2 Kings 10 commentary

In the most awful events, though attended by the basest crimes of man, the truth and justice of God are to be noticed; and he never did nor can command any thing unjust or unreasonable. Jehu destroyed all that remained of the house of Ahab; all who had been partners in his wickedness. When we think upon the sufferings and miseries of mankind, when we look forward to the resurrection and last judgment, and think upon the vast number of the wicked waiting their awful sentence of everlasting fire; when the whole sum of death and misery has been considered, the solemn question occurs, Who slew all these? The answer is, SIN. Shall we then harbour sin in our bosoms, and seek for happiness from that which is the cause of all misery?

Is thine heart right? This is a question we should often put to ourselves. I make a fair profession, have gained a reputation among men, but, is my heart right? Am I sincere with God? Jehonadab owned Jehu in the work, both of revenge and of reformation. An upright heart approves itself to God, and seeks no more than his acceptance; but if we aim at the applause of men, we are upon a false foundation. Whether Jehu looked any further we cannot judge. The law of God was express, that idolaters were to be put to death. Thus idolatry was abolished for the present out of Israel. May we desire that it be rooted out of our hearts.

It is justly questionable whether Jehu acted from a good principle, and whether he did not take some false steps in doing it; yet no services done for God shall go unrewarded. But true conversion is not only from gross sin, but from all sin; not only from false gods, but from false worships. True conversion is not only from wasteful sins, but from gainful sins; not only from sins which hurt our worldly interests, but from those that support and befriend them; in forsaking which is the great trial whether we can deny ourselves and trust God. Jehu showed great care and zeal for rooting out a false religion, but in the true religion he cared not, took no heed to please God and do his duty. Those that are heedless, it is to be feared, are graceless. The people were also careless, therefore it is not strange that in those days the Lord began to cut Israel short. They were short in their duty to God, therefore God cut them short in their extent, wealth, and power.

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 (Jr 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.

Ahab had seventy sons - As he had several wives, he might have many children. The Israelites, from the earliest part of their history, were remarkably fruitful. How amazingly did they multiply in Egypt, even under the hand of the severest oppression! And as to the individuals of whose families we have an account, they are quite remarkable: Rehoboam had thirty-eight sons; Abdon had forty; Tola had thirty; Ahab, seventy; and Gideon, seventy-one.

Unto the rulers of Jezreel - It certainly should be, unto the rulers of Samaria; for to them and to that city the whole context shows us the letters were sent. See 2Kgs 10:6.

To them that brought up Ahab's children - It appears that the royal children of Israel and Judah were intrusted to the care of the nobles, and were brought up by them, (see 2Kgs 10:6); and to these, therefore, Jehu's letters are directed. It is supposed Isaiah (Isa 49:23) alludes to this custom: Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nursing mothers.

A fenced city also - All here seems to refer to Samaria alone; in it were the magazines and implements of war, etc. No reader need be told that these letters were all ironical. It was the same as if he had said, "Ye have no means of defense; Israel is with me: if you yield not up yourselves and the city, I will put you all to the sword.

Two kings stood not before him - That is Joram and Ahaziah.

He that was over the house, etc. - Thus all the constituted authorities agreed to submit.

Will do all that thou shalt bid us - They made no conditions, and stood pledged to commit the horrid murders which this most execrable man afterwards commanded.

Come to me to Jezreel - Therefore the letters were not written to Jezreel, but from Jezreel to Samaria.

Put their heads in baskets - What cold-blooded wretches were the whole of these people!

Lay ye them in two heaps - It appears that the heads of these princes had arrived at Jezreel in the night time: Jehu ordered them to be left at the gate of the city, a place of public resort, that all the people might see them, and be struck with terror, and conclude that all resistance to such authority and power would be vain.

Ye be righteous - Another irony, intended partly to excuse himself, and to involve them in the odium of this massacre, and at the same time to justify the conduct of both, by showing that all was done according to the commandment of the Lord.

Jehu slew all - So it appears that the great men who had so obsequiously taken off the heads of Ahab's seventy sons, fell also a sacrifice to the ambition of this incomparably bad man.

The shearing house - Probably the place where the shepherds met for the annual sheep shearing.

The brethren of Ahaziah - The relatives of his family; for it does not appear that he had any brethren, properly so called: but we know that the term brethren among the Jews signified the relatives of the same family, and especially brothers' and sisters' children: and that these were such, see 2Chr 22:8.

We go down to salute, etc. - So promptly had Jehu executed all his measures, that even the nearest relatives of the murdered kings had not heard of their death, and consequently had no time to escape. They were all taken as in a net.

The pit of the shearing house - Probably the place where they washed the sheep previously to shearing, or the fleeces after they were shorn off.

Jehonadab the son of Rechab - For particulars concerning this man, his ancestry, and posterity, see the notes on Jeremiah 35 (note).

Is thine heart right - With me, in the prosecution of a reform in Israel; as my heart is with thy heart in the true religion of Jehovah, and the destruction of Baal?

It is - I wish a reform in the religion of the country; I am his friend who shall endeavor to promote it.

Give me thine hand - This has been generally considered as exacting a promise from Jehonadab; but does it mean any more than his taking him by the hand, to help him to step into his chariot, in which Jehu was then sitting? Jehonadab was doubtless a very honorable man in Israel; and by carrying him about with him in his chariot, Jehu endeavored to acquire the public esteem. "Jehu must be acting right, for Jehonadab is with him, and approves his conduct."

Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord - O thou ostentatious and murderous hypocrite! Thou have zeal for Jehovah and his pure religion! Witness thy calves at Dan and Bethel, and the general profligacy of thy conduct. He who can call another to witness his zeal for religion, or his works of charity, has as much of both as serves his own turn.

Ahab served Baal a little - Jehu had determined to have no worship in Israel but that of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel; therefore he purposes to destroy all the worshippers of Baal: and that he may do it without suspicion, he proclaims a great sacrifice; and that he may do it the more easily, he gathers them all together into one place.

Whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live - Because, as he will thereby show himself without zeal for the service of his God, he will justly forfeit his life. All this was done in the very spirit of deceit.

He said unto him that was over the vestry - The word vestry comes from vestiarium, and that from vestes, garments, from vestio, I clothe; and signifies properly the place where the sacerdotal robes and pontifical ornaments are kept. The priests of Baal had their robes as well as the priests of the Lord; but the garments were such that one could be easily distinguished from the other.

None of the servants of the Lord - Though he was not attached to that service, yet he would tolerate it; and as he was led to suppose that he was fulfilling the will of Jehovah in what he was doing, he would of course treat his worship and worshippers with the more respect.

He might have ordered the search to be made on pretense of expelling any of those whom they would consider the profane, especially as this was "a solemn assembly for Baal," as was the custom with the heathen when any extraordinary exhibition of or for their god was expected; thus Callimachus, (Hymn to Apollo), after imagining the temple and its suburbs to be shaken by the approach of Apollo, cries out, Εκας, ἑκας, ὁστις, αλιτρος. To prevent any suspicion of his real design, such might have been Jehu's plea, else alarm must have been excited, and perhaps some would have escaped.

As soon as he had made an end of offering - Had Jehu been a man of any conscientious principle in religion, he would have finished the tragedy before he offered the burnt-offering; but to a man of no religion, the worship of Jehovah and of Baal are alike. If he prefers either, it is merely as a statesman, for political purposes.

To the guard and to the captains - לרצים ולשלשים leratsim uleshalashim; to the couriers or runners, and the shalashim, the men of the third rank, those officers who were next to the nobles, the king and these being only their superiors. The runners were probably a sort of light infantry.

The city of the house of Baal - Does not this mean a sort of holy of holies, where the most sacred images of Baal were kept? A place separated from the temple of Baal, as the holy of holies in the temple of Jehovah was separated from what was called the holy place.

Made it a draught house - A place for human excrement; so all the versions understand it. Nothing could be more degrading than this; he made it a public necessary.

Thy children of the fourth generation - These four descendants of Jehu were Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam the second, and Zechariah; see 2 Kings 14 and 15. This was all the compensation Jehu had in either world, as a recompense of his zeal for the Lord.

Jehu took no heed - He never made it his study; indeed, he never intended to walk in this way; it neither suited his disposition nor his politics.

The Lord began to cut Israel short - The marginal reading is best: The Lord cut off the ends; and this he did by permitting Hazael to seize on the coasts, to conquer and occupy the frontier towns. This was the commencement of those miserable ravages which Elisha predicted; see 2Kgs 8:12. And we find from the next verse that he seized on all the land of Gilead, and that of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; in a word, whatever Israel possessed on the east side of Jordan.

