‏ 2 Kings 10

Summary for 2Kgs 10:1-27: 10:1-27  ^a The writer focuses on two important events of Jehu’s reign: his murder of all who might claim Joram’s throne (10:1-17  ^b), and his execution of the priests of Baal (10:18-27  ^c). 10:1  ^d Ahab’s sons (the term can include grandsons) may have been with Joram at Jezreel temporarily while he was recovering from his wounds (8:29  ^e) but had fled to Samaria to escape Jehu’s purge.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:2-5: 10:2-5  ^f Jehu’s message pointing out the city’s military capacity to protect the surviving members of Ahab’s dynasty was actually a declaration of war, and the leaders of Samaria understood it as such. Jehu commanded the main armed forces of Israel, and at Jezreel he had already demonstrated his military power and ruthlessness. The leaders were paralyzed with fear and agreed to do anything Jehu instructed them to do.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:6-7: 10:6-7  ^g Decapitation of enemies was a common practice in the ancient Near East (6:31-32  ^h; 1 Sam 17:46  ⁱ, 51  ^j; cp. Matt 14:11  ^k).
Summary for 2Kgs 10:9-10: 10:9-10  ^l But who killed all these? Jehu claimed that the gruesome deaths were the Lord’s will that had been communicated through Elijah (1 Kgs 19:16-17  ^m; 21:21-24  ⁿ).
10:11  ^o Jehu also killed all of Ahab’s surviving relatives and associates without a single survivor, exceeding his divine commission and pursuing a selfish quest for power at any cost. The Lord condemned his excesses through the prophet Hosea (Hos 1:4  ^p).
Summary for 2Kgs 10:12-14: 10:12-14  ^q The precise location of Beth-eked is uncertain, but it was in the area of Jenin.

• The reply of Ahaziah’s relatives to Jehu sealed their fate. Jehu apparently reasoned that their relation to Ahaziah, hence loosely to the house of Ahab through his daughter Athaliah, could give them some claim on the throne of Israel. In this second round of executions, Jehu again exceeded his commission to terminate Ahab’s dynasty.
10:15  ^r Jeremiah portrays Jehonadab as head of a group of desert nomads who spent their lives in protest against the decadent religion of society (Jer 35  ^s). Recab was a Kenite (1 Chr 2:55  ^t). While the nomadic Kenites were concentrated in southern Judah, some lived in Galilee (Judg 4:17  ^u; 5:24  ^v). Their opposition to the apostasy of the royal house may have led them to welcome Jehu as a rescuer and reformer.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:18-27: 10:18-27  ^w By executing the priests of Baal, Jehu intended to wipe out religious worship associated with the house of Ahab, thereby destroying any sentimental attachment people had with the former dynasty.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:18-19: 10:18-19  ^x Jehu deceptively played to the populace, promising to continue and promote the worship of Baal.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:25-26: 10:25-26  ^y innermost fortress ... sacred pillar: Canaanite temples contained a recessed place in the wall that held an image of a sacred stone. The temple of Baal in Samaria contained a sacred altar to Baal and an Asherah pole that Jehu’s men destroyed. Josiah’s later purge of Baal worship in Judah similarly involved burning and demolishing the Asherah pole in the Temple in Jerusalem (23:6  ^z).
10:27  ^aa Turning the destroyed temple of Baal ... into a public toilet rendered it unclean, unfit for future religious ceremonies.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:28-29: 10:28-29  ^ab Despite extinguishing Baal worship from Israel, Jehu retained the worship of gold calves at Bethel and Dan, perpetuating the state religion instituted by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:28-30  ^ac). This would one day lead to the fall of the northern kingdom (2 Kgs 17:21-23  ^ad).
10:30  ^ae God fulfilled his promise of a royal line to the fourth generation; four generations of Jehu’s descendants reigned as kings of Israel (Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, and Zechariah).
Summary for 2Kgs 10:31-33: 10:31-33  ^af In response to Jehu’s unfaithfulness, the Lord began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory, one of the curses for spiritual infidelity to the covenant (Deut 28:25  ^ag).

