10:1 And Ahab had seventy a 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,
(a) The Scripture calls them sons who are either children
or nephews.
10:3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons,
and b set [him] on his father's throne, and fight for
your master's house.
(b) He wrote this, to prove them whether they would take
his side or not.
10:6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If
ye [be] mine, and [if] ye will hearken unto my voice, c
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.
(c) God as a just judge punishes the wicked children of
wicked parents to the third and fourth generations.
10:9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and
stood, and said to all the people, Ye [be] d righteous:
behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but
who slew all these?
(d) You cannot justly condemn me for the king's death,
seeing as you have done the same to his posterity: for
the Lord commanded me, and moved you to carry out his
judgment.
10:11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in
Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his
e priests, until he left him none remaining.
(e) Meaning, the idolatrous priests.
10:14 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; f neither left he any of them.
(f) Thus God's vengeance is on them who have any part or
familiarity with the wicked.
10:15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab
the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him: and he g 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.
(g) For he feared God, and lamented the wickedness of
those times: therefore Jehu was glad to join with him:
of Rechab read (Jer 35:2).
10:18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto
them, Ahab served h Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall
serve him much.
(h) Here Baal is taken for Ashtaroth the idol of the
Zidonians, who Jezebel caused to be worshipped, as it
is also so used in (1Ki 22:53).
10:23 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
i servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal
only.
(i) Thus God would have his servants preserved and
idolaters destroyed, as in his law he gives express
command, (De 13:5).
10:25 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 k city of the house of Baal.
(k) Which was near Samaria.
10:30 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 l children of the fourth
[generation] shall sit on the throne of Israel.
(l) Thus God approves and rewards his zeal, in executing
God's judgment, though his wickedness was later
punished.
