2 Kings 10

1 sons. The term “sons” is often used to include all male descendants.

unto the rulers of Jezreel. The Septuagint has, “to the rulers of Samaria.” Other ancient versions have, “the rulers of the city.”

3 fight for your master’s house. Jehu determined at once to test these officials of the court. If they opposed him, he would trust to the enthusiasm of the troops, and fight them; if they were submissive, he would use them as his tools in completing the destruction of Ahab’s family.

7 slew seventy persons. R.V., more exactly, “slew them, even seventy persons.”

12 the shearing house. The Septuagint and Eusebius take this to be the name of a town, Beth-eked.

13. We are the brethren of Ahaziah. So expeditiously had Jehu executed his measures, that even the relatives of the two kings who had been slain had not heard of their death. All the sons of Jehoram, excepting Ahaziah (or Jehoahaz), had been slain by the Arabians (see 2 Chron. xxi. 17; xxii. 1); but these persons were probably nephews, who, as belonging to the family of Ahab, fell within Jehu’s commission.

14 pft. Or, “tank”: a receptacle for rainwater, in which the sheep were washed before shearing. The words have also been translated “at the well of Beth-eked.”

15. Rechah. The Rechabites were a branch of the Kenites (see 1 Chron. ii. 55), to whom Jethro the father-in-law of Moses, belonged; see Judges iv. 11; Jer. xxxv. Jehonadab is elsewhere called Jonadab.

Is thine heart right, etc.? i.e., “Art thou as fully with me, as I am with thee?”

give me thine hand. As a pledge of amity and co-operation. Jehu was evidently glad to have the support of a man of such character and influence; and Jehonadab probably hoped to engage Jehu to restore the pure worship of Jehovah.

16 see my zeal for the Lord. Jehu was one of a large class of men, who are willing to serve God so far as they think to be consistent with their own temporal interests, and shut their eyes to commands which do not agree with their policy or inclination; see vers. 28, 29. God sometimes sees fit to use such persons for His purposes, though they have not His approbation, and obtain from Him only a temporal reward.

19 all his servants. Rather, “all his worshippers,” R.V.

23. Search, etc. This order would not excite suspicion, as it seemed to indicate the greatest zeal for the worship of Baal.

25 the city of the house of Baal. Probably, with a slight variation in the Hebrew, “the shrine of the temple.”

29 who made, etc. R.V., “wherewith he made.”

32 cut Israel short. Literally, “to cut off in Israel,” i.e., to rend away parts of the kingdom; as instanced in the next verse, “Coasts,” as usual, means “borders”: those mentioned being wholly inland.

32,33. Hazael smote them, etc. At this time, probably, Hazael inflicted the cruelties predicted by Elisha in viii. 12, 13. The territory now lost comprised nearly half of the kingdom. It was afterwards recovered by Jehoash and Jeroboam II.