• The Aramean king Hazael moved southward, conquering areas east of the Jordan River north of the border of Moab. The Arameans continued the pressure against Israel throughout the reign of Jehu and into the reign of his son Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 12:17-18  ^ah; 13:3  ^ai).

‏ 2 Kings 11

Summary for 2Kgs 11:1-16: 11:1-16  ^aj Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and the wife of King Jehoram of Judah (8:18  ^ak, 26  ^al). As queen mother, she wielded powerful influence. Unfortunately, it was for evil (8:18  ^am, 27  ^an; 2 Chr 22:3-4  ^ao) and included her plans to destroy the rest of the royal family (see 2 Chr 22:10  ^ap). The demise of Ahab’s family in Samaria was complete, but Athaliah seized power in Judah in a slaughter that mirrored Jehu’s slaughter of her family in Samaria.
11:2  ^aq Jehosheba was probably born to Jehoram by a wife other than Athaliah and was therefore Ahaziah’s half-sister (cp. Josephus, Antiquities 9.7.1).

• The infant Joash was born to Zibiah of Beersheba (2 Chr 24:1  ^ar), perhaps a lesser wife of Ahaziah. The baby’s birth might therefore have escaped Athaliah’s notice.
11:3  ^as Jehosheba’s concealment of Joash for six years was punishable by death if discovered. Athaliah ruled over the land from 841 to 835 BC.
11:4  ^at Jehoiada knew that what he was doing was treasonous (11:14  ^au), and he was not sure that he could trust the men he was enlisting as his co-conspirators, so he had them swear an oath of loyalty before he revealed to them the existence of the rightful heir to the throne of Judah. These men went out to the towns of Judah and brought the Levites and heads of families to the Temple in Jerusalem, where they made a covenant with Joash (2 Chr 23:3  ^av).

• The Carite mercenaries, from the Aegean, served as bodyguards for the king (2 Sam 20:23  ^aw).
Summary for 2Kgs 11:5-8: 11:5-8  ^ax Jehoiada divided the royal guard into distinctive units: some to guard the young king; others to take up posts at the palace, the Sur Gate (or Foundation Gate, 2 Chr 23:5  ^ay), and positions behind the palace guard; and still others to stand guard ... at the Lord’s Temple. All care was taken to secure the king and the site for his anointing.
Summary for 2Kgs 11:11-12: 11:11-12  ^az With all the palace guards in place and their weapons ready, ... Jehoiada brought out Joash before the populace and crowned him king. He also presented him a copy of God’s laws. The king was to receive a copy of the law and make a copy for himself and “read it daily as long as he lives” (Deut 17:18-19  ^ba). Jehoiada provides a strong contrast with Athaliah’s pagan reign.
Summary for 2Kgs 11:13-14: 11:13-14  ^bb The pillar may be one of the two pillars that Solomon erected at the Temple entrance (1 Kgs 7:15-22  ^bc; 2 Chr 23:13  ^bd), or the Hebrew term could mean a raised platform set in place for the occasion so that the new king could be seen by all.

• Athaliah’s cry of treason is ironic, considering her own treasonous murders to seize the throne (2 Kgs 11:1  ^be).
11:16  ^bf Athaliah’s death at the gate where horses enter the palace grounds is reminiscent of her mother Jezebel’s death under the hooves of Jehu’s horses (9:33  ^bg).
11:17  ^bh The renewal of the covenant was especially important after years of pagan rule. Covenant faithfulness accompanied by periodic renewal was mandated in the law (Deut 31:9-13  ^bi), and Israel observed it at junctures in its history (see 2 Kgs 23:1-3  ^bj; Josh 24  ^bk).
11:18  ^bl The temple of Baal may be the temple discovered in Ramat Rahel about three miles south of Jerusalem. As Jehu destroyed Baal worship in the northern kingdom (10:18-27  ^bm) so the people of Judah tore ... down this pagan temple and executed its priest.

