2 Kings 10

2 Kings 10:1

JX.ND Ahab had seventy sons. It is likely that grandsons are comprehended under the name of sons, as is usual in Scripture; though,by several wives, he might have as many sons as Gideon had.. In Samaria.] Unto which place the ruler of Jezreel had carried them, when they heard how Jehu had killed Joram; for fear they should falLinto his hands: or, perhaps, during the war. with Syria, their father had sent them thither, as a place of security (it being a strong city), in case of any ill accident that might happen. • And Jehu ivrote letters, to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel.] The chief noblemen of the kingdom, who, I suppose, •were fled thither with the king’s sons; and perhaps were met to deliberate what to do in this juncture, whether or not to set up one of Ahab’s sons to be their king. And to’the elders.] The principal persons in Samaria. And to those who brought up Ahab’s children, saying.] These are called omanim (nourishers),. because they had the care of his children from their infancy, and were now their governors, as we call them; who were of his kindred, (ver. 11.) • -..

2 Kings 10:2

Nowy as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your masters sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

2 Kings 10:3

Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house. This he said, because, perhaps, he heard they were consulting about a successor to Ahab. Or rather, he insults over them, and denounces war against them with scorn and derision, being secure of the event, that they were hot able to oppose him.

2 Kings 10:4

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?. They were timorous persons, bred up it is likely in ease and delicacy. For this argument had little in it; those two kings being unarmed, without any forces; which they were furnished withal to defend themselves, and their master’s sons..

2 Kings 10:5

And he that was over the house. The high steward, as we call him, of the king’s household. And he that was over the city.] The governor of the city, who hp.d all the soldiers under his command. And the elders, and the bringers up of the king’s children.] All the senators, and the great men that were entrusted with the care of the king’s children. ■.: > • Sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid. us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.] They basely submit to his pleasure, without making any composition: which it is likely they thought it to no purpose to endeavour, and did not expect such rigorous usage from him.

2 Kings 10:6

TJten he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take the heads of, your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time (now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up).] This is repeated, to shew the vile spirit of these great men; that could destroy so many royal persons, of whom they had the care, and who had offended nobody.. > r..,,- t, -;. ** *, •

2 Kings 10:7

And it came to pass, when, the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets. They seem not to have deliberated about the matter, though in itself so horrid; but instantly obeyed him… And sent him them, to Jezreel.] Following after themselves, as appears from ver. 11. expecting, perhaps, to be thanked for what they had so readily done; but, quite contrary, came to the same miserable end.

2 Kings 10:8

And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads.of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering of the gate until the morning.] The gate was the place of public concourse for judgment, and other business; so that^the laying them there was to expose them to public view, that every one might know there was none of Ahab’s posterity left to reign over them. \ •

2 Kings 10:9

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the peopled. Who were there gathered together, gazing upon this amazing sight. Ye be righteous.] Be not troubled; for none of you are to blame in all this. Behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who slew all these.?] If any were guilty, he acknowledges it was himself. But since they had slain so many, why should he be to blame for slaying one? since lie had authority from God for what he did..

2 Kings 10:10

Know t now, that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab. In these words he throws all the guilt from off himself; being only God’s instrument to punish the house of Ahab, as he had foretold by Elijah. And therefore he resolved to proceed, till he had utterly extirpated all that depended on him. For the Lord hath done.] “As if he had said, This is not my doing, but the Lord’s: whose command I obey. That which he spake by his servant Elijah.] He mentions what he denounced, rather than what Elisha commanded, (ix. 8.) because the words of Elijah were publicly known; whereas Elisha’s were spoken in private, and not by himself, but by one of the sons of the prophets,” (ix. 7 — 9.)

2 Kings 10:11

So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men.~\ Whom he had advanced to great offices, or dignities. A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. X. And his kinsfolks.] All that had any relation to him. And his priests.*] Who had served him in his idolatrous worship, and confirmed him in it. Until he left him none remaining.] In that place: but there wero still some left in Samaria, (ver. 17.)

2 Kings 10:12

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. Having finished his work in Jezrcel, he went to prosecute it in the chief city of the.kingdom; which most needed reformation. And as he was at the shearing-house in the way J] In the Hebrew the words are, in the house of the shepherds’ binding. For they bound the feet of their sheep when they sheared them; and this was the placo vrhcto the shepherds of Samaria were wont to do it;« -. f

2 Kings 10:13

Jehu met With the brethren ofAhazidh king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we are going to salute the children of the king, and the children of the queen.] That is, the children of Joram, and the children of Jezebel. But the brethrenofAhaziah were carried captive before this, as we read 2Chron. xxi, 17. therefore by brethren we must understand his brother’s sons, as it is explained in 2 Chron. xxii, 8.

