CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Kings 10
Chapter 10 of 25
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Kings 10
Jehu completes his violent revolution by wiping out all of Ahab's descendants and destroying Baal worship in Israel. However, he does not turn away from the golden calf worship established by Jeroboam.
Scripture
2 Kings 10
Jehu Destroys Ahab's Family
Study note
Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria under the care of the city's leading men. Jehu sent letters challenging them to defend Ahab's house. Terrified, the leaders sent back a message of surrender. Jehu then told them to bring him the heads of all seventy of Ahab's sons. The leaders killed all seventy and sent the heads in baskets to Jezreel. Jehu then killed everyone connected to Ahab's family in Jezreel, fulfilling God's prophecy through Elijah.
1 Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria's leaders, the elders, and the men raising Ahab's children. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying,
2 "You now have this letter. Your master's sons are with you. You have chariots, horses, a strong city, and many weapons." Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;
3 "pick the best and most worthy of your master's sons. Put him on his father's throne and prepare to defend your master's family." 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.
4 They were terrified. They said, "If two kings could not stand up to Jehu, what chance do we have?" But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
5 So the palace manager, the city governor, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu: "We are at your service. We will obey any order you give. We will not crown anyone king. Whatever you decide, we will do it." And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the 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.
6 Jehu wrote a second letter: "If you truly support me and will do what I say, cut off the heads of your master's sons. Bring them to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." All seventy of the king's sons were being raised by the city's leading families. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men 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.
7 When the letter reached them, the leaders seized all seventy of the king's sons and executed them. They packed the heads into baskets and shipped them to Jehu at Jezreel. 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, and sent him them to Jezreel.
8 A messenger told Jehu, "The heads of the king's sons have arrived." Jehu ordered, "Stack them in two heaps at the city gate entrance and leave them there until morning." 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 in of the gate until the morning.
9 The next morning, Jehu went out and addressed the crowd. He said, "You are all innocent in this. Yes, I plotted against my master and killed him. But who is responsible for killing all of these men?" And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
10 "Understand this clearly: everything the Lord said about Ahab's family has come true. The Lord has carried out exactly what he promised through his servant Elijah." Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
11 Then Jehu killed every remaining member of Ahab's family in Jezreel -- all his top officials, trusted advisors, and priests. He left no one alive. So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
More Killings on the Road to Samaria
Study note
On his way to Samaria, Jehu met relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah who did not yet know about the revolution. He had all forty-two of them killed. He then met Jehonadab son of Rechab, a strict follower of the Lord, and invited him to witness his zeal. In Samaria, Jehu killed everyone remaining from Ahab's family.
12 Jehu then headed toward Samaria. Along the way, at a sheep-shearing station, And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
13 he ran into some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked, "Who are you?" They replied, "We are Ahaziah's relatives. We came to visit the royal family." Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
14 Jehu ordered, "Grab them alive!" His men captured all forty-two of them and killed every one at a pit near the shearing station. Not one of them survived. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
15 Continuing on, Jehu met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming toward him. Jehu greeted him and asked, "Are you as committed to me as I am to you?" Jehonadab answered, "I am." Jehu said, "Then reach out your hand." Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot. And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 Jehu said, "Ride along with me and see how passionate I am about serving the Lord." So Jehonadab rode with him. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
17 When Jehu got to Samaria, he hunted down and killed everyone connected to Ahab's family. He wiped them all out. This is what the Lord had told Elijah would happen. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
Jehu Destroys Baal Worship
Study note
Jehu used a clever deception to destroy Baal worship in Israel. He announced that he would serve Baal even more than Ahab had and called a great assembly of all Baal worshippers. Once they were all packed inside the temple of Baal, Jehu sent in soldiers who killed every single one. They burned the sacred stone of Baal, tore down the temple, and turned it into a public toilet. Baal worship was eliminated from Israel.
18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said, "Ahab gave Baal some attention. But Jehu will serve Baal far more than Ahab ever did." And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
19 "So call together every prophet of Baal, every worshiper, and every priest. No one is allowed to skip this, because I am planning a massive sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who does not come will be killed." But Jehu was being cunning -- his real plan was to wipe out everyone who worshiped Baal. Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20 Jehu declared, "Organize a sacred gathering for Baal." They spread the word far and wide. And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21 Jehu sent the announcement throughout all of Israel. Every Baal worshiper appeared; not one stayed away. They packed into Baal's temple wall to wall. And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
22 Jehu told the man who managed the robes, "Bring out special clothing for all of Baal's worshipers." The man distributed robes to everyone. And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
23 Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal together. Jehu warned the crowd, "Look around carefully. Make sure no servants of the Lord are in here -- only Baal's worshipers." And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, 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.
24 They went inside to make their offerings, while Jehu had secretly stationed eighty armed soldiers outside. He had warned them, "If even one of these people escapes, the soldier who let him go will die in his place." And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
25 The moment the burnt offering was done, Jehu gave the command to his guards and officers: "Rush in and kill them all! Nobody gets out alive!" The soldiers charged in, cut them down, dragged out the bodies, and pushed deep into the inner room of Baal's temple. And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
26 They hauled out the sacred stone pillar from inside Baal's temple and set it on fire. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
27 They demolished Baal's stone pillar and then tore down the whole temple. They turned the site into a latrine, which it still is today. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
28 That is how Jehu wiped out Baal worship from Israel completely. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
Jehu's Incomplete Obedience
Study note
Despite destroying Baal worship, Jehu did not turn away from the golden calves that Jeroboam had set up at Bethel and Dan. God commended Jehu for carrying out judgment on Ahab's family and promised that his descendants would rule Israel for four generations. But because Jehu did not follow God with all his heart, God began to reduce Israel's territory. Hazael, king of Syria, conquered much of Israel's land east of the Jordan. Jehu ruled for twenty-eight years.
29 However, Jehu did not stop committing the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had brought to Israel. He still worshipped the golden calf idols at Bethel and Dan. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan.
30 The Lord told Jehu, "You did well carrying out what I wanted done to Ahab's family. Because of this, your descendants will rule Israel for four generations." And the LORD said unto Jehu, 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 fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
31 But Jehu did not follow the Lord, the God of Israel, with his whole heart. He kept doing the sinful things Jeroboam had started. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
32 While Jehu was king, the Lord began to shrink Israel's land. Hazael of Syria took over parts of it. In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
33 He took all the land east of the Jordan. He seized all of Gilead: Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. This land ran from Aroer by the Arnon River through Gilead to Bashan. From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
34 Everything else Jehu did is written in the official record of Israel's kings. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
35 When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz took his place as king. And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36 Jehu ruled Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years. And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Kings 10
Zeal for God that goes too far or has mixed motivesThe destruction of baal worship in IsraelIncomplete obedience that stops short of full faithfulnessGod honors what is right even in imperfect people
Apply This Today
Living 2 Kings 10
Jehu obeyed God in destroying Baal worship but kept the golden calves and never fully followed God with His heart. Partial obedience is not the same as full devotion. God acknowledged what Jehu did right but also held Him accountable for what He refused to change. We should not congratulate ourselves for selective obedience while ignoring areas where God is still calling us to grow.
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