• Jehoiada ... stationed guards at the Temple as a precaution against further reprisal by those loyal to Athaliah and her false religion.
Summary for 2Kgs 11:19-20: 11:19-20  ^bn The city was peaceful—a mark of the kingdom where God and his law are honored (Isa 35:10  ^bo; 65:18-24  ^bp; Jer 33:6-16  ^bq).
Summary for 2Kgs 11:21-12:21: 11:21–12:21  ^br The reign of Joash is recorded in standard format: accession (11:21–12:3  ^bs), royal activities (12:4-18  ^bt), and closing notice (12:19-21  ^bu). Particular focus is on Joash’s efforts to repair the Temple (12:4-16  ^bv) and his subsequent stripping of the Temple’s treasures in the face of an Aramean invasion (12:17-18  ^bw).

‏ 2 Kings 12

12:1  ^bx Joash reigned from 835 to 796 BC.
Summary for 2Kgs 12:2-3: 12:2-3  ^by Joash’s indebtedness to Jehoiada, the priest who instructed him, kept him faithful to the Lord while Jehoiada was alive. However, after Jehoiada’s death, godless leaders influenced Joash to forsake the Lord and follow Canaanite practices (see 2 Chr 24:17-22  ^bz).

• Joash’s failure to destroy the pagan shrines later became a source of spiritual compromise. Royal tolerance of such shrines in Judah had previously provoked God’s anger (1 Kgs 14:23-26  ^ca) and would do so again in Joash’s day (2 Chr 24:23-24  ^cb).
Summary for 2Kgs 12:4-8: 12:4-8  ^cc Joash ordered the collection of funds from the cities of Judah (2 Chr 24:5  ^cd) for repairs ... needed at the Temple. Such money would come from special Levitical levies, a census tax (2 Chr 24:9  ^ce), and voluntary offerings. After some time, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. So Joash took personal control of the project and put others in charge of the repairs (see also study note on 2 Chr 24:4-8).
Summary for 2Kgs 12:9-11: 12:9-11  ^cf Joash’s solution for securing and distributing the money for Temple repairs included placing a large chest at an accessible place to receive the people’s contributions. When Joash informed the people of the need for a tax and voluntary offerings to complete the repairs, they “gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it” (2 Chr 24:9-10  ^cg). With sufficient funds on hand, the money was given to the construction supervisors and the repair and restoration of the Temple began.
12:17  ^ch Hazael, a perennial oppressor of God’s people (8:28  ^ci; 9:14-15  ^cj; 10:32-33  ^ck; 13:3  ^cl), had assassinated the Aramean king Ben-hadad II and seized the throne (8:15  ^cm). Hazael’s campaign against Israel and Judah probably came after the death of the Assyrian king Shamshi-adad V in 811 BC and before Adad-nirari III (810–783 BC) launched a series of campaigns in 805 BC, leading to the capture of Damascus in 802 BC. Free of Assyria’s heavy hand, Hazael could launch a campaign southward.

• Whether Gath is the well-known city of the Philistines (1 Sam 5:8  ^cn; 6:17  ^co) or a Hebrew city otherwise known as Gittaim (2 Sam 4:3  ^cp; Neh 11:33  ^cq) is disputed.
12:18  ^cr Sacred objects ... gold: Such treasures had been contributed to the Temple earlier by Solomon and Asa (1 Kgs 7:51  ^cs; 15:15  ^ct).

• Hazael had already begun the attack against Jerusalem, and Joash was wounded during the battle (2 Chr 24:25  ^cu). Paying tribute to Hazael may have prevented further destruction in the city.
Summary for 2Kgs 12:20-21: 12:20-21  ^cv The assassination of the king in 796 BC by some of his own officers was in reprisal for the murder of Jehoiada’s son Zechariah (2 Chr 24:21-22  ^cw, 25  ^cx). 12:20  ^cy Beth-millo: This district lay on a ridge of the eastern hill of Jerusalem in an area known as the City of David, where Solomon installed a series of supporting terraces (1 Kgs 9:15  ^cz).