Are they not written in the book of the chronicles - We have no chronicles in which there is any thing farther spoken of this bad man. His reign was long, twenty-eight years; and yet we know nothing of it but the commencement.

For barbarity and hypocrisy Jehu has few parallels; and the cowardliness and baseness of the nobles of Samaria have seldom been equalled. Ahab's bloody house must be cut off; but did God ever design that it should be done by these means? The men were, no doubt, profligate and wicked, and God permitted their iniquity to manifest itself in this way; and thus the purpose of God, that Ahab's house should no more reign, was completely accomplished: see 1Kgs 21:19, 1Kgs 21:21, 1Kgs 21:29. And by this conduct Jehu is said to have executed what was right in God's eyes, 2Kgs 10:30. The cutting off of Ahab's family was decreed by the Divine justice; the means by which it was done, or at least the manner of doing, were not entirely of his appointing: yet the commission given him by the young prophet, 2Kgs 9:7, was very extensive. Yet still many things seem to be attributed to God, as the agent, which he does not execute, but only permits to be done.

The house - The chief governor of the kings palace. City - The chief magistrate or military governor.

Sent them - Jehu justly required this, because the sovereign lord of all mens lives commanded it, but the Samaritans wickedly obeyed it, without any knowledge of, or regard to God's command.

Left none - In that place and kingdom; for he did leave some of the royal seed of Judah.

Rechab - A Kenite, 1Chron 2:55, and a man of singular prudence and piety. Coming - To congratulate with him, for the destruction of that wicked family; and to encourage him to proceed in fulfilling the will of God. Him - Jehu saluted Jehonadab. Is, &c. - Dost thou heartily approve of me, and my present proceedings.

Jehu said - The words being manifestly false, and spoken with a design to deceive, cannot be excused, this being an unmovable principle, That we must not do the least evil, that the greatest good may come.

City - To some buildings belonging to this house of Baal, which may be here called the city; because they were very numerous and capacious. For as there were divers chambers and rooms built without the temple, belonging to it, for the use of the priests, and Levites. So it may probably be conceived, That this famous temple of Baal had many such buildings; in some of which, the priests of Baal, or of the groves, (whereof there were great numbers belonging to the king's court, 1Kings 18:19,) peradventure might dwell; and others of them might be for divers uses belonging to the house, and service of Baal.

Draught - house - A sink or common shore.

Jehu departed not - So that it is plain, his religion was but superficial: otherwise it would not have given way to his policy.

Done well - In part, and so far as is here expressed.

Took no heed - Sin, clearly shewed that his heart was not right with God.

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 Ahabs children, saying,

Either, First, Properly Sons by several Wives. Or rather, Secondly, Grand-Sons are comprehended, who are oft called sons; and Grand-Fathers, fathers in Scripture.

Either, because they were bred up there, that being the chief City of the Kingdom: or, because upon the tidings of Ioram's slaughter, they fled thither, or were by their Friends conveyed from several parts thither, as to the strongest place; in which, it may seem by Iehu's message, they intended to defend themselves and Ahab's Children, and to set up one as King in Ioram's stead: or rather, because they were left there by Ioram, when he went to Ramoth-Gilead, that, if the Syrians had prevailed against him, they might have safety in that very strong and great City, and he by their means succour from it.

Heb. the princes of Iezreel, i. e. the great Persons and Officers of the Court, which then was and had been for some time at Iezreel, who either had fled thither with Ahab's Sons, upon the news of Iehu's actions and successes: or rather, had been sent by Ioram with his Sons to Samaria, to take care of them there.

Either, by Age: or rather, by Office, the Rulers or Senators of Samaria.

e That had a more particular care of the several Children under the inspection of the princes or rulers here mentioned.

Marginal references: Heb. nou [illegible: 1+ letters]hers.

3 Look even out the best and meetest of your masters sons, and set him on his fathers throne, and [illegible: 1+ letters]ight for your masters house .

Thus he speaks, either, because he had some notice of their intentions thus to do: or, to make tryal of them, whether they would do so, or would be true to him and his designs: or, to signify to them his intentions of fighting against them, if they did so, that by the terror hereof he might bring them to a compliance with him.

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him : how then should we stand?

All their Power and Interest, either in Iezreel, or in the Army before or in Ramoth-Gilead, could not hinder him from executing his design, from killing the two Kings, and from invading one of their Kingdoms. It is true, he surprised the Kings, which a little weakens their argument; but fear and self-love made them easily yield to it.

5 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.

The chief Governour of the Kings Palace or Castle there.

The chief Magistrate or Military Governour.

They make no delays or conditions, but submit all to his mercy.

6 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 masters sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time: (now the kings sons being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up)

Thus Iezabel is requited for her Letter directed in like manner to the Elders of Naboth's City, whereby his life was wickedly taken away, 1 Kin. 21. 8. And it is probable that some of these Elders were concerned in that very business, which makes the Judgment of God more remarkable.

Which word seems to imply that some of them were grown up who doubtless trod in their Parents steps; and those that were yunger, were justly cut off for their Parents sin: of which see on Exod. 20. 5. Deut. 5. 9.

Marginal references: Heb. for me.

7 And it came to pass when the letter came to them, that they took the kings sons, and slew seventy persons , and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

Iehu justly required this, because the Sovereign and most Righteous Lord of all mens lives commanded it; but the Samaritans wickedly obeyed it, because they destroye[illegible: 1+ letters] persons in a great measure innocent, meerly out of slavish fear, and without any knowledge of, or regard to Gods command.

8 ¶ And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the kings sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entring in of the gate , until the morning.

The place of Judicature; to signify, that this was an act of Justice, and of Gods Righteous Judgment; and the place of greatest concourse, where people went out of the City, and came into it, and whither they resorted for Judgment, and other occasions; that all men might behold this dreadful spectacle of Divine vengeance upon Ahab's Family, and thereby might justify Iehu's cause and proceedings.

9 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?

Either, First, To the promiscuous multitude met there to gaze upon this sad and strange spectacle. So the sense is, Be not you troubled nor affrighted with these unusual and dismal occurrences: if any thing be amiss in these actions, I do here publickly and solemnly acquit you as Righteous and Innocent; do not you therefore fear any vengeance from God or men for it: if there be any guilt, it is in me, and in those who cut off these heads. Or, Secondly, To those who cut off, and brought the heads; for the same persons did both, and were here present, as Iehu commanded them, v. 6. to them he speaks in the audience of all the people; or by all the people may be meant all those who brought the Heads, and were there waiting for Iehu, according to his order. So the Speech is in part Ironical, to this purpose, You are Righteous in your own eyes, and you look upon me as a Traitor, and Rebel, and Murderer, because I have risen against, and slain my Master, which I acknowledge I have done. But if I am guilty, you are not innocent, and therefore cannot accuse me: for I have killed one, but you a great number. This explication seems probable; onely the Hebrew word, ham, being generally used of the common people, may seem not so fitly to agree to these Rulers and great Men, who had brought the Heads; and that expression, to all the people, implies that Iehu did not direct his Speech to some particular persons, but to the whole Body of the people then present, whom he clears from all blame, and to whom he appeals as Witnesses between him and these persons.

Marginal references: Heb. an[illegible: 1+ letters]

10 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 .

But the truth is, neither I nor they are to be blamed; nor you that assisted and encouraged me herein: for this is not mans work, but Gods, and done by his command.

Whom he mentions, rather than Elisha; partly, because Elijah was now dead, and therefore his [illegible: 1+ letters]me and memory was more Sacred than Elisha's, who was yet alive; this being the common humour and folly of Mankind, to value and honour those that are dead, whom they contemned whilst they lived: and partly, because Elijah's Prophecy was known, and publick, and famous; when Elisha's was delivered in a corner, and that not from his own mouth, but by one of the Sons of the Prophets.

Marginal references: 1 Kin. 21. 29▪; Heb. by the hand of.

11 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 .

Whom he had advanced and made Great in Wealth, or Honour and Quality; who had been partners with him in his sins; and, who were likely to be avenged of his death.

His Domestick Priests which had waited upon Ahab and Iezabel in their Idolatrous services, and were fed at the Kings Table. Compare 1 King. 18. 19. Or, his chief officers of State; as that word is sometimes used: Of which see 2 Sam. 8. 18. compare with 1 Chron. 18. 17. Obj. These were included in his great men mentioned before. Answ. Yet may they well be mentioned apart, as a distinct, and the most eminent sort of them.

To wit, in that place and Kingdom; for he did leave some of the Royal Seed of Iudah, Chap. 11. 1, 2.

