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.
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.
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.

1And Ahab had seuentie sonnes in Samaria: and Iehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria vnto the rulers of Iezreel, to the Elders, and to them that brought vp Ahabs children, saying,

2Now assoone as this letter commeth to you, seeing your masters sons are with you, and there are with you charets and horses, a fenced citie also, and armour:

3Looke euen out the best and meetest of your masters sonnes, and set him on his fathers throne, and fight for your masters house.

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

5And he that was ouer the house, and he that was ouer the citie, the elders also, and the bringers vp of the children, sent to Iehu, saying, Wee are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs, we will not make any king: doe thou that which is good in thine eyes.

6Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If yee be mine, and if ye will hearken vnto my voyce, take ye the heads of the men your masters sonnes, and come to me to Iezreel by to morow this time: (now the kings sonnes being seuenty persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them vp.)

7And it came to passe when the letter came to them, that they tooke the kings sonnes, and slewe seuentie persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Iezreel.

8 And there came a messenger, and tolde him, saying, They haue brought the heads of the kings sonnes. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entring in of the gate, vntill the morning.

9And it came to passe in the morning, that he went out, & stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: But who slew all these?

10Know now, that there shall fall vnto the earth nothing of the worde of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his seruant Elijah.

11So Iehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab, in Iezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsefolkes, and his priests, vntill he left him none remaining.

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

13Iehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Iudah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, Wee are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go downe to salute the children of the King, and the children of the Queene.

14And hee said, Take them aliue. And they tooke them aliue, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, euen two and fourty men; neither left he any of them.

15 And when hee was departed thence, he lighted on Iehonadab the sonne of Rechab, comming to meet him: and he saluted him, & said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Iehonadab answered, It is: If it be, giue mee thine hand. And hee gaue him his hand, and hee tooke him vp to him into the charet.

16And he said, Come with me, and see my zeale for the Lord: so they made him ride in his charet.

17And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained vnto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the Lord, which he spake to Eliiah.

18 And Iehu gathered all the people together, and said vnto them, Ahab serued Baal a litle, but Iehu shall serue him much.

19Now therefore, call vnto me all the prophets of Baal, all his seruants, and all his priests, let none be wanting: for I haue a great sacrifice to doe to Baal; whosoeuer shall be wanting, he shall not liue. But Iehu did it in subtilitie, to the intent that hee might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

20And Iehu said, Proclaime a solemne assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

21And Iehu 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.

22And he said vnto him that was ouer the vestrie, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

23And Iehu went, and Iehonadab the sonne of Rechab into the house of Baal, and said vnto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and looke that there be here with you none of the seruants of the Lord, but the worshippers of Baal onely.

24And when they went in to offer sacrifices, and burnt offerings, Iehu appointed fourescore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I haue brought into your hands, escape, hee that letteth him goe, his life shall be for the life of him.

25And it came to passe assoone as hee had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Iehu saide to the guard, and to the captaines, Goe in, and slay them, let none come foorth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the guard, and the captaines cast them out, and went to the citie of the house of Baal.

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

27And they brake downe the image of Baal, and brake downe the house of Baal, and made it a draughthouse, vnto this day.

28Thus Iehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29 Howbeit, from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, who made Israel to sinne, Iehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calues that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

30And the Lord said vnto Iehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done vnto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation, shal sit on the throne of Israel.

31But Iehu tooke no heede to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel, with all his heart: for he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam, which made Israel to sinne.

32 In those dayes the Lord began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel:

33From Iordan Eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, (which is by the riuer Arnon) euen Gilead and Bashan.

34Now the rest of the acts of Iehu, and all that he did, & all his might, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35And Iehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Iehoahaz his sonne reigned in his stead.