• The road to Silla is otherwise unknown.

‏ 2 Kings 13

Summary for 2Kgs 13:1-2: 13:1-2  ^da Jehoahaz (814–798 BC) began his reign in Israel in the year that King Joash of Judah assumed direction of repairs on the Temple (12:6  ^db). Because Jehoahaz perpetuated the state religion instituted by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:26-33  ^dc), his spiritual evaluation was negative.
13:3  ^dd Hazael, who had seized the throne of Aram in Damascus by assassinating his predecessor Ben-hadad II (8:15  ^de), continued the oppression of the northern kingdom.

• Ben-hadad apparently served as a commander in Hazael’s forces until he succeeded his father as king in 802 BC.
Summary for 2Kgs 13:4-5: 13:4-5  ^df Jehoahaz prayed ... the Lord heard: Despite Jehoahaz’s poor spiritual condition, God graciously answered his prayer. The Lord graciously answers the earnest prayers of his people (see also 4:32-35  ^dg; 6:17-20  ^dh; 19:14-28  ^di; 20:2-6  ^dj; 1 Kgs 3:8-14  ^dk; 13:4-6  ^dl; 17:21-23  ^dm; 18:36-39  ^dn; Ps 34:4-7  ^do; Jas 5:16  ^dp).

• provided someone to rescue the Israelites (cp. Judg 3:9  ^dq, 15  ^dr): Scholars have suggested many possibilities for Israel’s rescuer, the most likely being King Adad-nirari III of Assyria, whose westward thrusts brought about the capture of Damascus in 802 BC.
13:6  ^ds Despite God’s rescue, Israel continued to sin, eventually resulting in the fall of the northern kingdom (17:21-23  ^dt; 1 Kgs 14:15-16  ^du).

• This Asherah pole (a Canaanite fertility symbol erected by Ahab, 1 Kgs 16:33  ^dv) had apparently been spared in Jehu’s purge of Baal worship (2 Kgs 10:26-29  ^dw).
13:7  ^dx Years of Aramean oppression severely reduced Israel’s army. Only God could save Israel from complete destruction (13:4-5  ^dy). Ultimately, only God can rescue a helpless and lost humanity (Ps 35:10  ^dz; Rom 5:6-8  ^ea).
Summary for 2Kgs 13:10-13: 13:10-13  ^eb The narrator atypically combines the accession statement for Jehoash with the usual closing notice concerning his reign. This arrangement allows him to focus attention on some final details about Elisha (13:14-21  ^ec) and Israel’s continuing problem with Aram (13:22-25  ^ed) before returning to Jehoash’s war with King Amaziah of Judah in 14:8-14  ^ee.

• The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel: See study note on 1 Kgs 14:19-20.
13:14  ^ef Jehoash wept over Elisha, showing that a faint glow of spiritual consciousness still existed in him.

• the chariots and charioteers of Israel: Jehoash’s tribute to Elisha is reminiscent of Elisha’s words at Elijah’s departure (2:12  ^eg).
Summary for 2Kgs 13:15-17: 13:15-17  ^eh Elisha laid his own hands on the king’s hands: This act conveyed spiritual empowerment for the upcoming battle with the Arameans at Aphek.

• Aphek was situated east of the Sea of Galilee (1 Kgs 20:26  ^ei), thus the eastern window faced the place where the battle would take place.
Summary for 2Kgs 13:18-19: 13:18-19  ^ej Jehoash failed to act on his knowledge that the arrows signified victory over Aram (13:17  ^ek). By striking the ground only three times, he unwittingly limited his own success against the Arameans; final victory came only later in the days of his son Jeroboam II (14:25-28  ^el).
Summary for 2Kgs 13:20-21: 13:20-21  ^em Elisha’s death provides an opportunity to relate one final story about the prophet.