2 Kings 10:14

And he said, Take them alive. And they took them, and he slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two-and-fortymen; neither left he any of them;. They were allied to’tho family of Ahab by the* mother’s side, (viii. 18.) and therefore he thought his commission (ix. 8,9.) extended thus far; being afraid, also, it is likely, that they might, if they lived, be avenged of him for the death of Joram, Ahaziali, Jezebel, and their children, whom they were’going to see.: >~ -

2 Kings 10:15

And when he was departed thence, he lighted vpon Jehoriadab the son ofRechab, coming to meet him. A very pious and prudent person, as appears by his precepts to his sons, in the thirty-fifth of Jeremiah. Who hearing what Jehu had done, came, I suppose, to congratulate with him his happiness in fulfilling God’s commands; and to encourage him in his proceedings to destroy idolatry. Scaliger/ indeed, in his Elench, Trihaere’s. cap.* 24. against Serrarius, endeavours to prove that this Jehonadab was not he that gave those precepts to his Sons; but another in the days of Jeremiah: for it is not likely, he thinks, that a man addicted to such a quiet life as ho instituted would come to meet Jehu; and therefore this was some military’ person of great note, who Jehu thought might be serviceable to him. Bat this is a weak argument; for why might not Jonadab, though he loved retirement, come to congratulate Jehu’s zeal against idolatry, and Jehu be glad of 3uch a man’s company, whose known piety would gain him greater respect than the attendance of ajiy great captain could procure him? And he saluted him.] Some think that Jehonadab saluted Jehu, and spake the words’ following. But it seems plain to me that they are the >vords of Jehu, who saluted him, as soon as he saw him, and inquired of his welfare. And said, Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?] The king professed great love to him, and asked him if he loved him as sincerely, and approved his actions, as he did Jehonadab’s institutions. And Jehonadab answered, It is.] The expression is double in the Hebrew, Yes, yes; to signify a vehement affection. Or, as a late learned writer (Gousset, in his Comment. Hebr. Lingurc) will have it, the former is spoken by Jehonadab, who said It is; and’ the other by Jehu, who answered, Is it? then give me thy hand, &c. If it be, give me thine hand.] In token of friendship (Gal. ii. <),) and of fidelity: as it was amorkg the Romans, it appears by many places in Virgil:forinstance,iEneid.iii. " Ipse pater dextram Anchises, baud multa raoratus, Dat juveui, atque animum praesenti pignore firmat" And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into his chariot.] Which was a great honour, and a token of high esteem, to ride with the king in the same chariot.

2 Kings 10:16

And he said, Come tuith me, and see my zeal for the Lord. To vindicate. his honour, and fulfil his commands,.i’ • • So they made him ride in his chariot.] He speaks in the plural number (they made him J, because the servants, I suppose, opened the door, and helped him up in the chariot, when Jehu gave him his hand.

2 Kings 10:17

And when he came to Samaria, he slew all tMt remained unto Ahab in Sdmaria, till he had destroyed him. Utterly rooted out his family. According to the saying of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.] This is mentioned again; both to shew his warrant for what he did, and his exactness in fulfilling God’s command,

2 Kings 10:18

And Jehu gathered all the people together. That is, all the heads of them, who represented the rest. And said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much.] His zeal for the Lord exceeded its bounds; for he ought not to have taken any indirect course to fulfil his will: as he did in counterfeiting as much zeal for Baal, as he professed to Jehonadab he had for the Lord. God doth not stand in need of any man’s sin to compass his ends: but Jehu made bold to dissemble deeply for the service of God; in which he cannot be excused.

2 Kings 10:19

Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, let none be wanting. By servants he doth not* here mean his worshippers; but, being joined with prophets and priests, they signified some that ministered with the priests in the worship of Baal: like the Levites among the people of God, For I’have a great. sacrifice to do to Baal.] He might possibly mean a sacrifice not of beasts, but of men; even of all the worshippers of Baal; but he intended they should understand him otherwise, and: thereforo these words were spoken to deceive. Whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live.] He thought that some, who considered what slaughter he had made of the family of Ahab (who introduced the worship of Baal, whom he pretended more highly t6 honour than Ahab had done), might suspect his design; and therefore he terrifies them with the fear of death, if they did not come’ to this great sacrifice. But Jehu did it in subtilty, that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal] By destroying’ his prophets, and ministers, and priests; who being all cut off, his worship would fall to the ground. But the next verses extend this further, to all the worshippers of Baal in the whole country.

2 Kings 10:20

And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. Arid they proclaimed it. The last day of the feast of tabernacles, the great day of the feast, is called by this CHAP. X.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. name of Atzarah; which we translate.a solemn assembly: when it was not lawful to do any servile work, but wholly attend to the service of God, (Lev. xxiii. 36.) Such a day he now caused to be sanctified (as v the word is in the Hebrew) for the service of Baal.