Marginal references: Or, acquaintance▪

12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

Where they used to shear Sheep, and then to Feast after their manner, 1 Sam. 25. 36. 2 Sam. 13. 23. Or, this may be the name of a Place, Beth-heked of the shepherds: or, Beth-heked-rohim.

Marginal references: Heb. House of Shepherds binding sheep.

13 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.

Not strictly so, for they were killed before this, 2 Chron. 21. 17. but his brethrens sons, as they are called, 2 Chron. 22. 8. or others of his near kinsmen, such being oft called brethren in Scripture: as Gen. 13. 8.

Marginal references: Heb. found.; Heb. to the peace of, &c.

14 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.

Partly, in compliance with God's Command, Chap. 9. 8. for these were of the House of Ahab by the Mothersside; Chap. 8. 18. and partly, that they might neither claim the Kingdom of Israel in Right of their Grandmother; as they might well have done, if God had not given it to Iehu; nor Revenge the Deaths of their near Relations.

Where he intended to Bury them.

15 And when he was departed thence he ‡ lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab , coming to meet him , and he saluted him , and said unto 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 in the chariot.

A Kenite, 1 Chron. 2. 55. and a man of singular Prudence and Piety; as appears from this History, and from Ier. 35. 6.

To Congratulate with him, for the Destruction of that wicked Family; and to encourage, and advise him to proceed in fulfilling the Will of God Revealed to him.

Iehu saluted Iehonadab.

Dost thou heartily approve of, and affect me, and my present Proceedings, as my Heart doth as sincerely cleave to thee, as thine own heart doth?

As a sign of friendship and consent. See Gal. 2. 9. These may be the words, either, 1. Of Iehu; and so here is an Elipsis, If it be: for, And Iehu said, If it be. Comp. 1 King. 20. 34. Or, 2. Of Iehonadab, who having said, It is, adds, If it be, i. e. If thine heart be with mine, as thou saist it is, give me thine hand. But this the Elipsis is larger than the former. And it seems not so decent and proper for Iehonadab a Stranger and Subject, to speak thus to the King, as for the King to say so to him.

Marginal references: Heb. found.; Heb. blessed.

16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD . So they made him ride in his chariot.

i. e. For the Vindication of his Honour and Quarrel, and for the Execution of his Commands. Do not believe my Words, but mine Actions, which thine Eyes shall behold.

i. e. [illegible: 1 word] Servants opened the door of his Chariots, and lift up Iehonadab into it.

17 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.

Either all his Houshold: or rather, all his Kindred, and Relations, though more remote from him.

Marginal references: 2 Chr. 22. 8.; 1 King. 21. 21.

18 And Jehu gathered all the people together , and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much .

By their Representatives, their Elders or Rulers, as was usual: to whom he imparts his mind: and they being generally Corrupt, and Time-servers, and such as had no sence of Religion in them, durst not oppose his Resolution, but seemed to comply with it.

As if he had said, My quarrel is onely with Ahab's Family, and not with Baal; which my actions shall manifest. Which words being manifestly false, and spoken with a design to deceive, cannot be excused from Sin, though they were uttered with a pious intention; this being an unmovable Principle, That we must not do the least Evil of Sin, that the greatest good may come, Rom. 3. 8. And if Iehonadab did concur with Iohn herein, it was a Humane Infirmity.

19 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 [illegible: 1+ letters]aal.

Either, 1. All his Ministers: of whom there may seem to have been several sorts, whereof two are here distinctly mentioned, his Prophets and Priests; and the rest of the Inferior sort, may be comprehended under this general Title of Servants, because they were to attend upon the others in their Sacred Ministrations. And these being once destroyed, Iehu rightly concluded, that the rest would fall of course. And this sence may seem to be favoured by ver. 22. wherein Vestments were brought forth for all these worshippers of Baal; which were not commonly used by the People, in the Worship either of God, or of Baal; but onely by the Priests, or Ministers. Or, 2. All his Worshippers, as the same word is Translated, in the close of this Verse. Quest. How could all these be contained in one House of Baal? Answ. Well enough; for the number of Baal's Worshippers had been vastly diminished by the Ministry of Elijah, and Elisha, and the rest of the Prophets; and by Ioram's neglect, and disuse of that Worship. For the generality of the Israelites had too much knowledge to have any real and Religious respect to such sensless Idols; onely they practised it in compliance with the humour of their King and Queen, and for worldly, or wicked ends; and therefore when the King deserted it, they generally forsook it; some few silly and besotted persons excepted, who are here gathered together. Besides, this House or Temple of Baal might be very large and capacious, and probably was so, because it was the chief of that sort, as being in the King's City, and nigh his Palace, and for the use of the King and Queen, and the whole Court; and for great and high Solemnities. Moreover, as the name of the House or Temple of God at Ierusalem oft signifies, not onely the Principal Building, but all the other Buildings and Courts belonging to it; in which all the Worshippers stood when they Worshipped, so it might be here; and so there was space sufficient for all the Worshippers of Baal, which can reasonably be thought to have been at this time in all Israel.

I will offer to him a noble and acceptable Sacrifice; not of Sheep, or Oxen, &c. as they understood it; but of his own beloved Priests, and Prophets, and Servants; as he meant it.

With another design, that he might both certainly Discover, and utterly Destroy them all, without any further trouble, or danger of Sedition o[illegible: 1+ letters] Tumult in his Kingdom.

20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal: and they proclaimed it.

Heb. Sanctifie. Prepare your selves, and all things necessary for this Solemn day, and Sacrifice, and Feast, which I intend to keep.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word].

21 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.

Either, 1. Because they thought Iehu was serious and sincere in his Professions; it being natural, and usual for men too easily to believe, what they wish to be true. And for the Priests which Iehu destroyed before ver. 11. they might think that was done, onely because of their nearness and Relation to Ahab and his Family. Or, 2. For fear of their Lives; for certain Death was threatned to all that did not come, ver. 19. which considering Iehu's fierce and bloody temper, they knew would be Executed; whereas, if they did come, there was more than a possibillity of the sparing of their Lives: for Iehu was known to be indifferent and unconcerned in matters of Religion, one that had served Baal when his Prince Ahab lived and did so; and forsook it when the next Prince Ioram did; and therefore it was doubtful whether Iehu had not in good earnest returned to his first love, to that Religion which he had formerly embraced, and onely deserted in complacency to others. Or, 3. By God's just Providence, deceiving their Minds, and enclining their Hearts to come to their own Destruction.

i. e. The Temple.

Marginal references: Or, so [illegible: 1 word] that they [illegible: 1 word] mouth to mouth.

22 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.

Sacred Garments; such as were used by the Priests and others of the Lords Ministry in God's Worship; and from thence the Devil borrowed this custom in his Worship.

23 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 onely.

Whom the Baalites possibly did not know, and therefore suspected nothing; or, if any of the more crafty sort suspected any thing, it was now too late to amend their Error.

Because their presence will offend Baal, and deride, or pollute his Worship: whence Prophane persons have been oft excluded from Solemn acts of Worship, both by Iews and Heathens. So this did not raise their suspition.

24 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.

When some in the name of the rest went to the Altar to offer Sacrifice.

Far greater numbers being doubtless in readiness to assist them, in case of any opposition.

25 And it came to pass assoon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offerings , 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 .

i. e. The Chief Priest of Baal. See 2 Chron. 23. 17.

So far he suffered them to proceed; either, because till then they were not all come into the House: Or, because having been taken in the very act of gross Idolatry, their Destruction was more just and reasonable.

i. e. To the Fourscore men, and their Officers.

i. e. Cast their Carcasses out of the City. But that was not proper work for the Guard: nor could they so soon have done it; nor would they stay to do it, when they were going in haste to other work; nor indeed was it necessary to be done; because they intended to pull down the House, and Bury them in its Ruines, and turn it into a Draught-house, as it follows. This Word therefore is, and may be joyned with the next; and both rendred, They went hastily and eagerly; properly, they flung themselves out (Hiphil for Hithpahel, which is not unusual in the Hebrew Language) and went. The like Expression is used, Esth. 6. 12. hasted, Heb. pushed himself on, or flung himself, i. e. went with great haste; and in the Greek Text, Mark 14. 72.

