24 And when they went in H935 to offer H6213 sacrifices H2077 and burnt offerings, H5930 Jehu H3058 appointed H7760 fourscore H8084 men H376 without, H2351 and said, H559 If any H376 of the men H582 whom I have brought H935 into your hands H3027 escape, H4422 he that letteth him go, his life H5315 shall be for the life H5315 of him.
But the rest H3498 fled H5127 to Aphek, H663 into the city; H5892 and there a wall H2346 fell H5307 upon twenty H6242 and seven H7651 thousand H505 of the men H376 that were left. H3498 And Benhadad H1130 fled, H5127 and came H935 into the city, H5892 into an inner H2315 chamber. H2315 And his servants H5650 said H559 unto him, Behold now, we have heard H8085 that the kings H4428 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 are merciful H2617 kings: H4428 let us, I pray thee, put H7760 sackcloth H8242 on our loins, H4975 and ropes H2256 upon our heads, H7218 and go out H3318 to the king H4428 of Israel: H3478 peradventure he will save H2421 thy life. H5315 So they girded H2296 sackcloth H8242 on their loins, H4975 and put ropes H2256 on their heads, H7218 and came H935 to the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 and said, H559 Thy servant H5650 Benhadad H1130 saith, H559 I pray thee, let me live. H2421 H5315 And he said, H559 Is he yet alive? H2416 he is my brother. H251 Now the men H582 did diligently observe H5172 whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily H4116 catch H2480 it: and they said, H559 Thy brother H251 Benhadad. H1130 Then he said, H559 Go H935 ye, bring H3947 him. Then Benhadad H1130 came forth H3318 to him; and he caused him to come up H5927 into the chariot. H4818 And Benhadad said H559 unto him, The cities, H5892 which my father H1 took H3947 from thy father, H1 I will restore; H7725 and thou shalt make H7760 streets H2351 for thee in Damascus, H1834 as my father H1 made H7760 in Samaria. H8111 Then said Ahab, I will send thee away H7971 with this covenant. H1285 So he made H3772 a covenant H1285 with him, and sent him away. H7971 And a certain H259 man H376 of the sons H1121 of the prophets H5030 said H559 unto his neighbour H7453 in the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 Smite H5221 me, I pray thee. And the man H376 refused H3985 to smite H5221 him. Then said H559 he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 behold, as soon as thou art departed H1980 from me, a lion H738 shall slay H5221 thee. And as soon as he was departed H3212 from him, H681 a lion H738 found H4672 him, and slew H5221 him. Then he found H4672 another H312 man, H376 and said, H559 Smite H5221 me, I pray thee. And the man H376 smote H5221 him, so that in smiting H5221 he wounded H6481 him. So the prophet H5030 departed, H3212 and waited H5975 for the king H4428 by the way, H1870 and disguised H2664 himself with ashes H666 upon his face. H5869 And as the king H4428 passed by, H5674 he cried H6817 unto the king: H4428 and he said, H559 Thy servant H5650 went out H3318 into the midst H7130 of the battle; H4421 and, behold, a man H376 turned aside, H5493 and brought H935 a man H376 unto me, and said, H559 Keep H8104 this man: H376 if by any means H6485 he be missing, H6485 then shall thy life H5315 be for his life, H5315 or else thou shalt pay H8254 a talent H3603 of silver. H3701 And as thy servant H5650 was busy H6213 here and there, he was gone. H369 And the king H4428 of Israel H3478 said H559 unto him, So shall thy judgment H4941 be; thyself hast decided H2782 it. And he hasted, H4116 and took the ashes H666 away H5493 from his face; H5869 and the king H4428 of Israel H3478 discerned H5234 him that he was of the prophets. H5030 And he said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Because thou hast let go H7971 out of thy hand H3027 a man H376 whom I appointed to utter destruction, H2764 therefore thy life H5315 shall go for his life, H5315 and thy people H5971 for his people. H5971
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 10
Commentary on 2 Kings 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
2Ki 10:1-17. Jehu Causes Seventy of Ahab's Children to Be Beheaded.
