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,
1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in
Samaria—As it appears (), 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
15-18. Jehonadab the son of
Rechab—(See 1 Chronicles 2:55). A
person who, from his piety and simple primitive manner of life (1 Chronicles 2:55), 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."
1 Chronicles 2:55. HE DESTROYS
THE WORSHIPPERS OF
BAAL.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.