Either, 1. To some City near to Samaria, where another eminent Temple of Baal was Erected. But this seems not to agree with the context, there being but one House or Temple of Baal mentioned, both in the foregoing and following Verses. Or rather, 2. To some Buildings belonging to this House of Baal, which may be here called the City; either for some particular reason now unknown: or, because they were very numerous and capacious. For as there were divers Chambers and Rooms built without the Temple, belonging to it, for the use of the Priests, and Levites, &c. So it may probably be conceived, That this famous Temple of Baal had many such Buildings; in some of which, the Priests of Baal, or of the Groves, (whereof there were great numbers belonging to the Kings Court, 1 King. 18. 19.) peradventure might dwell; and others of them might be for divers uses belonging to the House, and Service of Baal. And into these Buildings the Guard might go, and that hastily, to [illegible: 1+ letters]urprize, and kill those Inferior Ministers of Baal, who were there employed in preparing things for the Sacrifices which were to be Offered; or, in other Services belonging to that House, or that Solemnity.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] the [illegible: 1 word] ▪

26 And they brought forth the Images out of the house of Baal, and burnt them .

Heb. it, i. e. The Collection of the Images; or, each of them.

Marginal references: Heb. Statues.

27 And they brake down the image of Baal , and brake down the house of Baal , and made it a draught-house unto this day.

The chief Image which they Worshipped more than the rest.

And the like they did with the rest of the Houses of Baal in Israel; as may be gathered both from the nature and reason of the thing; and from ver. 28.

29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the [illegible: 1 word] of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them , to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

Herein he discovers his Hypocrisie, that he follows God as far as his Interest would permit; namely, in destroying the House of Ahab, and the Worship of Baal, but no further: for he still resolves to keep up the Worship of the Calves: partly, lest he should disoblige and irritate his own Nobles and Subjects, who had been long inured, and were heartily affected to it: and partly, lest he should open a door for his people to return to their Obedience to the House of David. And his sin and folly is the more inexcusable, both because he durst not trust that God with the keeping of his Kingdom, of whose Power, and Faithfulness, and kindness to him, he had such ample experience in his giving him the Kingdom; and because he had so great and uncontrolable a power in the matters of Religion; having first pretended, and seemed to set up the Worship of Baal with all his might, and then destroying it with no less vehemency, none daring to mutter against him in either case; and because the House of David, and Kingdom of Iudah, his Competitor, now was, and was likely to be in a feeble and declining condition, and much more likely to fall into his hands, than that his Kingdom should come into theirs.

Marginal references: 1 King. 12, 2[illegible: 1+ letters].

30 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 .

By some Prophet, as above, Chap. 9. 7.

And so they did; namely, Iehoahaz, below ver. 35. Ioash, Chap. 13. 10. Ieroboam, Chap. 14. 24. and Zechariah, Chap. 15. 8.

i i. e. In part, and so far as is here expressed, these actions were good and right, though his heart was not so.

Marginal references: Chap. 15. 12▪

31 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.

His Obedience wanted three necessary Properties, Care or Heedfulness, Universality, and Sincerity.

His resolved continuance in one single Course, is justly alledged as an Argument of his False-heartedness in all his other Actions.

Marginal references: Heb. Observed not.

32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short o: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel ;

In the time of Iehu's Life and Reign, as may be gathered by comp. v. 34.

i. e. In their Borders, or the outtermost part of their Land beyond Iordan, as it is explained, ver. 33. And at this time possibly he Executed those Cruelties mentioned Chap. 8. 12.

a Either to diminish the number of the People, by cutting them off: or, to straiten their Borders.

Marginal references: Heb. to cut off the ends.

33 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.

To wit, from the Land of Canaan.

Marginal references: Heb. toward the rising of the sun.; Or, even to Gilead and Bashan.; Amos 1. 3.

2Ki 10:1-3

Extermination of the Seventy Sons of Ahab in Samaria. - 2Ki 10:1-3. As Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria (בּנים in the wider sense, viz., sons, including grandsons see at 2Ki 10:13, as is evident from the fact that אמנים, foster-fathers, are mentioned, whereas Ahab had been dead fourteen years, and therefore his youngest sons could not have had foster-fathers any longer), Jehu sent a letter to the elders of the city and to the foster-fathers of the princes, to the effect that they were to place one of the sons of their lord upon the throne. There is something very strange in the words הזּקנים יזרעאל אל־שׂרי, “to the princes of Jezreel, the old men,” partly on account of the name Jezreel, and partly on account of the combination of הזּקנים with שׂרי. If we compare 2Ki 10:5, it is evident that הזּקנים cannot be the adjective to יז שׂרי, but denotes the elders of the city, so that the preposition אל has dropped out before הזקנים. יזרעאל שׂרי, the princes or principal men of Jezreel, might certainly be the chief court-officials of the royal house of Ahab, since Ahab frequently resided in Jezreel. But against this supposition there is not only the circumstance that we cannot discover any reason why the court-officials living in Samaria should be called princes of Jezreel, but also 2Ki 10:5, where, instead of the princes of Jezreel, the governor of the city and the governor of the castle are mentioned. Consequently there is an error of the text in יזרעאל, which ought to read אל העיר, though it is older than the ancient versions, since the Chaldee has the reading יזרעאל, and no doubt the Alexandrian translator read the same, as the Septuagint has sometimes τῆς πόλεως, like the Vulgate, and sometimes Σαμαρείας, both unquestionably from mere conjecture. The “princes of the city” are, according to 2Ki 10:5, the prefect of the palace and the captain of the city; the זקנים, “elders,” the magistrates of Samaria; and אחאב אמנים, the foster-fathers and tutors appointed by Ahab for his sons and grandsons. אחאב is governed freely by האמנים. In 2Ki 10:2 the words from ואתּכם to הנּשׁק form an explanatory circumstantial clause: “since the sons of your lord are with you, and with you the war-chariots and horses, and a fortified city and arms,” i.e., since you have everything in your hands, - the royal princes and also the power to make one of them king. It is perfectly evident from the words, “the sons of your lord,” i.e., of king Joram, that the seventy sons of Ahab included grandsons also. This challenge of Jehu was only a ruse, by which he hoped to discover the feelings of the leading men of the capital of the kingdom, because he could not venture, without being well assured of them, to proceed to Samaria to exterminate the remaining members of the royal family of Ahab who were living there. על נלחם, to fight concerning, i.e., for a person, as in Jdg 9:17.

2Ki 10:4-5

This ruse had the desired result. The recipients of the letter were in great fear, and said, Two kings could not stand before him, how shall we? and sent messengers to announce their submission, and to say that they were willing to carry out his commands, and had no desire to appoint a king.

2Ki 10:6-7

Jehu then wrote them a second letter, to say that if they would hearken to his voice, they were to send to him on the morrow at this time, to Jezreel, the heads of the sons of their lord; which they willingly did, slaying the seventy men, and sending him their heads in baskets. אד בּני אנשׁי ראשׁי, “the heads of the men of sons of your lord,” i.e., of the male descendants of Ahab, in which אנשׁי may be explained from the fact that בּני־אדניכם has the meaning “royal princes” (see the similar case in Jdg 19:22). In order to bring out still more clearly the magnitude of Jehu’s demand, the number of the victims required is repeated in the circumstantial clause, “and there were seventy men of the king’s sons with (את) the great men of the city, who had brought them up.”

2Ki 10:8-10

When the heads were brought, Jehu had them piled up in two heaps before the city-gate, and spoke the next morning to the assembled people in front of them: “Ye are righteous. Behold I have conspired against my lord, and have slain him, but who has slain all these?” Jehu did not tell the people that the king’s sons had been slain by his command, but spake as if this had been done without his interfering by a higher decree, that he might thereby justify his conspiracy in the eyes of the people, and make them believe what he says still further in 2Ki 10:10 : “See then that of the word of the Lord nothing falls to the ground (i.e., remains unfulfilled) which Jehovah has spoken concerning the house of Ahab; and Jehovah has done what He spake through His servant Elijah.”

2Ki 10:11

The effect of these words was, that the people looked quietly on when he proceeded to slay all the rest of the house of Ahab, i.e., all the more distant relatives in Jezreel, and “all his great men,” i.e., the superior officers of the fallen dynasty, and “all his acquaintances,” i.e., friends and adherents, and “all his priests,” probably court priest, such as the heathen kings had; not secular counsellors or nearest servants (Thenius), a meaning which כּהנים never has, not even in 2Sa 8:18 and 1Ki 4:5.

