0 SAB 2 Kings 10

2 Kings

CHAPTER 10

Jehu kills Ahab's sons: 70 heads in two heaps
10:1-8

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.

Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria.

Jehu wrote letters to the rulers of Samaria in Jezreel, saying,

Find the best of Ahab's decendants and make him king.

Then get ready to defend Ahab's family.

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

This frightened the Samarians, who said to themselves,
Jehu has already killed two kings. He'll do the same to us.

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.

So they sent a message to Jehu, saying,
We are your servants, and will do whatever you say.

We won't make anyone king.

Do whatever you think is best.

6Then 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.

Jehu said to them,
Bring me the heads of Ahab's 70 sons tomorrow.

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.

So they killed Ahab's 70 sons, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu. [1]

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.

When the heads arrived, Jehu said,
Pile the heads into to two heaps.
Jehu kills Ahab's relatives in Jezreel
10:9-11

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.

Jehu said to all the people,
You are all righteous, but I killed my master (Joram).

But who killed all these guys? (Ahab's 70 sons)

Now God's going to have all of Ahab's family killed, like he said to Elijah. [2]

11So 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.

So Jehu killed all of Ahab's family and priests in Jezreel. [3]
Jehu kills 42 of Ahaziah's family
10:12-14, Cf. 2 Chr 22:1-9

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.

Then Jehu went to Samaria and met the relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them,
Who are you?

They answered,

We are Ahaziah's relatives.

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.

Jehu said,
Take them alive and kill them.

And they killed all 42 of them. [4]

Jehu and Jehonadab kill Ahab's Samaritan relatives
10:15-17

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.

As Jehu was leaving, he saw Jehonadab coming to meet him.

Jehu saluted him, and said,

Is your heart true, as mine is with yours?
Jehonadab said,
It is. Give me your hand.

And Jehu gave him his hand, and lifted him into his chariot.

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

Jehu said,
Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.

So Jehonadab rode off in Jehu's chariot.

17And 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.

When they arrived in Samaria, they killed all of Ahab's remaining family, according to God's words to Elijah. [5]
Jehu kills the followers of Baal
10:18-29

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.

Jehu gathered all the people and said to them,
Call all the prophets, servants, and priests of Baal.

Because I will have a great sacrifice to Baal.

Any of Baal's followers that refuse to come will be killed.

(Jehu was lying so he could kill the worshipers of Baal.)

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

Jehu said,
Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.

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.

So the assembly for Baal was proclaimed.

And all of Baal's followers came.

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.

Jehu and Jehonadab told Baal's worshipers to make sure no one else was present.

24And 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.

Jehu said to eighty of his men,
Kill all of the worshipers of Baal.

Whoever lets any of them escape will be killed.

Then Jehu made his burnt offering to Baal.

After the sacrifice his men killed all the followers of Baal. [6]

26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

Then they burned the images of Baal.

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.

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 Bethel, and that were in Dan.

And made the house of Baal a latrine.

It is still a latrine today.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal in Israel.
10:30-36

30And 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.

God said to Jehu,
You have done what is right in my eyes.

You did to Ahab all that was in my heart. [7]

So your children, to the fourth generation, will be kings of Israel.

But Jehu didn't obey God with all his heart.

He sinned like Jeroboam, and caused Israel to sin.

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?

You can read about the rest of the acts of Joram 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.

Jehu died.

His son, Jehoahaz, replaced him as Israel's king.

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