1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria—As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab. Their being all assembled in that capital might arise from their being left there on the king's departure for Ramoth-gilead, or from their taking refuge in some of the strongholds of that city on the news of Jehu's conspiracy. It may be inferred from the tenor of Jehu's letters that their first intention was to select the fittest of the royal family and set him up as king. Perhaps this challenge of Jehu was designed as a stroke of policy on his part to elicit their views, and to find out whether they were inclined to be pacific or hostile. The bold character of the man, and the rapid success of his conspiracy, terrified the civic authorities of Samaria and Jezreel into submission.
5. he that was over the house—the governor or chamberlain of the palace.
the bringers-up of the children—Anciently, and still also in many Eastern countries, the principal grandees were charged with the support and education of the royal princes. This involved a heavy expense which they were forced to bear, but for which they endeavored to find some compensation in the advantages of their connection with the court.
6. take ye the heads of the men, your master's sons—The barbarous practice of a successful usurper slaughtering all who may have claims to the throne, has been frequently exemplified in the ancient and modern histories of the East.
8. Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate, &c.—The exhibition of the heads of enemies is always considered a glorious trophy. Sometimes a pile of heads is erected at the gate of the palace; and a head of peculiarly striking appearance selected to grace the summit of the pyramid.
9-11. said to all the people, Ye be righteous, &c.—A great concourse was assembled to gaze on this novel and ghastly spectacle. The speech which Jehu addressed to the spectators was artfully framed to impress their minds with the idea that so wholesale a massacre was the result of the divine judgments denounced on the house of Ahab; and the effect of it was to prepare the public mind for hearing, without horror, of a similar revolting tragedy which was soon after perpetrated, namely, the extinction of all the influential friends and supporters of the dynasty of Ahab, including those of the royal house of Judah.
13, 14. We are the brethren of Ahaziah—that is, not full, but step-brothers, sons of Jehoram by various concubines. Ignorant of the revolution that had taken place, they were travelling to Samaria on a visit to their royal relatives of Israel, when they were seized and put to death, because of the apprehension that they might probably stimulate and strengthen the party that still remained faithful in their allegiance to Ahab's dynasty.
children of the queen—that is, of the queen mother, or regent, Jezebel.
15-18. Jehonadab the son of Rechab—(See 1Ch 2:55). A person who, from his piety and simple primitive manner of life (Jer 35:1-19), was highly esteemed, and possessed great influence in the country. Jehu saw in a moment the advantage that his cause would gain from the friendship and countenance of this venerable man in the eyes of the people, and accordingly paid him the distinguished attention of inviting him to a seat in his chariot.
give me thine hand—not simply to aid him in getting up, but for a far more significant and important purpose—the giving, or rather joining hands, being the recognized mode of striking a league or covenant, as well as of testifying fealty to a new sovereign; accordingly, it is said, "he [Jehonadab] gave him [Jehu] his hand."
2Ki 10:18-29. He Destroys the Worshippers of Baal.
19. call unto me all the prophets of Baal—The votaries of Baal are here classified under the several titles of prophets, priests, and servants, or worshippers generally. They might be easily convened into one spacious temple, as their number had been greatly diminished both by the influential ministrations of Elijah and Elisha, and also from the late King Joram's neglect and discontinuance of the worship. Jehu's appointment of a solemn sacrifice in honor of Baal, and a summons to all his worshippers to join in its celebration, was a deep-laid plot, which he had resolved upon for their extinction, a measure in perfect harmony with the Mosaic law, and worthy of a constitutional king of Israel. It was done, however, not from religious, but purely political motives, because he believed that the existence and interests of the Baalites were inseparably bound up with the dynasty of Ahab and because he hoped that by their extermination he would secure the attachment of the far larger and more influential party who worshipped God in Israel. Jehonadab's concurrence must have been given in the belief of his being actuated solely by the highest principles of piety and zeal.
22. Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal—The priests of Baal were clad, probably, in robes of white byssus while they were engaged in the functions of their office, and these were kept under the care of an officer in a particular wardrobe of Baal's temple. This treacherous massacre, and the means taken to accomplish it, are paralleled by the slaughter of the Janissaries and other terrible tragedies in the modern history of the East.
29. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam … Jehu departed not from after them—Jehu had no intention of carrying his zeal for the Lord beyond a certain point, and as he considered it impolitic to encourage his subjects to travel to Jerusalem, he re-established the symbolic worship of the calves.