2Ki 10:12-14

Extermination of the Brothers of Ahaziah of Judah and of the Other Members of Ahab’s Dynasty. - 2Ki 10:12. Jehu then set out to Samaria; and on the way, at the binding-house of the shepherds, he met with the brethren of Ahaziah, who were about to visit their royal relations, and when he learned who they were, had them all seized, viz., forty-two men, and put to death at the cistern of the binding-house. ויּלך ויּבא, “he came and went,” appears pleonastic; the words are not to be transposed, however, as Böttcher and Thenius propose after the Syriac, but ויּלך is added, because Jehu did not go at once to Samaria, but did what follows on the way. By transposing the words, the slaying of the relations of Ahaziah would be transferred to Samaria, in contradiction to 2Ki 10:15. - The words from וגו בּית הוּא onwards, and from ויהוּא to יהוּדה מלך, are two circumstantial clauses, in which the subject יהוּא is added in the second clause for the sake of greater clearness: “when he was at the binding-house of the shepherds on the road, and Jehu (there) met with the brethren of Ahaziah, he said...” הרעים בּית־עקד (Βαιθακάθ, lxx) is explained by Rashi, after the Chaldee רעיּא כנישׁת בית, as signifying locus conventus pastorum, the meeting-place of the shepherds; and Gesenius adopts the same view. But the rest of the earlier translators for the most part adopt the rendering, locus ligationis pastorum, from עקד, to bind, and think of a house ubi pastores ligabant oves quando eas tondebant. In any case it was a house, or perhaps more correctly a place, where the shepherds were in the habit of meeting, and that on the road from Jezreel to Samaria; according to Eusebius on the Onom. s.v. Βαιθακάθ, a place fifteen Roman miles from Legio (Lejun, Megiddo), in the great plain of Jezreel: a statement which may be correct with the exception of the small number of miles, but which does not apply to the present village of Beit Kad to the east of Jenin (Rob. Pal. iii. p. 157), with which, according to Thenius, it exactly coincides. עחזיהוּ אחי, for which we have אח אחי בּני, Ahaziah’s brothers’ sons, in 2Ch 22:8, were not the actual brothers of Ahaziah, since they had been carried off by the Arabians and put to death before he ascended the throne (2Ch 21:17), but partly step-brothers, i.e., sons of Joram by his concubines, and partly Ahaziah’s nephews and cousins. לשׁלום, ad salutandum, i.e., to inquire how they were, or to visit the sons of the king (Joram) and of the queen-mother, i.e., Jezebel, therefore Joram’s brothers. In 2Ch 22:1 they are both included among the “sons” of Ahab.

2Ki 10:15-17

As Jehu proceeded on his way, he met with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and having saluted him, inquired, “Is they heart true as my heart towards thy heart?” and on his replying ישׁ, “it is (honourable or true),” he bade him come up into the chariot, saying וישׁ, “if it is (so), give me thy hand;” whereupon he said still further, “Come with me and see my zeal for Jehovah,” and then drove with him to Samaria, and there exterminated all that remained of Ahab’s family. Jehonadab the son of Rechab was the tribe-father of the Rechabites (Jer 35:6). The rule which the latter laid down for his sons and descendants for all time, was to lead a simple nomad life, namely, to dwell in tents, follow no agricultural pursuits, and abstain from wine; which rule they observed so sacredly, that the prophet Jeremiah held them up as models before his own contemporaries, who broke the law of God in the most shameless manner, and was able to announce to the Rechabites that they would be exempted from the Chaldaean judgment for their faithful observance of their father’s precept (Jer 35). Rechab, from whom the descendants of Jehonadab derived their tribe-name, was the son of Hammath, and belonged to the tribe of the Kenites (1Ch 2:55), to which Hobab the father-in-law of Moses also belonged (Num 10:29); so that the Rechabites were probably descendants of Hobab, since the Kenites the sons of Hobab had gone with the Israelites from the Arabian desert to Canaan, and had there carried on their nomad life (Jdg 1:16; Jdg 4:11; 1Sa 15:6; see Witsii Miscell. ss. ii. p. 223ff.). This Jehonadab was therefore a man distinguished for the strictness of his life, and Jehu appears to have received him in this friendly manner on account of the great distinction in which he was held, not only in his own tribe, but also in Israel generally, that he might exalt himself in the eyes of the people through his friendship.According to C. a Lapide, Jehu took him up into his chariot “that he might establish his authority with the Samaritans, and secure a name for integrity by having Jehonadab as his ally, a man whom all held to be both an upright and holy man, that in this way he might the more easily carry out the slaughter of the Baalites, which he was planning, without any one daring to resist him.”  - In את־לבבך הישׁ, “is with regard to thy heart honourable or upright?” את is used to subordinate the noun to the clause, in the sense of quoad (see Ewald, §277, a.). לאחאב כּל־הנּשׁארים, “all that remained to Ahab,” i.e., all the remaining members of Ahab’s house.

2Ki 10:18-20

Extermination of the Prophets and Priests of Baal and of the Baal-Worship. - 2Ki 10:28. Under the pretence of wishing to serve Baal even more than Ahab had done, Jehu appointed a great sacrificial festival for this idol, and had all the worshippers of Baal throughout all the land summoned to attend it; he then placed eighty of his guards around the temple of Baal in which they were assembled, and after the sacrifice was offered, had the priests and worshippers of Baal cut down by them with the sword. Objectively considered, the slaying of the worshippers of Baal was in accordance with the law, and, according to the theocratical principle, was perfectly right; but the subjective motives which impelled Jehu, apart from the artifice, were thoroughly selfish, as Seb. Schmidt has correctly observed. For since the priests and prophets of Baal throughout the Israelitish kingdom were bound up with the dynasty of Ahab, with all their interests and with their whole existence, they might be very dangerous to Jehu, if on any political grounds he should happen not to promote their objects, whereas by their extermination he might hope to draw to his side the whole of the very numerous supporters of the Jehovah-worship, which had formerly been legally established in Israel, and thereby establish his throne more firmly. The very fact that Jehu allowed the calf-worship to continue, is a proof that he simply used religion as the means of securing his own ends (2Ki 10:29). עצרה קדּשׁוּ (2Ki 10:20), “sanctify a festal assembly,” i.e., proclaim in the land a festal assembly for Baal (compare Isa 1:13; and for עצרה = עצרת, see at Lev 23:36). ויּקראוּ, and they proclaimed, sc. the festal meeting.

2Ki 10:21

The temple of Baal was filled לפה פּה, “from one edge (end) to the other.” פּה in this sense is not to be derived from פּאה, a corner (Cler., Ges.), but signifies mouth, or the upper rim of a vessel. Metaphora sumta a vasibus humore aliquo plenis: Vatabl.

2Ki 10:22 על־המּלתּחה אשׁר is the keeper of the wardrobe (Arab. praefectus vestium), for the ἁπ. λεγ. מלתּחה signifies vestiarium (Ges. Thes. p. 764). The reference is not to the wardrobe of the king’s palace, out of which Jehu had every one who took part in the feast supplied with a festal dress or new caftan (Deres., Then., etc.), but the wardrobe of the temple of Baal, since the priests of Baal had their own sacred dresses like the priests of almost all religions (as Silius has expressly shown in his Ital. iii. 24-27, of the priests of the Gadetanic Hercules). These dresses were only worn at the time of worship, and were kept in a wardrobe in the temple.

2Ki 10:23-24

Jehu then came with Jehonadab to the temple, and commanded the worshippers of Baal to be carefully examined, that there might not be one of the worshippers of Jehovah with (among) them. When the priests of Baal were preparing to offer sacrifice, Jehu had eighty men of his guards stationed before the temple, and laid this injunction upon them: “Whoever lets one of the men escape whom I bring into your hands (we must read ימלּט instead of ימּלט), his life shall answer for his (the escaped man’s) life. נפשׁו תּחת נפשׁו, as in 1Ki 20:39.

2Ki 10:25 כּכלּתו: when he (the sacrificing priest, not Jehu) had finished the burnt-offering (the singular suffix ו may also be taken as indefinite, when one had finished, vid., Ewald, §294, b.), Jehu commanded the runners and aides-de-camp: Come and smite them (the worshippers of Baal), without one coming out (escaping); whereupon they smote them with the edge of the sword, i.e., slew them unsparingly. ויּשׁליכוּ: and the runners and aides-de-camp threw (those who had been slain) away, and went into the citadel of the temple of Baal. בּית־הבּעל עיר cannot be the city of the temple of Baal, i.e., that part of the city in which the temple of Baal stood, for the runners were already in the court of the temple of Baal; but it is no doubt the temple-citadel, the true temple-house (עיר from עוּר, locus circumseptus) - templum Baalis magnifice exstructum instar arcis alicujus (Seb. Schm.).

2Ki 10:26

They then fetched the columns (מצּבת) out of the temple and burned them (the suffix in ישׂרפוּה refers to the plural מצּבת taken as an abstract noun, as in 2Ki 3:3; cf. Ewald, §317, a.). They then broke in pieces the הבּעל מצּבת, column of Baal, i.e., the real image of Baal, probably a conical stone dedicated to Baal, whereas the מצּבת, which were burned, were wooden columns as πάρεδροι or σύμβοομοι of Baal (see Movers, Phöniz. i. p. 674).

