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2 Kings Chapter
Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 10
This
chapter gives a further account of the destruction of the house of Ahab by
Jehu, or his orders, even of all his sons and relations, 2 Kings 10:1, and
also of the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, 2 Kings 10:12, of
his taking up Jehonadab the son of Rechab into his chariot, to be a witness of
his zeal for the Lord, 2 Kings 10:15, and
of his gathering together the prophets, priests, and worshippers of Baal, and
slaying them, 2 Kings 10:18 and
of his extirpation of the idolatry of Baal, 2 Kings 10:26,
nevertheless he continued the worship of the calves, 2 Kings 10:29
wherefore Israel was distressed by the king of Syria, 2 Kings 10:32 and
the chapter is concluded with the reign and death of Jehu, 2 Kings 10:34.
2 Kings 10:1 Now
Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote and sent letters to Samaria,
to the rulers of Jezreel,[a] to the
elders, and to those who reared Ahab’s sons, saying:
YLT
1And Ahab hath seventy sons
in Samaria, and Jehu writeth letters, and sendeth to Samaria, unto the heads of
Jezreel, the elders, and unto the supporters of Ahab, saying,
And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria,.... These
might not be all his immediate sons, but some of them his grandsons, as such
are sometimes called in Scripture:
and Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of
Jezreel; who fled thither, perhaps on Jehu's coming to Jezreel, having
slain Joram, being the metropolis of the kingdom, to consult about a successor,
or how to oppose Jehu, and to frustrate his designs: but the Septuagint version
is, "to the rulers of Samaria", which seems most likely to be the
true reading:
to the elders; the civil magistrates of the city of
Samaria:
and to them that brought up Ahab's children: who had the
care of their education; who either always dwelt at Samaria, being the royal
city, or were sent with their charge thither, when Joram went to Ramothgilead,
for safety, supposing he should be worsted by the Syrians; or they fled thither
with them upon the death of Joram:
saying; as follows.
2 Kings 10:2 2 Now as soon as this letter
comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have
chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and weapons,
YLT
2`And now, at the coming in
of this letter unto you, and with you [are] sons of your lord, and with you
[are] the chariots and the horses, and a fenced city, and the armour,
Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's
sons are with you,.... Sons of Ahab, and some of Joram, and all either the sons or
grandsons of Ahab:
and there are with you chariots and horses; military
ones:
a fenced city also: as Samaria was, well walled and fortified,
and able to hold out a long siege:
and armour; of all sorts, to arm themselves and people with in their defence.
2 Kings 10:3 3 choose the best qualified
of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for
your master’s house.
YLT
3and ye have seen the best
and the uprightest of the sons of your lord, and have set [him] on the throne
of his father, and fight ye for the house of your lord.'
Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons,.... Most fit
for government, whether on account of age or proper qualifications, and wisdom,
courage, &c.
and set him on his father's throne; proclaim him king:
and fight for your master's house; that the crown may
continue in his family; all which he did not desire might be, but in this
sarcastic and sneering manner dares them to do it.
2 Kings 10:4 4 But they were exceedingly
afraid, and said, “Look, two kings could not stand up to him; how then can we
stand?”
YLT
4And they fear very greatly,
and say, `Lo, the two kings have not stood before him, and how do we stand --
we?'
But they were exceedingly afraid,.... They were
intimidated at once; for they saw the purport of those letters, that should
they attempt anything of this kind, he would come upon them with his forces:
and said, behold, two kings stood not before him; the kings of
Israel and Judah, Joram and Ahaziah; but they were unarmed, and therefore how
should they stand before an armed body of men Jehu had with him? this shows the
pusillanimity of these men to make use of such an argument as this:
how then shall we stand? that is, before Jehu;
but they were in much better circumstances than the two kings, as they are
truly represented in 2 Kings 10:2.
2 Kings 10:5 5 And he who was in
charge of the house, and he who was in charge of the city, the elders
also, and those who reared the sons, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are
your servants, we will do all you tell us; but we will not make anyone king. Do
what is good in your sight.”
YLT
5And he who [is] over the
house, and he who [is] over the city, and the elders, and the supporters, send
unto Jehu, saying, `Thy servants we [are], and all that thou sayest unto us we
do; we do not make any one king -- that which [is] good in thine eyes do.'
