Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Verſ. 1. ANd Ahab had ſeventy ſonnes in Samaria.] That is, ſonnes and grandchildren, and that by ſeverall wives: neither is it any wonder that theſe ſhould be now altogether in Samaria, if we conſider, firſt, that theſe princes of the bloud might be by Jorams appointment aſſigned to ſtay there, when he undertook that late expedition againſt Hazael for the recovery of Ramoth Gilead, that if any thing ſhould happen to him otherwiſe then well, yet they might be in a place of ſafety; and ſecondly, that perhaps now upon the tidings of Jehues killing of Joram, the nobles that had the charge of theſe princes, might preſently fly with them thither for their better ſafeguard.
Verſ. 6. Then he wrote a letter the ſecond time to them, ſaying, If ye be mine, &c.] And thus Jezebel that by a letter ſent to the Elders of Jezreel, ſhed the bloud of Naboth and his ſonnes, hath the bloud of all her ſonnes ſhed by a letter, ſent from Jezreel to the Elders of Samaria.
Verſ. 8. And he ſaid, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entring in of the gate, untill the morning.] To wit, that the people going out, and coming in the next morning at the gate of the citie, might be eye-witneſſes of the juſt judgement of God upon the houſe of Ahab; and that the people flocking together to ſee this ruefull ſpectacle, he might find them there, and ſo might take that occaſion to juſtifie himſelf amongſt them concerning all that he had done.
Verſ. 9. Ye be righteous, Behold, I conspired againſt my maſter, and ſlew him, but who ſlew all theſe? &c.] This ſpeech of Jehues is diverſly expounded by Interpreters: ſome conceive they were ſpoken to the people that were aſſembled together to gaze on the heads of Ahabs ſeventy ſonnes, that were laid on two heaps at the gate of Jezreel; and that he began with thoſe words, Ye be righteous: either hereby to ſhew why he was willing to appeal to their judgement for that which he had done; as if he had ſaid, you are ſurely innocent, and have had no hand in any thing that hath been done againſt the houſe of Ahab; and therefore I deſire to appeal to you, whether it be not manifeſt, by this ſtrange act done to the ſonnes of Ahab, that God meant to have his vengeance executed upon this curſed family; or elſe, to aſſure them that he meant no evil to them; Ye be righteous, that is, I pronounce you innocent, think not that I intend any harm to you; and ſo he firſt quits the people from fear, and then afterwards ſeeks to clear himſelf in the following words, in that which he had done, by ſhewing that he had onelyonly executed what God had determined ſhould be done, as he proves was manifeſt, by the death of thoſe ſeventy perſons that could never thus have loſt their lives, if there had not been a ſecret hand of God, furthering herein the accompliſhment of that which he had long ſince threatned by the Prophet Elijah; Behold, I conspired againſt my maſter, & ſlew him, but who ſlew all theſe? But then again others conceive, that theſe words were ſpoken to thoſe that had cut off theſe heads of Ahabs ſonnes; or to them joyntly together with the reſt of the people, and that ironically, Ye be righteous; as if he ſhould have ſaid, you take your ſelves to be righteous, and would lay all the blame of that which is done upon me; but this fact of yours hath now made us equally ſharers in this buſineſſe; Behold, I conſpired againſt my maſter, and ſlew him, but who ſlew all theſe? that is, ſuppoſe that I ſhould be charged for conſpiring againſt, and killing my maſter, yet theſe heads I am ſure you cut off, and not I; yea indeed, neither you nor I have done any thing herein, but what God would have done; it was not my letter that could have wonne you ſo readily to perform ſuch an act as this, ſeeing many wayes you might have ſecured both your ſelves and them; but that there was a ſpeciall hand of God in it, who would have that fulfilled which he had threatned by Elijah; which is more fully expreſſed in the following verſe; Know now that there ſhall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, for the Lord hath done that which he ſpake by his ſervant Elijah.
Verſ. 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.] That is, his houſhold-prieſts, neither is it any wonder that this cauſed not the prieſts of Baal to ſuſpect him, when afterwards he called them altogether to Samaria: becauſe the ſpeciall reference which theſe had to the family of Ahab, might be thought the onelyonly cauſe of his cutting them off, that they might not in time to come plot any thing by way of revenge againſt him.
Verſ. 13. Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, &c.] That is, the ſonnes of his brethren, 2. Chron. 22.8. (for all his brethren, the ſonnes of his father Jehoram, were either ſlain, or carried away by the Philiſtines and Arabians that had lately broken into Judah, 2. Chron. 22.1.) and theſe he ſlew too, leſt they ſhould hereafter revenge the death of Ahaziah, or lay any claim to the crown of Iſrael.
Verſ. 14. And he ſaid, Take them alive.] That is, Jehu commanded his ſervants to take theſe brethren of Ahaziah alive, both that he might be ſure that none but thoſe of the ſtock of Ahab were ſlain; and withall, that they might be made to know why they were put to death; namely, becauſe they were of the curſed ſtock of Ahab.
