2 Kings 10:1-17--Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants

2 Kings 10:1-17
English Standard Version

Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants
10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3 select the best and fittest 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, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” 6 Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. 7 And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9 Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10 Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

12 Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.

15 And 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 true to my heart as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16 And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So he had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke to Elijah.

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We've seen the death of Ahab, Jezebel and several of Ahab's sons, but until this time we had no idea how many "sons" (this word could be "male descendants" and not strictly sons, though if he had many wives like Solomon did, this is quite possible to literally mean he had 70 sons).  All of Ahab's remaining sons were in Samaria (the capital city of Israel) and Jehu sent letters to those who were in charge of the city as well as those who were given charge of protecting and taking care of the royal family.

The letters instructed the protectors and rulers to choose the best and most fit among the children of Ahab to be the next king and to send him out in battle against Jehu with all their chariots and horsemen and foot soldiers that were loyal to them supporting them.  All of them were afraid because Jehu had already defeated the king of Israel and the king of Judah at the same time, so they knew even the strongest among them could not withstand him.

When Jehu arrived at the palace, the protectors and elders decided to see what would happen if they unconditionally surrendered to him.  Perhaps he would spare their lives if they made themselves his servants.  Jehu said that the only way that they could prove their loyalty to him would be to deliver the heads of Ahab's sons to him at that time the next day when they come out to meet him (either for surrender or for battle) at Jezreel.

It would take much effort on the part of the elders and protectors to assassinate 70 strong men, but that is exactly what they did as soon as they received Jehu's instructions (given in writing).  They killed all 70 of Ahab's sons and laid them in two heaps by the city gate until morning, and then they put the heads in baskets and sent them to Jezreel to Jehu as proof they were loyal to him and that they had completed the task they were given.

Then, and only then did Jehu give them a pardon saying that none of them would be held legally responsible for the penalty of murder or manslaughter under the Law for the death of these sons of Ahab, for what they did was in order to fulfill the word of the LORD who wished for judgment to fall on the house of Ahab and for all of his descendants who could inherit the throne to be cut off for the land of the living.  This was the prophecy that was spoken through the word of the LORD by Elijah the prophet.

There were still many who belonged to the house of Ahab that remained though (servants, friends, priests, government officials that were still loyal to him and his family).  Anyone who was loyal to Ahab had to die, and Jehu put all of them to death.  It was a time in Israel that everyone had to choose sides and answer "Who is on the LORD's side?" Those who chose instead to serve the Baals and other false gods and chose to live in darkness would be destroyed in an attempt to keep the "cancer" of sin from spreading to all of the LORD's people.

As Jehu was on his way back to Jezreel, he came across the relatives of king Ahaziah of Judah who were all on their way to visit the royal family and especially the queen mother, Jezebel.  Jehu ordered them to be taken alive and then he quickly killed them and threw them into the pit there Beth-eked of the Shepherds, forty-two person from the house of Ahaziah were killed that day.  It was quite a bloody time in Israel, but it was a time of cleansing.

There was still much work to be done to cleanse Samaria of the those loyal to Ahab so Jehu commissioned Jehonadab the son of Rechab to assist him in completing this task that the LORD had given to him.  They did not stop until all the house of Ahab was destroyed and there were no surviving relatives that could lay claim to the throne of Israel.  These were not the only targets that the LORD had given to Jehu though for the LORD also wanted Jehu to destroy all the prophets of Baal that still remained in Israel.  This is what we'll talk about next time.