And he that was over the house,.... The king's palace in
Samaria, who had the custody, care, and government of it:
and he that was over the city; the commander and
governor of it, that had the highest post in it under the king;
the elders also all other subordinate officers and
magistrates:
and the bringers up of the children; who had the education of
the king's sons committed to them:
sent to Jehu, saying, we are thy servants, and will do all that
thou shall bid us. They were ready to do homage, and swear allegiance to him as
their king, and obey all his commands as faithful subjects:
we will not make any king; or set up any on the
throne, no, not any of the sons or grandsons of Ahab:
do thou that which is good in thine eyes, we will never
oppose thee.
2 Kings 10:6 6 Then he wrote a second
letter to them, saying: If you are for me and will obey my voice, take
the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel by this
time tomorrow. Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great
men of the city, who were rearing them.
YLT
6And he writeth unto them a
letter a second time, saying, `If ye [are] for me, and to my voice are
hearkening, take the heads of the men -- the sons of your lord, and come unto
me about this time to-morrow, to Jezreel;' and the sons of the king [are]
seventy men, with the great ones of the city those bringing them up.
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them,.... Having
gained his point by the former:
saying, if ye be mine, acknowledge yourselves
my subjects and servants:
and if ye will hearken to my voice; obey my commands:
take ye the heads of the men your master's sons; that is, take
off their heads:
and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time meaning with
the heads along with them:
(now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great
men of the city, which brought them up;) they were in their
houses, and under their tuition, and so had an authority over them, and could
dispose of them at pleasure; they were not ordinary persons to whose care they
were committed, but the principal men of the city.
2 Kings 10:7 7 So it was, when the letter
came to them, that they took the king’s sons and slaughtered seventy persons,
put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
YLT
7And it cometh to pass, at
the coming in of the letter unto them, that they take the sons of the king, and
slaughter seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and send unto him to
Jezreel,
And it came to pass, when the letter came to them,.... They did
not in the least hesitate, but immediately complied with the contents of it:
that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons; which was the
whole number of them:
and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel; as a present
to Jehu, just as they carried the firstfruits, as Abarbinel observes.
2 Kings 10:8 8 Then a messenger came and
told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he
said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
YLT
8and the messenger cometh
in, and declareth to him, saying, `They have brought in the heads of the sons
of the king,' and he saith, `Make them two heaps at the opening of the gate
till the morning.'
And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, they have
brought the heads of the king's sons,.... Perhaps this
messenger to Jehu came from the great men of Samaria themselves, to let him
know that they had obeyed his orders:
and he said, lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the
gate until the morning; very probably it was towards or at the evening they were
brought; and he ordered them to be taken out of the baskets, and laid in two
heaps at the entering of the gate of the city, that they might be taken notice
of, and publicly viewed by the people that passed and repassed the gate; and
where they met in great numbers, either on account of the market there, or
court of judicature there held, especially in mornings; and here they were to
remain till the morning, though not without a guard, that they might still be
more exposed to view; NoldiusF16Ebr. Conc. Part. p. 68. No. 340.
renders it, "without the door of the gate", for they were brought at
night, when the gate was shut.
2 Kings 10:9 9 So it was, in the morning,
that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, “You are
righteous. Indeed I conspired against my master and killed him; but who killed
all these?
YLT
9And it cometh to pass in
the morning, that he goeth out, and standeth, and saith unto all the people,
`Righteous are ye; lo, I have conspired against my lord, and slay him -- and
who smote all these?
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood,
and said to all the people,.... Who were gathered together to this
shocking sight, or on the above accounts:
ye be righteous; having had no concern in taking off the heads
of those men:
behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; I own it, and
some may blame me for it, and charge me with treason and murder:
but who slew all these? not he, but the chief
men of Samaria, and therefore must be more guilty than he, having shed the
blood of so many persons, who had not offended against God and man to so great
a degree as Joram; this he said to lessen his own sin, and wipe off the
reproach of it, that his character might appear fairer in the eyes of the
people, concealing, at the same time, his orders for the slaying of them.
2 Kings 10:10 10 Know now that nothing
shall fall to the earth of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke
concerning the house of Ahab; for the Lord has done what He spoke by
His servant Elijah.”