Verſ. 15. He lighted on Jehonadab the ſonne of Rechab, &c.] This man was a Kenite of the ſtock of Jethro, 1. Chron. 2.55. the ſame that either now or afterward impoſed upon his ſonnes an auſtere rule of civilitie, Jer. 35.6. that they ſhould drink no wine, nor build houſes, nor ſow ſeed, nor plant vineyards, nor have any; but ſhould all their dayes dwell in tents, and that (as is moſt probable) the better to preſerve them from being corrupted with the growing luxury of thoſe times, and to inure them beforehand to hardneſſe, that they might be the better able to bear the miſery which he foreſaw the ſinnes of the people would bring upon them: It ſeems he was a man of great note, eſpecially for his piety in theſe times, and therefore Jehu the rather deſired to be countenanced by him, and to have his approbation of his zealous proceedings: whence it was that he took him into his chariot, and carried him to Samaria; onelyonly, firſt he queſtioned him whether he did from his heart approve of his proceedings or no, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? that is▪ Is thy heart faithfull towards me, as mine is towards thee?
Verſ. 19. But Jehu did it in ſubtilty, to the intent that he might deſtroy the worſhippers of Baal.] When Jehu had ſlain Ahab and all his poſterity, who had alwayes been the great promoter and ſupporter of the Baalites, it is likely that in all places they began to ſhift for themſelves, and to hide their heads, as fearing what he would do to them: becauſe therefore it would have been then hard to have any way ſurprized them ſeverally, and becauſe withall the taking of any open way of violence againſt them, might have cauſed ſome ſedition in the kingdome, he thought it the wiſeſt way, thus to catch them in a ſnare altogether, by pretending for Baal, and proclaiming a ſolemn aſſembly for his ſervice; but how farre this blemiſhed his zeal againſt that horrible idolatry, we may judge by that rule of the Apoſtle, that we may not do evil that good may come of it; Rom. 3.8.
Verſ. 23. Search, and look that there be here with you none of the ſervants of the Lord.] This Jehu ſpake, as pretending, no doubt, that he would not have the worſhip of Baal prophaned by the preſence of any that were not cordiall to his ſervice, but withall intending to ſave them from the ſword, (what ever they might deſerve) if curioſity perchance ſhould have drawn any of them thither.
Verſ. 25. And it came to paſſe aſſoon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, &c.] That is, aſſoon as the chief prieſt of Baal had made an end of their ſacrifice, which they had undertaken by Jehues encouragement; ſo long it ſeems Jehu deferred the execution, that if they were not all yet come thither, he might be the ſurer to have them all there, ere the ſouldiers were let in upon them.
And went to the city of the houſe of Baal.] Many Expoſitours take this indefinitely; to wit, that the guard and the captains went into every city where there was any temple dedicated to Baal, and beat down the temples, and deſtroyed the images, whence they ſay, that is added verſ. 28. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Iſrael: But me thinks the words ſeem here rather to imply their going firſt to ſome citie near Samaria, which was particularly dedicated to Baal, where was Baals chief temple; of which I conceive that is ſpoken verſ. 27. that they brake down the houſe of Baal, and made it a draught-houſe unto this day; for it is not probable, that every houſe of Baal thoroughout the kingdome, was turned into a jakes, but onelyonly his chiefe temple, thereby to expreſſe their deteſtation of that idolatry, wherewith the kingdome of Iſrael had been defiled.
Verſ. 30. And the Lord ſaid unto Jehu, &c.] To wit, by ſome prophet that he ſent unto him, perhaps Eliſha or the young prophet that was ſent to anoint him: though Jehu continued in the idolatry of Jeroboam, yet becauſe the ſuppreſſing of the idol-worſhip of Baal, and the rooting out of Ahabs poſterity, was in it ſelf a good ſervice, God promiſed here that kingdome to his heirs unto the fourth generation; which was accompliſhed in the mediate ſucceſſion of Jehoahaz, and Jehoaſh▪ and Jeroboam, and Zachariah, chap. 13.1. and chap. 14.16. and verſ. 29.
Verſ. 32. In thoſe dayes the Lord began to cut Iſrael ſhort, &c.] That is, to abate their power, and to make ſore havock amongſt the people; for ſo this is explained in the next words, And Hazael ſmote them in all the coasts of Iſrael: and then no doubt did he exerciſe thoſe inhumane cruelties upon the Iſraelites, of which Eliſha had foretold him, chap. 8.12. I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Iſrael, their ſtrong holds wilt thou ſet on fire, and their young men wilt thou ſlay with the ſword, and wilt daſh their children, and rip up their women with child.
Verſ. 36. And the time that Jehu reigned over Iſrael in Samaria, was twenty and eight years.] Whereof ſix years Athaliah reigned in Judah, and Jehoaſh the ſonne of Ahaziah the remaining two and twenty yeares.