30 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Jehu, H3058 Because thou hast done well H2895 in executing H6213 that which is right H3477 in mine eyes, H5869 and hast done H6213 unto the house H1004 of Ahab H256 according to all that was in mine heart, H3824 thy children H1121 of the fourth H7243 generation shall sit H3427 on the throne H3678 of Israel. H3478
And the LORD H3068 sent H7971 thee on a journey, H1870 and said, H559 Go H3212 and utterly destroy H2763 the sinners H2400 the Amalekites, H6002 and fight H3898 against them until they be consumed. H3615 Wherefore then didst thou not obey H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 but didst fly H5860 upon the spoil, H7998 and didst H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD? H3068 And Saul H7586 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Yea, I have obeyed H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 and have gone H3212 the way H1870 which the LORD H3068 sent H7971 me, and have brought H935 Agag H90 the king H4428 of Amalek, H6002 and have utterly destroyed H2763 the Amalekites. H6002 But the people H5971 took H3947 of the spoil, H7998 sheep H6629 and oxen, H1241 the chief H7225 of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, H2764 to sacrifice H2076 unto the LORD H3068 thy God H430 in Gilgal. H1537 And Samuel H8050 said, H559 Hath the LORD H3068 as great delight H2656 in burnt offerings H5930 and sacrifices, H2077 as in obeying H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD? H3068 Behold, to obey H8085 is better H2896 than sacrifice, H2077 and to hearken H7181 than the fat H2459 of rams. H352 For rebellion H4805 is as the sin H2403 of witchcraft, H7081 and stubbornness H6484 is as iniquity H205 and idolatry. H8655 Because thou hast rejected H3988 the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 he hath also rejected H3988 thee from being king. H4428 And Saul H7586 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 I have sinned: H2398 for I have transgressed H5674 the commandment H6310 of the LORD, H3068 and thy words: H1697 because I feared H3372 the people, H5971 and obeyed H8085 their voice. H6963
In the thirty H7970 H8141 and eighth H8083 year H8141 of Azariah H5838 king H4428 of Judah H3063 did Zachariah H2148 the son H1121 of Jeroboam H3379 reign H4427 over Israel H3478 in Samaria H8111 six H8337 months. H2320 And he did H6213 that which was evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 as his fathers H1 had done: H6213 he departed H5493 not from the sins H2403 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Nebat, H5028 who made Israel H3478 to sin. H2398 And Shallum H7967 the son H1121 of Jabesh H3003 conspired H7194 against him, and smote H5221 him before H6905 the people, H5971 and slew H4191 him, and reigned H4427 in his stead. And the rest H3499 of the acts H1697 of Zachariah, H2148 behold, they are written H3789 in the book H5612 of the chronicles H1697 H3117 of the kings H4428 of Israel. H3478 This was the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 which he spake H1696 unto Jehu, H3058 saying, H559 Thy sons H1121 shall sit H3427 on the throne H3678 of Israel H3478 unto the fourth H7243 generation. And so it came to pass.
Son H1121 of man, H120 Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 caused H5647 his army H2428 to serve H5647 a great H1419 service H5656 against Tyrus: H6865 every head H7218 was made bald, H7139 and every shoulder H3802 was peeled: H4803 yet had he no wages, H7939 nor his army, H2428 for Tyrus, H6865 for the service H5656 that he had served H5647 against it: Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I will give H5414 the land H776 of Egypt H4714 unto Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon; H894 and he shall take H5375 her multitude, H1995 and take H7997 her spoil, H7998 and take H962 her prey; H957 and it shall be the wages H7939 for his army. H2428 I have given H5414 him the land H776 of Egypt H4714 for his labour H6468 wherewith he served H5647 against it, because they wrought H6213 for me, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069
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.