YLT
10Know ye now, that nothing
doth fall of the word of Jehovah to the earth that Jehovah spake against the
house of Ahab, and Jehovah hath done that which He spake by the hand of His
servant Elijah.'
Know now, that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word
of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab,.... He would
have them observe, that all this, and what else should follow of the same kind,
were and would be brought about by the providence of God, according to divine
predictions, and as just punishments on Ahab's family for their sins; and
therefore neither he nor others were to be blamed for what was done, since they
were only instruments made use of by the Lord, who both foretold all this, and
gave orders for the execution of it:
for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah; see 1 Kings 21:21.
2 Kings 10:11 11 So Jehu killed all who
remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his close
acquaintances and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
YLT
11And Jehu smiteth all those
left to the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his
acquaintances, and his priests, till he hath not left to him a remnant.
So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel,.... Which to
do, and to justify himself in so doing, was the design of what he said in the
preceding verses:
and his great men; his ministers of state and counsellors,
that advised him to, and abetted him in his idolatrous practices, and so justly
suffered for the same; and perhaps some of them at least were those very men
that cut off the heads of his sons in complaisance to Jehu:
and his kinsfolks: more distantly related to him or his
acquaintance and familiars, his associates in sin and wickedness:
and his priests: who officiated for him and offered his
sacrifices to Baal; the priests he kept in his palace, and ate at his table:
until he left him none remaining; either of his kindred or
his priests, that is, that were at Jezreel; for there were others at Samaria, 2 Kings 10:17.
2 Kings 10:12 12 And he arose and departed
and went to Samaria. On the way, at Beth Eked[b] of the
Shepherds,
YLT
12And he riseth, and cometh
in and goeth to Samaria; he [is] at the shepherds' shearing-house in the way,
To
make a clear riddance there of all that belonged to Ahab, as at Jezreel, and
abolish idolatry there:
and as he was at the shearing house in the way; or, "the
house of the binding of the shepherds", who, in shearing their sheep, bind
their legs together; the Targum is,"the house of the gathering of the
shepherds;'where they used to meet and converse together; with some it is the
proper name of a place, Betheked, a country village between Jezreel and
Samaria. Jerom speaksF17De loc. Heb. fol. 89. K. of a village of
this name, situated in a large plain, about fifteen miles from a place called
Legion, which village he takes to be this here.
2 Kings 10:13 13 Jehu met with the brothers
of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” So they answered, “We
are the brothers of Ahaziah; we have come down to greet the sons of the
king and the sons of the queen mother.”
YLT
13and Jehu hath found the
brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and saith, `Who [are] ye?' and they say,
`Brethren of Ahaziah we [are], and we go down to salute the sons of the king,
and the sons of the mistress.'
Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah,.... At the
above place; these were the sons of his brethren, called his brethren, as Lot
was called Abraham's brother, being his brother's son; for as for his brethren,
they had been slain by the Arabians before he was made king, 2 Chronicles 22:1,
and said, who are ye? though perhaps he knew
who they were:
and they answered, we are the brethren of Ahaziah; the sons of
his brethren:
and we go down to salute the children of the king, and the
children of the queen; meaning either the children of Ahab and Jezebel, or of Joram and
his queen; for they knew nothing of the death of Joram and Jezebel, and the
revolution made in the kingdom, and therefore with great simplicity tell who
they were, and where they were going, and on what account.
2 Kings 10:14 14 And he said, “Take them
alive!” So they took them alive, and killed them at the well of Beth Eked,
forty-two men; and he left none of them.
YLT
14And he saith, `Catch them
alive;' and they catch them alive, and slaughter them at the pit of the
shearing-house, forty and two men, and he hath not left a man of them.
And he said, take them alive,.... Gave orders to his
guards to seize them, and make them captives:
and they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing
house; where they washed the sheep when they sheered them:
even forty and two
men, neither left he any of them; they being, by their
grandmother's side, of the house of Ahab, and so within the commission of Jehu
to slay them, at least as he thought; though his chief view might be, lest they
should make any pretensions to the crown, being descended from that house, or
should hereafter attempt to avenge the death of their relations; but by the
judgment of God they were cut off as idolaters.