2Ki 10:27

Lastly, they destroyed the temple itself and made it למחראות, privies, for which the Masoretes have substituted the euphemistic מוצאות, sinks, as a mark of the greatest insult, many examples of which are to be met with among Oriental tribes (vid., Ezr 6:11; Dan 2:5, and Haevernick in loc.). - Thus Jehu exterminated Baal from Israel. This remark in 2Ki 10:28 forms the introduction to the history of Jehu’s reign, with which the last epoch in the history of the ten tribes begins.

3. From the Commencement of the Reigns of Jehu in Israel, and Athaliah in Judah, to the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. Chap. 10:28−17.

In the 161 years which this epoch embraces, from B.C. 883 to 722, the fate of the kingdom of Israel was accomplished. The first hundred years, which comprised the reigns of Jehu and his descendants, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, and Jeroboam u., were the last day of grace for the rebellious ten tribes, at the expira-tion of which the judgment began to burst upon them. As the anointing of Jehu by Elisha was performed by the command of God, so also was the religious reform, which Jehu vigorously commenced with the extermination of the Baal-worship, a fruit of the labours of the prophets Elijah and Elisha within the sinful kingdom ; but this reform stood still half-way, since Jehu merely restored the idolatrous Jehovah-worship introduced by Jeroboam, and neither he himself nor his successors desisted from that sin In order, therefore, if possible, to complete the work begun by His prophets of converting Israel to its God, the Lord now began to visit the rebellious tribes with severe chas tisements, giving them up into the power of the Syrians, who under Hazael not only conquered the whole of the land to the east of the Jordan, but almost annihilated the military force of the Israelites (ch. 10:32-33, 13:3, 7). This chastisement did not remain without fruit Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon the oppressed for the sake of His covenant with the patriarchs, and sent them deliverers in Joash, who recovered the conquered land from the Syrians after the death of Jezabel and in Jeroboam, who even restored the ancient boundaries of the kingdom (ch. xiii. 4, 5, and 23 sqq., xiv. 25, 26). But with this renewal of external strength, luxuriance and debauchery, partiality in judgment and oppression of the poor began to prevail, as we may see from the prophecies of Hosea and Amos (Amos v. 1 sqq., vi. 1-6 ; Hos. vi. 7 sqq.) ; and in addition to the Jehovah-worship, which was performed in an idolatrous manner (Hos. viii. 13, ix. 4, 5), the worship of Baal was carried on most vigorously (Hos. ii. 13, 15, x. 1, 2), so that the people made pilgrimages to Bethel, Gilgal, and even to Beersheba in the south of the kingdom of Judah (Hos. iv. 15; Amos iv. 4, v. 5, viii. 14), and on account of the worship thus zealously performed, relied in carnal security upon the protection of God, and scoffed at the judgments of the Lord which were threatened by the prophets (Amos v. 14, 18). This internal corruption increased with the death of Jeroboam, till all civil order was dissolved. Anarchy, conflicts for the possession of the throne, and repeated regicides, broke up the kingdom and made it ripe for the judgment of destruction, which was gradually accomplished by the Assyrians, whom one party in the reign of Menahem had called to their help, under Pul, Tiglath- pileser, and Shalmanasar. — The kingdom of Judah, on the other hand, was purified from the destructive consequences of the alliance with the dynasty of Ahab through the overthrow by the high priest Jehoiada of the godless Athaliah, who had murdered the royal children after the death of Ahaziah and seized upon the government, and, with the renewal of the covenant and the extermination of the worship of Baal under the young king whom Jehoiada had trained, was brought back to the theocratic path ; and notwithstanding the fact that in the closing years of Joash and Amaziah idolatry found admission again, was preserved in that path, in which it increased in strength and stability, so that not only were the wounds quickly healed which the war with Israel, occasioned by Amaziah’s pride, had inflicted upon it through the conquest and plunder of Jerusalem (ch. xiv. 8 sqq.), but during the sixty-eight years comprised in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, the people rose to a state of great prosperity and wealth through the pursuit of agriculture and trade, and a thoughtful development of the resources of the land, and the kingdom acquired great external power through the humiliation of the Philistines and the subjugation of the Edomites once more (2Chr. 26). At the same time, neither of these kings was able entirely to suppress the illegal worship of the high places, although the temple-worship was regularly sustained according to the law ; and with the increase of wealth and power, not only did luxuriance and pride set in, but also idolatry and an inclination to heathen ways (Isa. 2:5-8 and 16 sqq., v. 18 sqq.) ; so that even in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham Isaiah predicted the day of the Lord's judgment, which was to fall upon everything lofty and proud (Isa. 2-4.). This prophecy began to be fulfilled, so far as its first beginnings were concerned, even in the time of Ahaz. Under this weak and idolatrous ruler idolatry gained the upper hand, and the worship of Jehovah was suppressed; and this open apostasy from the Lord was followed by immediate punishment. The allied kings of Israel and Syria forced their way victoriously into Judah, and even stood before the gates of Jerusalem, with the intention of destroying the kingdom of Judah, when Ahaz, despising the help of the Lord, which was offered him by the prophet Isaiah, purchased the assistance of Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria with silver and gold, and was thereby delivered from his foes. But this made him dependent upon the Assyrians, who would have conquered the kingdom of Judah and destroyed it, as they had already destroyed the kingdom of Israel, had not the Lord hearkened to the prayer of the pious king and miraculously routed the powerful army of Sennacherib before the walls of Jerusalem.

CHAP. X. 28-36. REIGN OF JEHU OF ISRAEL.

Jehu exterminated the worship of Baal from Israel; but the sins of Jeroboam, the golden calves at Bethel and Dan, that is to say, the idolatrous worship of Jehovah, he allowed to remain. “The golden calves, etc.:” this is a supplementary and explanatory apposition to “the sins of Jeroboam.”

2Ki 10:30-31

Jehu is promised the possession of the throne to the fourth generation of his sons for having exterminated the godless royal house of Ahab (vid., 2Ki 15:12). The divine sentence, “because thou hast acted well to do right in mine eyes. (because thou) hast done as it was in my heart to the house of Ahab,” refers to the deed as such, and not to the subjective motives by which Jehu had been actuated. For it is obvious that it had not sprung from pure zeal for the honour of the Lord, from the limitation added in 2Ki 10:31 : “but Jehu did not take heed to walk in the law of Jehovah with all his heart, and did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam.”

2Ki 10:32-33

Therefore (this link of connection follows from the actual fact, though it is not distinctly mentioned in the text) Hazael had now to inflict chastisement upon faithless Israel. In Jehu’s days Jehovah began “to cut off in Israel,” i.e., to rend away certain portions from the kingdom. “Hazael smote them (the Israelites) on the whole of the border of Israel,” i.e., of the kingdom, “from Jordan to the sun-rising (i.e., on the eastern side of the Jordan), the whole of the land of Gilead (כּל־ארץ את is dependent upon יכּה which must be supplied from יכּם), namely, the territory of the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Half-Manasseh, from Aroer on the brook Arnon (now Araayr, a ruin on the northern border of the Mojeb (Arnon) valley; see at Num 32:34), the southern border of the Israelitish land to the east of the Jordan (Deu 2:36; Deu 3:12), both Gilead and Bashan,” the two countries into which Gilead in the broader sense was divided (see at Deu 3:8-17). - These conquests took place during the twenty-eight years’ reign of Jehu, since Hazael began to reign before Jehu, viz., while Joram was king, and had already fought successfully against the Israelites at Ramoth in Joram’s reign (2Ki 8:28-29), but not in the later part of Jehu’s reign, as Thenius supposes.

2Ki 10:34-36

Conclusion of the history of Jehu’s reign. The length of his reign is not given till the end in this instance (2Ki 10:36), contrary to the usual custom in our books, because his ascent of the throne is not expressly mentioned in what precedes; but the general character of his reign is given in immediate connection with the account of his anointing and of the extermination of Ahab’s dynasty.

Death of Ahab's Sons; the Death of Ahaziah's Brethren. (b. c. 884.)

1 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 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 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 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand? 5 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way, 13 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 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.

We left Jehu in quiet possession of Jezreel, triumphing over Joram and Jezebel; and we must now attend his further motions. He knew the whole house of Ahab must be cut off, and therefore proceeded in this bloody work, and did not do it deceitfully, or by halves, Jer. xlviii. 10.