36And the time that Iehu reigned ouer Israel in Samaria, was twentie and eight yeeres.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VII == 1st Kings 21:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == 2nd Kings 9:14 , 24

 

 

 

X == 1st Sam 3:19 ; 1st Kings 21:19 , 21 , 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == 2nd Kings 8:29 ; 2nd Chr 22:8

 

 

 

 

 

XV == 1st Chr 2:55 ; Ezra 10:19 ; Jer 35:6

 

 

 

 

 

XVI == 1st Kings 19:10

 

XVII == 1st KIngs 21:21 ; 2nd Kings 9:8 ; 2nd Chr 22:8

 

XVIII == 1st KIngs 16:31-32

 

XIX == 1st KIngs 22:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == 1st Kings 16:32

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIV == 1st KIngs 20:39

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVI == 1st Kings 14:23

XXVII == Ezra 6:11 ; Dan 2:5 ; 3:29

 

 

XXIX == 1st Kings 12:28-29

 

 

XXX == 2nd Kings 10:35 ; 13:1 , 10 ; 14:23 ; 15:8 , 12

 

 

 

XXXI == 1st Kings 14:16

 

XXXII == 2nd Kings 8:12

 

XXX III == Amos 1:3

 

1 Ahab had seventy descendants in Samaria. Jehu prepared letters and sent them to the city rulers, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab's descendants in Samaria.

2 "Since your master's sons are with you," he wrote, "and you have the chariots, the horses, a fortified city, and the weapons, when this letter reaches you

3 decide which is the best and the fittest of your master's offspring, place him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

4 They were overcome with fright and said, "If two kings could not withstand him, how can we?"

5 So the vizier and the ruler of the city, along with the elders and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants, and we will do everything you tell us. We will proclaim no one king; do whatever you think best."

6 So Jehu wrote them a second letter: "If you are on my side and will obey me, count the heads of your master's sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow." (The seventy princes were in the care of prominent men of the city, who were rearing them.)

7 When the letter arrived, they took the princes and slew all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

8 "They have brought the heads of the princes," a messenger came in and told him. "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city until morning," he ordered.

9 Going out in the morning, he stopped and said to all the people: "You are not responsible, and although I conspired against my lord and slew him, yet who killed all these?

10 Know that not a single word which the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab shall go unfulfilled. The LORD has accomplished all that he foretold through his servant Elijah."

11 Thereupon Jehu slew all who were left of the family of Ahab in Jezreel, as well as all his powerful supporters, intimates, and priests, leaving him no survivor.

12 Then he set out for Samaria, and at Beth-eked-haroim on the way,

13 he came across kinsmen of Ahaziah, king of Judah. "Who are you?" he asked. "We are kinsmen of Ahaziah," they replied. "We are going down to visit the princes and the family of the queen mother."

14 "Take them alive," Jehu ordered. They were taken alive, forty-two in number, then slain at the pit of Beth-eked. Not one of them was spared.

15 When he had left there, Jehu met Jehonadab, son of Rechab, on the road. He greeted him and asked, "Are you sincerely disposed toward me, as I am toward you?" "Yes," replied Jehonadab. "If you are," continued Jehu, "give me your hand." Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu drew him up into his chariot.

16 "Come with me," he said, "and see my zeal for the LORD." And he took him along in his own chariot.

17 When he arrived in Samaria, Jehu slew all who remained there of Ahab's line, doing away with them completely and thus fulfilling the prophecy which the LORD had spoken to Elijah.

18 Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them: "Ahab served Baal to some extent, but Jehu will serve him yet more.

19 Now summon for me all Baal's prophets, all his worshipers, and all his priests. See that no one is absent, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is absent shall not live." This Jehu did as a ruse, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

20 Jehu said further, "Proclaim a solemn assembly in honor of Baal." They did so,

21 and Jehu sent word of it throughout the land of Israel. All the worshipers of Baal without exception came into the temple of Baal, which was filled to capacity.

22 Then Jehu said to the custodian of the wardrobe, "Bring out the garments for all the worshipers of Baal." When he had brought out the garments for them,

23 Jehu, with Jehonadab, son of Rechab, entered the temple of Baal and said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search and be sure that there is no worshiper of the LORD here with you, but only worshipers of Baal."