2 Kings 10:15 15 Now when he departed from
there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab, coming to meet him; and he
greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is toward
your heart?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give
me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him
into the chariot.
YLT
15And he goeth thence, and
findeth Jehonadab son of Rechab -- to meet him, and blesseth him, and saith
unto him, `Is thy heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart?' and Jehonadab
saith, `It is;' -- `Then it is; give thy hand;' and he giveth his hand, and he
causeth him to come up into him into the chariot,
And when he was departed thence,.... From Betheked, or
the shearing house:
he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; a Kenite, a
descendant of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, a wise and good man, as
appears by the laws and rules he gave to his posterity, who continued to the
times of Jeremiah, and were then observant of them, Jeremiah 35:6 this
good man hearing of Jehu's coming to the throne, and of his destruction of the
idolatrous family of Ahab, and of his zeal for the worship of God, and against
idolatry, came forth from his tent to meet him, and congratulate him upon it:
and he saluted him; Jonadab saluted Jehu, according to
Abarbinel; or "blessed him"F18ויברכהו
"et benedixit ei", V. L. Montanus. , wished him all happiness in his
kingdom, and success in the reformation of it; though most understand it of
Jehu's saluting Jonadab, which seems best to agree with the following:
and said to him, is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? that is, hast
thou the same cordial affection and sincere respect for me as I have for thee?
and Jehonadab answered, it is: to which some join the
next clause, and read, "and it is"; which is doubling the answer, for
the confirmation of it, as Kimchi says; though he also observes, that the latter
may be interpreted as the answer of Jehu, by way of interrogation, "is
it?":
then give me thine hand; and to the same purpose
is our version:
if it be, and he gave him his hand; Jonadab gave
Jehu his hand as a token of sincere friendshipF19"Ipse pater
dextram Anchises", &c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 3. prope finem. Vid. Servium
in ib. Vid. Cornel. Nepot. Vit. Themistocl. l. 2. c. 8. & Datam. l. 14. c.
10. , and cordial respect, and for the confirmation of the covenant between
them, as Ben Melech; who also observes, that Jehu might bid him give him his
hand to help him up into the chariot, since it follows:
and he took him up to him into the chariot; to ride with
him to Samaria; the company of such a man, so famous for wisdom and goodness,
he knew would give him much countenance among the people, and sanction to what
he did.
2 Kings 10:16 16 Then he said, “Come with
me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” So they had him ride in
his chariot.
YLT
16and saith, `Come with me,
and look on my zeal for Jehovah;' and they cause him to ride in his chariot.
And he said, come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord of hosts,.... In
destroying idolaters and idolatry, with an intent to do which he was going to
Samaria; this seems to savour very much of vain glory, hypocrisy, and a
pharisaical spirit:
so they made him ride in his chariot; the servants
of Jehu by his order opened the chariot door, and assisted Jonadab in getting
into it.
2 Kings 10:17 17 And when he came to
Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed
them, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.
YLT
17And he cometh in to
Samaria, and smiteth all those left to Ahab in Samaria, till his destroying
him, according to the word of Jehovah that He spake unto Elisha.
And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab
in Samaria,.... All that were in any connection with him, as related to his
family, or as ministers of his in civil or religious things:
till he had destroyed him; his whole house, as he
was ordered:
according to the word of the Lord, which he spake to Elijah; which is
observed, to show the exact fulfilment of prophecy, see 1 Kings 21:21.
2 Kings 10:18 18 Then Jehu gathered all the
people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve
him much.
YLT
18And Jehu gathereth the
whole of the people, and saith unto them, `Ahab served Baal a little -- Jehu
doth serve him much:
And Jehu gathered all the people together,.... The
people of Samaria, at least the principal of them:
and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu
shall serve him much; which some understand as spoken ironically; but the words seem
to be spoken with a design to deceive the idolatrous inhabitants of Samaria,
making them to believe that he was hearty in the worship of Baal, and should
show a greater respect to it, and more constantly attend it, than Ahab had
done; and this he said with a view to draw them to the temple of Baal, and
there destroy them, as the sequel shows; and in which he is not to be
justified, however good his intention was; for evil is not to be done that good
may come.