2 Kings 10:21

And Jehu sent through all Israel. To give notice of this great feast; and to require every, one, upon pain of death, to be present at it. And all the worshippers of Baal came, and there tvas not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal tvas full, from one end to anotlter.] If this be meant of the whole number of Baalites throughout the kingdom, it seems scarce credible that the temple of Baal should be so large as to hold them all. But two things are to be considered; first, that this house or temple comprehended all the outward courts of it (as it did at the temple of Jerusalem), which were very spacious; and secondly, the number of his worshippers was much diminished since the death of Ahab: for Jehoram his successor had no great kindness for the worship of Baal, (iii.2.) and men are apt to follow; tho example of their king. Besides, it is likely, Hazael king of Syria had destroyed many of them in his wars with Israel.

2 Kings 10:22

And he said to him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers ofBaaL And he brought them forth vestments. By all the worshippers of Baal, are not meant all the people that came to worship him: but his ministers and priests, who alone wore vestments of a different kind from the rest of the people; and so it was among the Jews, and all other nations.

2 Kings 10:23

And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son ofRechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none, of the servants of the Lord, but the worshippers of Baal only.] He calls those that worshipped the golden calves the servants of the Lord: because they worshipped the Lord by them, and abhorred the worship of Baal: whose sacrifice he pretended to fear might be profaned, if any strangers should be present at it. According to the common saying among the heathen, Procitl, o procul este profani.

2 Kings 10:24

And when they went. in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings^ AVhen they had begun their sacred offices. He appointed fourscore men without, and said, Jf any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he tliat letteth him go,his life shall be for the life of him.’] This was but a small number for such an execution. But, it is likely, though no more appeared, yet there were others ready at hand to support them, if need were, in the undertaking. Or rather, these were set at the several gates of the outward cpurts; that if any endeavoured to make their escape, they might kill them. But the next verse seems to, signify there was a greater body of men that went for that purpose into the temple.

2 Kings 10:25

And it came to pass, as soon as they had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains. Of those troops that he had set to keep the peace, as he pretended, and prevent all. disturbance. Go in, and slay them, letnojte come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the cap* tains cast them out.] There is nothing in the Hebrew that answers to the word them: nor is it likely that the captains and soldiers troubled themselves to. cast their bodies out of the temple; where they were rather buried in its ruins. But the meaning is, having done this execution, the guard and captains rushed out of, the temple in great haste, and immediately ran to the city of the house of Baal, as it hero follows. And went to the city of the house of Baal.] That is, a place near to Samaria, where Baal had another temple; which gave name to the place: or rather, there were great buildings adjoining to the temple of Baal in Samaria, where the prophets, and priests, and their, servants lived, called a city, because they were so large.

2 Kings 10:26

And they brought forth the, images out of the house of Baal, and burnt them. They worshipped several other lesser gods (whose images they had in this temple), together with the supreme god, whom they called Baal; as the others were called Baalim. So Servius writes upon the first of the Georgics, that veteri ritu, according to ancient custom, after the priests had invoked the special gods, to whom the sacrifice was intended, " generaliter omnia numina invocabantur," all the gods were invoked, lest any of them should think themselves neglected.

2 Kings 10:27

And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house ofBaaL. Demolished his temple, and the image of Baal in it: which,was either the sun, or Belus. And made it a draught-house unto this day,] It was turned into a jakes, as we now speak, a place where men went to ease nature; which was the highest “contempt that could be put upon it..

2 Kings 10:28

TJius Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. So that he was never worshipped more in this country; but they were perfectly, freed from, this sort of idolatry. Which must be acknowledged to have been a very great work: all the eastern people, and particularly the Syrians and Zidonians, and other neighbouring nations, being addicted to this worship, and had been so from ancient time; as what I observed before shews, (1 Kings xvi. 31.) from the many cities, Woods, mountains, and fountains, which before Joshua’s time were known by the name of Baal: < and there is mention of Baal-shalisha in this book, iv. 42.

2 Kings 10:29

Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and in Dan. Which he still worshipped; being afraid, as his predecessors were, that if he took them away, as he had done Baal, the people would return to the house of David. For which reason all the following kings of Israel continued this false worship till their captivity; when these calves were carried away with them. So they say in Seder Olam Rabba, cap. 22. “In the twentieth year of Pekah came Tiglathpilneser, and took away the golden calf that was in Dan, and departed;” which they endeavour to prove out of 2 Chron. xxviii. 20, 21. And a little after, U in the twelfth year of Ahaz, the Lord stirred up the spirit of the king of Assyria, and he carried away the golden calf in Beth-el, and departed: fulfilling what is written, Hosca x. 6.”

2 Kings 10:30

And the Lord said unto Jehu. By some prophet; cither Elisha, or the young mail that was sent to anoint Jehu; or some other.. Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the