24 Then they proceeded to offer sacrifices and holocausts. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside with this warning, "If one of you lets anyone escape of those whom I shall deliver into your hands, he shall pay life for life."

25 As soon as he finished offering the holocaust, Jehu said to the guards and officers, "Go in and slay them. Let no one escape." So the guards and officers put them to the sword and cast them out. Afterward they went into the inner shrine of the temple of Baal,

26 took out the stele of Baal, and burned the shrine.

27 Then they smashed the stele of Baal, tore down the building, and turned it into a latrine, as it remains today.

28 Thus Jehu rooted out the worship of Baal from Israel.

29 However, he did not desist from the sins which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit, as regards the golden calves at Bethel and at Dan.

30 The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well what I deem right, and have treated the house of Ahab as I desire, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel."

31 But Jehu was not careful to observe wholeheartedly the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, since he did not desist from the sins which Jeroboam caused Israel to commit.

32 At that time the LORD began to dismember Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory

33 east of the Jordan (all the land of Gilead, of the Gadites, Reubenites and Manassehites), from Aroer on the river Arnon up through Gilead and Bashan.

34 The rest of the acts of Jehu, his valor and all his accomplishments, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

35 Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.

36 The length of Jehu's reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

v 1-7. Jehu needed uncontested rule, so he sent letters to all places and people who had any thing to do with the care of Ahab’s descendants, to select one of the most suitable of them to fight for the kingdom. They did have military provisions for doing so, but they knew of his military supremacy and submitted themselves to him. Jehu sent second letters telling those people to prove their submission by bringing the heads of Ahab’s descendants to him by the next day. They quickly beheaded the seventy of Ahab’s descendants and brought them to Jezreel in baskets.

V 8-11. Jehu had them laid in two heaps by the city gate, a custom sometimes followed to show the establishment of a kingdom over the enemies. Jehu  readily admitted killing the king, but implied it was the idea of others to kill the seventy. This slaughter was in fulfillment of Elisha’s words, but now Jehu proceeded to kill innocent people of Ahab’s leaders and friends, who could have been a help to him later on.

v 12-14. These things had happened so fast that the 42 princes of Judah had not heard what was going on, and were proceeding to visit the relatives of Ahaziah in Jezreel. Since they were of the families of Ahab, Jehu executed them all, without any question as to whether they were blood relatives.

v 15--17. Jehonadab, Jonadab of Jer. 35:6.7, was faithful to the Lord and was coming to announce his support of Jehu. Jehu required him to ride in the chariot with him and watch the annihilation of all Ahab’s remaining descendants in Samaria.

v 18-28. Jehu faked allegiance to Baal and called all the prophets of Baal from all over Israel to a great Baal sacrifice. He ordered special vestments be given to them so they could be readily identified. Then he and Jehonadab, who was still with him, told the Baal worshipers to make certain there was no one present who did not  worship Baal. Jehu set 80 officers outside to wait while he made pretense of offering to Baal. When he came out he sent them in with orders to kill every Baal worshiper. They would pay for any who escaped with their own lives. After exterminating them all, the officers went to the house of Baal, broke down the house and the images in it and made it a latrine. Baal was effectively destroyed out of Israel, completing what Elijah had begun and was discouraged at presumed failure, 1 Ki. 19:14.

v 29-31. Jehu had fulfilled God’s plan in the destruction of the Ahab family, and for that, God permitted him a four generation dynasty. Jehoahaz, Jehoash (Joash), Jeroboam 2, and Zechariah. However he did not follow the Lord, but continued the worship of idols begun by Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel.

v 32,33. Jehu’s disobedience withdrew God’s blessing and he began to have territorial losses. Shalmanezer III of Assyria made Jehu bow and pay tribute. A relief of him bowing before him exists on Shalmanezer’s “Black Obelisk”, the only picture of an Israelite king to be found so far. Hazael reclaimed all territory east and some west of the Jordan, and he no longer had treaties with Judah and Phoenicia.

v 34-36. This is a quick summary of the reign and death of Jehu.