2 Kings 10:19 19 Now therefore, call to me
all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be
missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing shall not
live.” But Jehu acted deceptively, with the intent of destroying the worshipers
of Baal.
YLT
19and now, all the prophets
of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, call ye unto me; let not a man
be lacking, for a great sacrifice I have for Baal; every one who is lacking --
he doth not live;' and Jehu hath done [it] in subtilty, in order to destroy the
servants of Baal.
All
that were employed in the several parts of religious worship given him, and in
performing any rite and ceremony belonging to it; in invocation of him, and
singing praises to him, as the prophets; in offering sacrifices to him, as the
priests; or in assisting them in their service, who may be meant by his
servants or ministers:
for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; by which,
though he might mean a sacrifice of his prophets, priests, servants, and
worshippers, he would have it otherwise understood, and his design was to
deceive, which cannot be justified:
whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live: but be put to
death; this he said, pretending his great zeal for Baal, when his view was by
this threatening to get all his worshippers together to destroy them, that none
might escape as follows:
but Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy
the worshippers of Baal: the Targum renders it, "with wisdom"; but Jarchi and
Ben Gersom much better, "in deceit"; the word signifies
supplantation, such as Esau charged Jacob with.
2 Kings 10:20 20 And Jehu said, “Proclaim a
solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it.
YLT
20And Jehu saith, `Sanctify a
restraint for Baal;' and they proclaim [it].
And Jehu said, proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal,.... Such as
with the Jews was an holy convocation, when they were forbidden and restrained
from doing any work on that day; and such a day Jehu would have appointed and
proclaimed for Baal, that the people might be at leisure to attend:
and they proclaimed it; according to his order,
in Samaria.
2 Kings 10:21 21 Then Jehu sent throughout
all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man
left who did not come. So they came into the temple[c] of Baal,
and the temple of Baal was full from one end to the other.
YLT
21And Jehu sendeth into all
Israel, and all the servants of Baal come in, and there hath not been left a
man who hath not come in; and they come in to the house of Baal, and the house
of Baal is full -- mouth to mouth.
And Jehu sent through all Israel,.... Persons to proclaim
this solemn assembly:
and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man
left that came not; some no doubt came cheerfully, having no suspicion of him, and
the rather, as he might have been a worshipper of Baal in the times of Ahab;
and as for what he had done to Baal's priests, they might consider that only as
they were in connection with Ahab's family, whom to destroy was his political
interest; and they were glad at heart their new king was so affected to Baal,
and fond to see such a grand solemnity as they expected this to be; and others
that might be suspicious of him, yet as they must die if they did not appear,
and there was a possibility they might live, chose therefore to come:
and they came into the house of Baal; the temple
which Ahab had built for him in Samaria, 1 Kings 16:32.
and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other; not only the
body of the temple, but all the outward court, every mouth, or corner, as in
the original text: and this single house might be sufficient for all in the
land; since the number of them might be greatly lessened by the ministry of
Elijah and Elisha, as well as by the destruction the former made of the
prophets of Baal; and by the schools of the prophets set up in various places,
from whence prophets were sent out to instruct the people; and by Joram's
putting away the image of Baal, which no doubt lessened the number of his
worshippers.
2 Kings 10:22 22 And he said to the one in
charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.”
So he brought out vestments for them.
YLT
22And he saith to him who
[is] over the wardrobe, `Bring out clothing to all servants of Baal;' and he
bringeth out to them the clothing.
And he said unto him that was over the vestry,.... That had
the care of the garments, in which the priests of Baal ministered:
bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal; not for the
priests only, but for all that worshipped; and this he ordered for the greater
solemnity of this service, as he would have it thought; but, in truth, that the
worshippers of Baal might be separated, and distinguished from the worshippers
of the Lord, that not one of them might be among them:
and he brought them forth vestments; out of the chamber or
wardrobe in which they were, and they put them on.
2 Kings 10:23 23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab
the son of Rechab went into the temple of Baal, and said to the worshipers of
Baal, “Search and see that no servants of the Lord are here with
you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”
YLT
23And Jehu goeth in, and
Jehonadab son of Rechab, to the house of Baal, and saith to the servants of
Baal, `Search and see, lest there be here with you of the servants of Jehovah --
but, the servants of Baal by themselves.'
