly afraid They were intimidated at once; for they saw the purport of those letters, that should they attempt anything of this kind, he would come upon them with his forces: and said, behold, two kings stood not before him; the kings of Israel and Judah, Joram and Ahaziah; but…

And he that was over the house The king’s palace in Samaria, who had the custody, care, and government of it: and he that was over the city; the commander and governor of it, that had the highest post in it under the king; the elders also all other subordinate officers and magistrates: and the…

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them Having gained his point by the former: saying, if ye be mine, acknowledge yourselves my subjects and servants; and if ye will hearken to my voice; obey my commands: take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons; that is, take off their heads: and…

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them They did not in the least hesitate, but immediately complied with the contents of it: that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons; which was the whole number of them: and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel; as a…

And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, they have brought the heads of the king’s sons Perhaps this messenger to Jehu came from the great men of Samaria themselves, to let him know that they had obeyed his orders: and he said, lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until…

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people Who were gathered together to this shocking sight, or on the above accounts: ye be righteous; having had no concern in taking off the heads of those men: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him;…

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, &c.] He would have them observe, that all this, and what else should follow of the same kind, were and would be brought about by the providence of God, according to…

So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel Which to do, and to justify himself in so doing, was the design of what he said in the preceding verses: and his great men; his ministers of state and counsellors, that advised him to, and abetted him in his idolatrous practices, and so…

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria To make a clear riddance there of all that belonged to Ahab, as at Jezreel, and abolish idolatry there: and as he was at the shearing house in the way; or, “the house of the binding of the shepherds”, who, in shearing their sheep, bind their legs…

Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah At the above place; these were the sons of his brethren, called his brethren, as Lot was called Abraham’s brother, being his brother’s son; for as for his brethren, they had been slain by the Arabians before he was made king, (2 Chron.

And he said, take them alive Gave orders to his guards to seize them, and make them captives: and they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house; where they washed the sheep when they sheered them; even forty and two men, neither left he any of them; they being, by their…

And when he was departed thence From Betheked, or the shearing house: he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; a Kenite, a descendant of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, a wise and good man, as appears by the laws and rules he gave to his posterity, who continued to the…

And he said, come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord of hosts In destroying idolaters and idolatry, with an intent to do which he was going to Samaria; this seems to savour very much of vain glory, hypocrisy, and a pharisaical spirit: so they made him ride in his chariot; the servants of Jehu by…

And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria All that were in any connection with him, as related to his family, or as ministers of his in civil or religious things: till he had destroyed him; his whole house, as he was ordered: according to the word of the Lord,…

And Jehu gathered all the people together The people of Samaria, at least the principal of them: and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much; which some understand as spoken ironically; but the words seem to be spoken with a design to deceive the idolatrous…

Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, let none be wanting All that were employed in the several parts of religious worship given him, and in performing any rite and ceremony belonging to it; in invocation of him, and singing praises to him, as…

And Jehu said, proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal Such as with the Jews was an holy convocation, when they were forbidden and restrained from doing any work on that day; and such a day Jehu would have appointed and proclaimed for Baal, that the people might be at leisure to attend: and they…

And Jehu sent through all Israel Persons to proclaim this solemn assembly: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not; some no doubt came cheerfully, having no suspicion of him, and the rather, as he might have been a worshipper of Baal in the times of…

And he said unto him that was over the vestry That had the care of the garments, in which the priests of Baal ministered: bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal; not for the priests only, but for all that worshipped; and this he ordered for the greater solemnity of this service, as…

And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal Who no doubt was led into the secret, and knew the design of Jehu, or he would not have gone into such an idolatrous place: and said unto the worshippers of Baal, search and look, that there be here with you none of the servants…

And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, &c.] To Baal, all things being ready for them: Jehu appointed eighty men without; without the temple of Baal, at the several doors and avenues of it: and said, if any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that…

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering The chief of the priests of Baal, whose office it was to do this service: that Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains, go in and slay them, let none come forth; this he said to the eighty men set to guard the…

And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burnt them. ] Lesser images, the images of other deities, or what were placed as decorations of the temple.

And they broke down the temple of Baal Which some take to be Belus, others Saturn, others the sun, which seems most probable: and broke down the house of Baal; his temple, demolished it: and made it a draught house until this day; a common sewer, a jakes; a fit place for dunghill gods to be thrown…

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. ] His images and temples being served thus in all places, throughout the land of Israel, where there were any.

Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin Which is the common character given of that king, a blot never to be wiped off: Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan: he did not abstain from the worship of…

And the Lord said unto Jehu By a prophet, he not being one himself; and this is generally supposed, by the Jews [[21]], to be Jonah the son of Amittai: because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes: in rooting out the idolatry of Baal, which was right in the sight of…

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart As to his moral conversation, he was not careful that it was according to the law of God, and what he did agreeable to it, it was not sincerely, and from the right principle: for he departed not from the sins of…

In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short To bring their dominions into a narrower compass; this was done in the days of Jehu, though he was so active and courageous, wherefore the hand of God was the more seen in it: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; which bordered on his…

From Jordan eastward This was principally the coast on which Hazael smote them, to the east of the land of Canaan: all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Moabites; the country on the other side Jordan, given to these tribes by Moses, at their request, which were before the…

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? ] Of the preceding kings from the times of Jeroboam, in which their several acts were recorded, and his also.

And Jehu slept with his fathers Died as they did: and they buried him in Samaria; where Omri and Ahab, his predecessors, were buried, and Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead; who reigned seventeen years, .

And the time that Jehu reigned was twenty and eight years. ] Which was longer than any king of Israel had reigned.