• The Moabite raiders apparently timed their incursions into Israel to coincide with the early harvest and to precede the summer’s heat.

• The dead man revived as his body touched Elisha’s bones, a sign that Elisha’s prophecy would come true. Weakened Israel (13:7  ^en) would revive and repel the Aramean invaders (13:25  ^eo; 14:25  ^ep; cp. Ezek 37:1-14  ^eq).
13:23  ^er Despite Israel’s continued infidelity, God remained faithful to his covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3  ^es; 13:15-17  ^et; 15:18-20  ^eu; 17:6-8  ^ev). By listing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the writer emphasizes Israel’s spiritual identity with the Lord and its possession of the land of promise (see Gen 50:24  ^ew; Exod 3:6  ^ex, 15-16  ^ey; 6:3  ^ez, 6-8  ^fa; Deut 6:10  ^fb; 9:5  ^fc; 34:4  ^fd).
Summary for 2Kgs 13:24-25: 13:24-25  ^fe Ben-hadad son of Hazael came to the throne of Aram in Damascus in 802 BC, reigning twenty-two years in a declining kingdom.

• Adad-nirari III of Assyria inflicted heavy losses against the Arameans (805–802 BC), allowing King Jehoash of Israel to further decimate this enemy. Fulfilling Elisha’s prophecy, Israel defeated Ben-hadad on three occasions and so recovered the Israelite towns. Jehoash’s limited success provided a springboard for Jeroboam II’s full-scale victories over the Arameans (14:25  ^ff).

‏ 2 Kings 14

Summary for 2Kgs 14:1-2: 14:1-2  ^fg The twenty-nine years of Amaziah’s reign (796–767 BC) included a long co-regency with his son Uzziah (from 792 BC).
Summary for 2Kgs 14:3-4: 14:3-4  ^fh While Amaziah’s basic spiritual evaluation was satisfactory, he did not serve the Lord wholeheartedly as his ancestor David had (2 Chr 25:2  ^fi). David continued to be the spiritual standard for evaluating the kings of Judah (2 Kgs 16:2  ^fj; 18:3  ^fk; 1 Kgs 15:5  ^fl, 11  ^fm). Tolerance for long-established pagan shrines remained a stumbling block for Judah (2 Kgs 12:3  ^fn; 1 Kgs 14:23  ^fo; 15:14  ^fp; 22:43  ^fq).
Summary for 2Kgs 14:5-6: 14:5-6  ^fr When Amaziah ... executed his father’s assassins, he followed the standards of the law concerning “Parents ... crimes” (Deut 24:16  ^fs; see also 2 Chr 25:4  ^ft) and did not put their children to death.
14:7  ^fu 10,000 Edomites: Amaziah’s victory, mentioned only briefly here, is discussed in detail in 2 Chr 25:5-15  ^fv. Despite granting Amaziah this victory, God chastised him both for hiring Israelite mercenaries and for carrying home Edomite gods and worshiping them.

• The Valley of Salt was about three miles south of the Dead Sea.