And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of
Baal,.... Who no doubt was led into the secret, and knew the design of
Jehu, or he would not have gone into such an idolatrous place:
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; pretending a great regard to the purity of their worship and
sacrifices, that they might not be profanedF20"----procul, o
procul este profani". Virgil. Aeneid. 6. ver. 258. by the company of such
who were not worshippers of Baal, but of Jehovah; whereas his view was to
prevent any of the worshippers of God perishing with them, who might out of
curiosity go in among them, to behold the manner of their service.
2 Kings 10:24 24 So they went in to offer
sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men
on the outside, and had said, “If any of the men whom I have brought
into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his life
for the life of the other.”
YLT
24And they come in to make
sacrifices and burnt-offerings, and Jehu hath set for himself in an out-place
eighty men, and saith, `The man who letteth escape [any] of the men whom I am
bringing in unto your hand -- his soul for his soul.'
And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings,.... To Baal,
all things being ready for them:
Jehu appointed eighty men without; without the temple of
Baal, at the several doors and avenues of it:
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; should be put
to death for it in his room; the life of a watchman set to guard should go for
the life of one that escaped.
2 Kings 10:25 25 Now it happened, 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 kill them; let no one come out!”
And they killed them with the edge of the sword; then the guards and the
officers threw them out, and went into the inner room of the temple of
Baal.
YLT
25And it cometh to pass at
his finishing to make the burnt-offering, that Jehu saith to the runners, and
to the captains, `Go in, smite them, let none come out;' and they smite them by
the mouth of the sword, and the runners and the captains cast [them] out; and
they go unto the city, to the house of Baal,
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the
burnt offering,.... The chief of the priests of Baal, whose office it was to do
this service:
that Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains, go in and slay
them, let none come forth; this he said to the eighty men set to guard
the temple, and the officers over them; and perhaps they might also have a
reinforcement, since such a number seems scarcely sufficient to destroy so many
as were here; though indeed it must be considered they were armed men:
and they smote them with the edge of the sword; put them all
to death:
and the guard and the captains cast them out; those that
were slain, as the Targum, their dead bodies; but it can hardly be thought they
would be at the trouble of casting them out, when the house was to be pulled
down, and made a jakes (a common sewer or dung house) of, as follows; rather
therefore it should be rendered, "they cast" or "flung
themselves"F21וישלכי "et
proripuerunt se", De Dicu. with great force, and in great haste, as
Kimchi, and rushed out of the temple, being eager to do as follows:
and went to the city of the house of Baal; to pull it
down; to some city near Samaria where was a temple of Baal; or rather this may
design the buildings about the temple of Baal, in which the priests and their
families lived, and were so large that they might be called a city of
themselves.
2 Kings 10:26 26 And they brought the sacred
pillars out of the temple of Baal and burned them.
YLT
26and bring out the
standing-pillars of the house of Baal, and burn them,
And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and
burnt them. Lesser images, the images of other deities, or what were placed
as decorations of the temple.
2 Kings 10:27 27 Then they broke down the sacred
pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and made it a refuse dump to this
day.
YLT
27and break down the
standing-pillar of Baal, and break down the house of Baal, and appoint it for a
draught-house unto this day.
And they broke down the temple of Baal,.... Which
some take to be Belus, others Saturn, others the sun, which seems most
probable:
and broke down the house of Baal; his temple, demolished
it:
and made it a draught house until this day; a common
sewer, a jakes; a fit place for dunghill gods to be thrown into, and an idol
temple to be turned into.
2 Kings 10:28 28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal
from Israel.
YLT
28And Jehu destroyeth Baal
out of Israel,
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. His images and
temples being served thus in all places, throughout the land of Israel, where
there were any.
2 Kings 10:29 29 However Jehu did not turn
away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that
is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
YLT
29only -- the sins of
Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin, Jehu hath not turned aside
from after them -- the calves of gold that [are] at Beth-El, and in Dan.
Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made
Israel to sin,.... Which is the common character given of that king, a blot
never to be wiped off:
Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that
were in Bethel, and that were in Dan: he did not abstain from
the worship of them, partly because he might not think it idolatry, because God
was worshipped in them; hence he calls the worshippers of the calves the
servants of the Lord, 2 Kings 10:23, and
partly that he might not displease the princes of the people of Israel, who
generally gave in to the worship of them; but chiefly lest the kingdom of
Israel should return to the house of David, the worship of the calves being a
piece of state policy, to keep them from going to Jerusalem to worship, lest
thereby they should be drawn off from their allegiance to the king of Israel.
2 Kings 10:30 30 And the Lord said to Jehu,
“Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and
have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall
sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”
YLT
30And Jehovah saith unto
Jehu, `Because that thou hast done well, to do that which [is] right in Mine
eyes -- according to all that [is] in My heart thou hast done to the house of
Ahab -- the sons of the fourth [generation] do sit for thee on the throne of
Israel.'
And the Lord said unto Jehu,.... By a prophet, he not
being one himself; and this is generally supposed, by the JewsF23Seder
Olam Rabba, c. 19. , to be Jonah the son of Amittai:
because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in
mine eyes: in rooting out the idolatry of Baal, which was right in the
sight of God, and was materially a good work, though it might not be done from
a good principle, nor every step taken in doing it justifiable:
and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in
mine heart: that he had decreed within himself should be done, and had
foretold by his prophets would be done, the doing of which was acceptable and
well pleasing to him:
thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of
Israel; as they did, namely, Jehoahaz, Joash, Jeroboam, and Zachariah,
though the last reigned but six months, just enough to fulfil this promise.
2 Kings 10:31 31 But Jehu took no heed to
walk in the law of the Lord
God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of
Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.
YLT
31And Jehu hath not taken
heed to walk in the law of Jehovah, God of Israel, with all his heart, he hath
not turned aside from the sins of Jeroboam, that he caused Israel to sin.
But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel
with all his heart,.... As to his moral conversation, he was not careful that it was
according to the law of God, and what he did agreeable to it, it was not sincerely,
and from the right principle:
for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel
to sin; which he would, if he had had a cordial respect to all the
commandments of the law.
2 Kings 10:32 32 In those days the Lord began to cut
off parts of Israel; and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of
Israel
YLT
32In those days hath Jehovah
begun to cut off [some] in Israel, and Hazael smiteth them in all the border of
Israel,
In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short,.... To bring
their dominions into a narrower compass; this was done in the days of Jehu,
though he was so active and courageous, wherefore the hand of God was the more
seen in it:
and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; which
bordered on his country, when he did what Elisha foretold he would, 2 Kings 8:12.
2 Kings 10:33 33 from the Jordan eastward:
all the land of Gilead—Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh—from Aroer, which is by
the River Arnon, including Gilead and Bashan.
YLT
33from the Jordan, at the
sun-rising, the whole land of Gilead, of the Gadite, and the Reubenite, and the
Manassahite (from Aroer, that [is] by the brook Arnon), even Gilead and Bashan.
From Jordan eastward,.... This was principally
the coast on which Hazael smote them, to the east of the land of Canaan:
all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the
Moabites; the country on the other side Jordan, given to these tribes by
Moses, at their request, which were before the kingdoms of Sihon and of Og:
from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan: countries
which the Israelites first conquered, and were the first they lost.
2 Kings 10:34 34 Now the rest of the acts
of Jehu, all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the
book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
YLT
34And the rest of the matters
of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written on the
book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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? Of the preceding kings from the times of Jeroboam, in which their
several acts were recorded, and his also.
2 Kings 10:35 35 So Jehu rested with his
fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Jehoahaz his son reigned in his
place.
YLT
35And Jehu lieth with his
fathers, and they bury him in Samaria, and reign doth Jehoahaz his son in his
stead.
And Jehu slept with his fathers,.... Died as they did:
and they buried him in Samaria; where Omri and Ahab, his
predecessors, were buried, 1 Kings 16:28.
and Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead; who reigned
seventeen years, 2 Kings 13:1.
2 Kings 10:36 36 And the period that Jehu
reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
YLT
36And the days that Jehu hath
reigned over Israel [are] twenty and eight years, in Samaria.
And the time that Jehu reigned was twenty and eight years. Which was
longer than any king of Israel had reigned.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)