3 Look even out H7200 the best H2896 and meetest H3477 of your master's H113 sons, H1121 and set H7760 him on his father's H1 throne, H3678 and fight H3898 for your master's H113 house. H1004
When thou art come H935 unto the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, and shalt possess H3423 it, and shalt dwell H3427 therein, and shalt say, H559 I will set H7760 a king H4428 over me, like as all the nations H1471 that are about H5439 me; Thou shalt in any wise H7760 set H7760 him king H4428 over thee, whom the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall choose: H977 one from among H7130 thy brethren H251 shalt thou set H7760 king H4428 over thee: thou mayest H3201 not set H5414 a stranger H5237 H376 over thee, which is not thy brother. H251
But Abner H74 the son H1121 of Ner, H5369 captain H8269 of Saul's H7586 host, H6635 took H3947 Ishbosheth H378 the son H1121 of Saul, H7586 and brought him over H5674 to Mahanaim; H4266 And made him king H4427 over Gilead, H1568 and over the Ashurites, H805 and over Jezreel, H3157 and over Ephraim, H669 and over Benjamin, H1144 and over all Israel. H3478
And Abner H74 the son H1121 of Ner, H5369 and the servants H5650 of Ishbosheth H378 the son H1121 of Saul, H7586 went out H3318 from Mahanaim H4266 to Gibeon. H1391 And Joab H3097 the son H1121 of Zeruiah, H6870 and the servants H5650 of David, H1732 went out, H3318 and met H6298 together H3162 by the pool H1295 of Gibeon: H1391 and they sat down, H3427 the one on the one side of the pool, H1295 and the other on the other side of the pool. H1295 And Abner H74 said H559 to Joab, H3097 Let the young men H5288 now arise, H6965 and play H7832 before H6440 us. And Joab H3097 said, H559 Let them arise. H6965 Then there arose H6965 and went over H5674 by number H4557 twelve H8147 H6240 of Benjamin, H1144 which pertained to Ishbosheth H378 the son H1121 of Saul, H7586 and twelve H8147 H6240 of the servants H5650 of David. H1732 And they caught H2388 every one H376 his fellow H7453 by the head, H7218 and thrust his sword H2719 in his fellow's H7453 side; H6654 so they fell down H5307 together: H3162 wherefore that place H4725 was called H7121 Helkathhazzurim, H2521 which is in Gibeon. H1391 And there was a very H3966 sore H7186 battle H4421 that day; H3117 and Abner H74 was beaten, H5062 and the men H582 of Israel, H3478 before H6440 the servants H5650 of David. H1732
And Nathan H5416 said, H559 My lord, H113 O king, H4428 hast thou said, H559 Adonijah H138 shall reign H4427 after H310 me, and he shall sit H3427 upon my throne? H3678 For he is gone down H3381 this day, H3117 and hath slain H2076 oxen H7794 and fat cattle H4806 and sheep H6629 in abundance, H7230 and hath called H7121 all the king's H4428 sons, H1121 and the captains H8269 of the host, H6635 and Abiathar H54 the priest; H3548 and, behold, they eat H398 and drink H8354 before H6440 him, and say, H559 God save H2421 king H4428 Adonijah. H138
And it came to pass, when all Israel H3478 heard H8085 that Jeroboam H3379 was come again, H7725 that they sent H7971 and called H7121 him unto the congregation, H5712 and made him king H4427 over all Israel: H3478 there was none that followed H310 the house H1004 of David, H1732 but H2108 the tribe H7626 of Judah H3063 only. And when Rehoboam H7346 was come H935 to Jerusalem, H3389 he assembled H6950 all the house H1004 of Judah, H3063 with the tribe H7626 of Benjamin, H1144 an hundred H3967 and fourscore H8084 thousand H505 chosen men, H977 which were warriors, H6213 H4421 to fight H3898 against the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 to bring H7725 the kingdom H4410 again H7725 to Rehoboam H7346 the son H1121 of Solomon. H8010
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.