I. He got the heads of all the sons of Ahab cut off by their own guardians at Samaria. Seventy sons (or grandsons) Ahab had, Gideon's number, Judg. viii. 30. In such a number that bore his name his family was likely to be perpetuated, and yet it is extirpated all at once. Such a quiver full of arrows could not protect his house from divine vengeance. Numerous families, if vicious, must not expect to be long prosperous. These sons of Ahab were now at Samaria, a strong city, perhaps brought thither upon occasion of the war with Syria, as a place of safety, or upon notice of Jehu's insurrection; with them were the rulers of Jezreel, that is, the great officers of the court, who went to Samaria to secure themselves or to consult what was to be done. Those of them that were yet under tuition had their tutors with them, who were entrusted with their education in learning, agreeable to their birth and quality, but, it is to be feared, brought them up in the idolatries of their father's house and made them all worshippers of Baal. Jehu did not think fit to bring his forces to Samaria to destroy them, but, that the hand of God might appear the more remarkably in it, made their guardians their murderers. 1. He sent a challenge to their friends to stand by them, v. 2, 3. "You that are hearty well-wishers to the house of Ahab, and entirely in its interests, now is your time to appear for it. Samaria is a strong city; you are in possession of it; you have forces at command; you may choose out the likeliest person of all the royal family to head you; you know you are not tied to the eldest, unless he be the best and meetest of your master's sons. If you have any spirit in you, show it, and set one of them on his father's throne, and stand by him with your lives and fortunes." Not that he desired they should do this, or expected they would, but thus he upbraided them with their cowardice and utter inability to contest with the divine counsels. "Do if you dare, and see what will come of it." Those that have forsaken their religion have often, with it, lost both their sense and their courage, and deserve to be upbraided with it. 2. Hereby he gained from them a submission. They prudently reasoned with themselves: "Behold, two kings stood not before him, but fell as sacrifices to his rage; how then shall we stand?" v. 4. Therefore they sent him a surrender of themselves: "We are thy servants, thy subjects, and will do all that thou shalt bid us, right or wrong, and will set up nobody in competition with thee." They saw it was to no purpose to contend with him, and therefore it was their interest to submit to him. With much more reason may we thus argue ourselves into a subjection to the great God. Many kings and great men have fallen before his wrath, for their wickedness; and how then shall we stand? Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? No, we must either bend or break. 3. This was improved so far as to make them the executioners of those whom they had the tuition of (v. 6): If you be mine, bring me the heads of your master's sons by to-morrow at this time. Though he knew it must be done, and was loth to do it himself, one would think he could not expect they should do it. Could they betray such a trust? Could they be cruel to their master's sons? It seems, so low did they stoop in their adoration to the rising sun that they did it; they cut off the heads of those seventy princes, and sent them in baskets a present to Jehu, v. 7. Learn hence not to trust in a friend nor to put confidence in a guide not governed by conscience. One can scarcely expect that he who has been false to his God should ever be faithful to his prince. But observe God's righteousness in their unrighteousness. These elders of Jezreel had been wickedly obsequious to Jezebel's order for the murder of Naboth, 1 Kings xxi. 11. She gloried, it is likely, in the power she had over them; and now the same base spirit makes them as pliable to Jehu and as ready to obey his orders for the murder of Ahab's sons. Let none aim at arbitrary power, lest they be found rolling a stone which, some time or other, will return upon them. Princes that make their people slaves take the readiest way to make them rebels; and by forcing men's consciences, as Jezebel did, they lose their hold of them. When the separated heads were presented to Jehu, he slyly upbraided those that were the executioners of this vengeance. The heads were laid in two heaps at the gate, the proper place of judgment. There he acquitted the people before God and the world (v. 9, You are righteous), and, by what the rulers of Samaria had now done, comparatively acquitted himself: "I slew but one; they have slain all these: I did it by conspiracy and with design; they have done this merely in compliance and with an implicit obedience. Let not the people of Samaria, nor any of the friends of the house of Ahab, ever reproach me for what I have done, when their own elders, and the very guardians of the orphans, have done this." It is common for those who have done something base to attempt the mitigation of their own reproach by drawing others in to do something worse. But, (2.) He resolves all into the righteous judgment of God (v. 10): The Lord hath done that which he spoke by Elijah. God is not the author of any man's sin, but even by that which men do from bad principles God serves his own purposes and glorifies his own name; and he is righteous in that wherein men are unrighteous. When the Assyrian is made the rod of God's anger, and the instrument of his justice, he meaneth not so, neither does his heart think so, Isa. x. 7.

II. He proceeded to destroy all that remained of the house of Ahab, not only those that descended from him, but those that were in any relation to him, all the officers of his household, ministers of state, and those in command under him, called here his great men (v. 11), all his kinsfolks and acquaintance, who had been partners with him in his wickedness, and his priests, or domestic chaplains, whom he employed in his idolatrous services and who strengthened his hand that he should not turn from his evil way. Having done this in Jezreel, he did the same in Samaria (v. 17), slew all that remained to Ahab in Samaria. This was bloody work, and is not now, in any case, to be drawn into a precedent. Let the guilty suffer, but not the guiltless for their sakes. Perhaps such terrible destructions as these were intended as types of the final destruction of all the ungodly. God has a sword, bathed in heaven, which will come down upon the people of his curse, and be filled with blood. Isa. xxxiv. 5, 6. Then his eye will not spare, neither will he pity.

III. Providence bringing the brethren of Ahaziah in his way, as he was going on with this execution, he slew them likewise, v. 12-14. The brethren of Ahaziah were slain by the Arabians (2 Chron. xxii. 1), but these were the sons of his brethren, as it is there explained (v. 8), and they are said to be princes of Judah, and to minister to Ahaziah. Several things concurred to make them obnoxious to the vengeance Jehu was now executing. 1. They were branches of Ahab's house, being descended from Athaliah, and therefore fell within his commission. 2. They were tainted with the wickedness of the house of Ahab. 3. They were now going to make their court to the princes of the house of Ahab, to salute the children of the king and the queen, Joram and Jezebel, which showed that they were linked to them in affection as well as in affinity. These princes, forty-two in number, being appointed as sheep for the sacrifice, were slain with solemnity, at the pit of the shearing-house. The Lord is known by these judgments which he executeth.

Interview between Jehu and Jehonadab; the Worshippers of Baal Destroyed. (b. c. 884.)

15 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 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord . So they made him ride in his chariot. 17 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. 18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. 19 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 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. 21 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 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 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 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 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 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. 27 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 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Jehu, pushing on his work, is here,

I. Courting the friendship of a good man, Jehonadab the son of Rechab, v. 15, 16. This Jehonadab, though mortified to the world and meddling little with the business of it (as appears by his charge to his posterity, which they religiously observed 300 years after, not to drink wine nor dwell in cities, Jer. xxxv. 6, &c.), yet, upon this occasion, went to meet Jehu, that he might encourage him in the work to which God had called him. The countenance of good men is a thing which great men, if they be wise, will value, and value themselves by. David prayed, Let those that fear thee turn to me, Ps. cxix. 79. This Jehonadab, though no prophet, priest, or Levite, no prince or ruler, was, we may suppose, very eminent for prudence and piety, and generally respected for that life of self-denial and devotion which he lived: Jehu, though a soldier, knew him and honoured him. He did not indeed think of sending for him, but when he met him (though it is likely he drove now as furiously as ever) he stopped to speak to him; and we are here told what passed between them. 1. Jehu saluted him; he blessed him (so the word is), paid him the respect and showed him the good-will that were due to so great an example of serious godliness. 2. Jehonadab assured him that he was sincerely in his interest and a hearty well-wisher to his cause. Jehu professed that his heart was right with him, that he had a true affection for his person and a veneration for the crown of his Nazariteship, and desired to know whether he had the same affection for him and satisfaction in that crown of royal dignity which God had put upon his head: Is thy heart right? a question we should often put to ourselves. "I make a plausible profession, have gained a reputation among men, but is my heart right? Am I sincere and inward with God?" Jehonadab gave him his word (It is), and gave him his hand as a pledge of his heart, yielded to him (so giving the hand is rendered, 2 Chron. xxx. 8), concurred and covenanted with him, and owned him in the work both of revenge and of reformation he was now about. 3. Jehu took him up into his chariot and took him along with him to Samaria. He put some honour upon him, by taking him into the chariot with him (Jehonadab was not accustomed to ride in a chariot, much less with a king); but he received more honour from him, and from the countenance he gave to his present work. All sober people would think the better of Jehu when they saw Jehonadab in the chariot with him. This was not the only time in which the piety of some has been made to serve the policy of others, and designing men have strengthened themselves by drawing good men into their interests. Jehonadab is a stranger to the arts of fleshly wisdom, and has his conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity; and therefore, if Jehu be a servant of God and an enemy to Ball, he will be his faithful friend. "Come then" (says Jehu), "come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord; and then thou wilt see reason to espouse my cause." This is commonly taken as not well said by Jehu, and as giving cause to suspect that his heart was not right with God in what he did, and that the zeal he pretended for the Lord was really zeal for himself and his own advancement. For, (1.) He boasted of it, and spoke as if God and man were mightily indebted to him for it. (2.) He desired it might be seen and taken notice of, like the Pharisees, who did all to be seen of men. An upright heart approves itself to God and covets no more than his acceptance. If we aim at the applause of men, and make their praise our highest end, we are upon a false bottom. Whether Jehu looked any further we cannot judge; however Jehonadab went with him, and, it is likely, animated and assisted him in the further execution of his commission (v. 17), destroying all Ahab's friends in Samaria. A man may hate cruelty and yet love justice, may be far from thirsting after blood and yet may wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, Ps. lviii. 10.

II. Contriving the destruction of all the worshippers of Baal. The service of Baal was the crying sin of the house of Ahab: that root of this idolatry was plucked up, but multitudes yet remained that were infected with it, and would be in danger of infecting others. The law of God was express, that they were to be put to death; but they were so numerous, and so dispersed throughout all parts of the kingdom, and perhaps so alarmed with Jehu's beginnings, that it would be a hard matter to find them all out and an endless task to prosecute and execute them one by one. Jehu's project therefore is to cut them all off together. 1. By a wile, by a fraud, he brought them together to the temple of Baal. He pretended he would worship Baal more than ever Ahab had done, v. 18. Perhaps he spoke this ironically, or to try the body of the people whether they would oppose such a resolution as this, and would resent his threatening to increase his predecessor's exactions, and say, "If it be so, we have no part in Jehu, nor inheritance in the son of Nimshi." But it rather seems to have been spoken purposely to deceive the worshippers of Baal, and then it cannot be justified. The truth of God needs not any man's lie. He issued a proclamation, requiring the attendance of all the worshippers of Baal to join with him in a sacrifice to Baal (v. 19, 20), not only the prophets and priests, but all, throughout the kingdom, who worshipped Baal, who were not nearly so many as they had been in Elijah's time. Jehu's friends, we may suppose, were aware of what he designed, and were not offended at it; but the bigoted besotted Baalites began to think themselves very happy, and that now they should see golden days again. Joram had put away the image of Baal, ch. iii. 2. If Jehu will restore it, they have what they would have, and come up to Samaria with joy from all parts to celebrate the solemnity; and they are pleased to see the house of Baal crowded (v. 21), to see his priests in their vestments (v. 22), and themselves perhaps with some badges or other to notify their relation to Baal, for there were vestments for all his worshippers. 2. He took care that none of the servants of the Lord should be among them, v. 23. This they took as a provision to preserve the worship of Baal from being profaned by strangers; but it was a wonder that they did not, by this, see themselves brought into a snare and discern a design upon them. No marvel if those that suffer themselves to be deceived by Baal (as all idolaters were by their idols), are deceived by Jehu to their destruction. 3. He gave order for the cutting of them all off, and Jehonadab joined with him therein, v. 23. When a strict search was made lest any of the servants of God should, either for company or curiosity, have got among them—lest any wheat should be mixed with those tares, and when eighty men were set to stand guard at all the avenues to Baal's temple, that none might escape (v. 24), then the guards were sent in to put them all to the sword and to mingle their blood with their sacrifices, in a way of just revenge, as they themselves had sometimes done, when, in their blind devotion, they cut themselves with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out, 1 Kings xviii. 28. This was accordingly done, and the doing of it, though seemingly barbarous, was, considering the nature of their crime, really righteous. The Lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God. 4. The idolaters being thus destroyed, the idolatry itself was utterly abolished. The buildings about the house of Baal (which were so many and so stately that they are here called a city), where Baal's priests and their families lived, were destroyed; all the little images, statues, pictures, or shrines, which beautified Baal's temple, with the great image of Baal himself, were brought out and burnt (v. 26, 27), and the temple of Baal was broken down, and made a dunghill, the common sink, or sewer, of the city, that the remembrance of it might be blotted out or made infamous. Thus was the worship of Baal quite destroyed, at least for the present, out of Israel, though it had once prevailed so far that there were but 7000 of all the thousands of Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal, and those concealed. Thus will God destroy all the gods of the heathen, and, sooner or later, triumph over them all.

Jehu's Inconsistency. (b. c. 884.)

29 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 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 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 In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; 33 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 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 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. 36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

Here is all the account of the reign of Jehu, though it continued twenty-eight years. The progress of it answered not to the glory of its beginning. We have here,

I. God's approbation of what Jehu had done. Many, it is probable, censured him as treacherous and barbarous—called him a rebel, a usurper, a murderer, and prognosticated ill concerning him, that a family thus raised would soon be ruined; but God said, Well done (v. 30), and then it signified little who said otherwise. 1. God pronounced that to be right which he had done. It is justly questionable whether he did it from a good principle and whether he did not take some false steps in the doing of it; and yet (says God), Thou hast done well in executing that which is right in my eyes. The extirpating of idolaters and idolatry was a thing right in God's eyes, for it is an iniquity he visits as surely and severely as any: it was according to all that was in his heart, all he desired, all he designed. Jehu went through with his work. 2. God promised him a reward, that his children of the fourth generation from him should sit upon the throne of Israel. This was more than what took place in any of the dignities or royal families of that kingdom; of the house of Ahab there were indeed four kings, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, and Joram, but the last two were brothers, so that it reached but to the third generation, and that whole family continued but about forty-five years in all, whereas Jehu's continued in four, besides himself, and in all about 120 years. Note, No services done for God shall go unrewarded.

II. Jehu's carelessness in what he was further to do. By this it appeared that his heart was not right with God, that he was partial in his reformation. 1. He did not put away all the evil. He departed from the sins of Ahab, but not from the sins of Jeroboam—discarded Baal, but adhered to the calves. The worship of Baal was indeed the greater evil, and more heinous in the sight of God, but the worship of the calves was a great evil, and true conversion is not only from gross sin, but from all sin—not only from false gods, but from false worships. The worship of Baal weakened and diminished Israel, and made them beholden to the Sidonians, and therefore he could easily part with that; but the worship of the calves was a politic idolatry, was begun and kept up for reasons of state, to prevent the return of the ten tribes to the house of David, and therefore Jehu clave to that. True conversion is not only from wasteful sins, but from gainful sins—not only from those sins that are destructive to the secular interest, but from those that support and befriend it, in forsaking which is the great trial whether we can deny ourselves and trust God. 2. He put away evil, but he did not mind that which was good (v. 31): He took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel. He abolished the worship of Baal, but did not keep up the worship of God, nor walk in his law. He had shown great care and zeal for the rooting out of a false religion; but in the true religion, (1.) He showed no care, took no heed, lived at large, was not at all solicitous to please God and to do his duty, took no heed to the scriptures, to the prophets, to his own conscience, but walked at all adventures. Those that are heedless, it is to be feared, are graceless; for, where there is a good principle in the heart, it will make men cautious and circumspect, desirous to please God and jealous of doing any thing to offend him. (2.) He showed no zeal; what he did in religion he did not do with his heart, with all his heart, but did it as if he did it not, without any liveliness or concern. It seems, he was a man that had little religion himself, and yet God made use of him as an instrument of reformation in Israel. It is a pity but that those that do good to others should always be good themselves.

III. The judgment that came upon Israel in his reign. We have reason to fear that when Jehu took no heed himself to walk in God's law the people were generally as careless as he, both in their devotions and in their conversations. There was a general decay of piety and increase of profaneness; and therefore it is not strange that the next news we hear is, In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short, v. 32. Their neighbours encroached upon them on every side; they were short in their duty to God, and therefore God cut them short in their extent, wealth, and power. Hazael king of Syria was, above any other, vexatious and mischievous to them, smote them in all the coasts of Israel, particularly the countries on the other side Jordan, which lay next him, and most exposed; on these he made continual inroads, and laid them waste. Now the Reubenites and Gadites smarted for the choice which their ancestors made of an inheritance on that side Jordan, which Moses reproved them for, Num. xxxii. Now Hazael did what Elisha foresaw and foretold he would do. Yet, for doing it, God had a quarrel with him and with his kingdom, as we may find, Amos i. 3, 4. Because those of Damascus have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron, therefore (says God) I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

Lastly, The conclusion of Jehu's reign, v. 34-36. Notice is taken, in general, of his might; but, because he took no heed to serve God, the memorials of his mighty enterprises and achievements are justly buried in oblivion.