• Sela is traditionally identified as a site in the rocks and cliffs near Petra in modern Jordan. The capture of this highly defensible location demonstrated that Amaziah’s victory was God-given.
14:8  ^fw Amaziah’s challenge to Israel’s King Jehoash may have been provoked by thoughts of revenge (see 2 Chr 25:13  ^fx). Perhaps Amaziah had also become overly confident and proud because of his recent victory over Edom.
Summary for 2Kgs 14:9-10: 14:9-10  ^fy Jehoash’s reply came as a parable (see Judg 9:7-15  ^fz). In essence, Amaziah had as much of a chance of defeating Israel in war as a thistle trying to make demands against a mighty cedar tree. Amaziah and Judah would be defeated as easily as a random step would crush the proud thistle.
Summary for 2Kgs 14:11-12: 14:11-12  ^ga Beth-shemesh, a fortress town fifteen miles west of Jerusalem, was a natural place for the battle between Israel and Judah. The city history stretched back to when Judah occupied it after the Danites migrated northward (Josh 21:16  ^gb; see also 1 Sam 6:1-14  ^gc; 2 Chr 28:18  ^gd).
Summary for 2Kgs 14:13-14: 14:13-14  ^ge The extensive demolition of Jerusalem’s wall and the thorough looting of the city testify to Jehoash’s overwhelming victory. Carrying off Temple and palace treasures and taking hostages are often noted in the annals of victorious Assyrian kings. See also 12:17-18  ^gf; 18:13-15  ^gg; 24:13-14  ^gh; 25:8-21  ^gi; 1 Kgs 14:25-26  ^gj.
Summary for 2Kgs 14:17-18: 14:17-18  ^gk Some suggest that Jehoash took Amaziah back to Samaria where he remained captive until Jehoash’s death. Subsequently released, Amaziah ruled jointly with his son Uzziah for fifteen years.

• The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah: See study note on 1 Kgs 14:29-31.
Summary for 2Kgs 14:19-20: 14:19-20  ^gl Like his father Joash (12:20-21  ^gm), Amaziah was killed by assassins. The Chronicler blames his spiritual infidelity for the conspiracy against him (2 Chr 25:27  ^gn).

• Lachish, southwest of Jerusalem, was the site of an important victory by King Sennacherib of Assyria during his invasion of Judah in 701 BC (2 Kgs 18:14  ^go). It was also seized during Nebuchadnezzar II’s advance against Jerusalem in 588 BC (Jer 34:7  ^gp).
14:21  ^gq The fifty-two year reign of Uzziah ended in 740 BC; he was sixteen years old when he became co-regent with his father in 792 BC. Apparently both Jehoash and Amaziah made their sons co-regents before going to war, in order to assure a smooth succession of government.
14:22  ^gr Elath, built by Solomon (2 Chr 8:17  ^gs) on the Gulf of Aqaba, provided an important commercial gateway to the Red Sea.
14:23  ^gt The fifteenth year of King Amaziah’s reign in Judah marks the beginning of Jeroboam II’s independent reign (782 BC). His reign of forty-one years includes the earlier co-regency with his father (793–782 BC).
14:24  ^gu Jeroboam II perpetuated the apostate religion instituted by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:28-33  ^gv) that led to Israel’s demise (2 Kgs 17:21-23  ^gw; 1 Kgs 14:16  ^gx).
14:25  ^gy Israel and Judah apparently lived in harmony at this time so that both kingdoms prospered and recovered nearly all the territory that Solomon had held (see 2 Chr 26:6-15  ^gz).

• Lebo-hamath, known from Egyptian and Assyrian inscriptions, lay some forty-five miles north of Damascus in the Beqa‘ Valley. The extent of Jeroboam’s conquests testifies to the northern kingdom’s military power. Israel’s victories against the Arameans were possible because Aram had been weakened by earlier conquests of Adad-nirari III of Assyria.

• Jonah is the famous prophet who pronounced the doom of Nineveh but was disappointed when God spared its repentant people (Jon 3:3–4:3  ^ha).
Summary for 2Kgs 14:26-28: 14:26-28  ^hb The Lord ... used Jeroboam II: God saw his people’s helplessness and remained faithful to the covenant established with Israel’s patriarchs (13:23  ^hc).

• everything he did: The narrator hints at the extent of Jeroboam’s God-given power and prosperity. The Samaria ostraca also indicate the prosperity of the era. The prophecies of Hosea and Amos show that despite the prosperity during Jeroboam’s reign, the Israelites refused to turn to the Lord.

‏ 2 Kings 15:1-12

Summary for 2Kgs 15:1-3: 15:1-3  ^hd The name Uzziah means Yahweh is my strength.

• fifty-two years: The length of Uzziah’s reign (792–740 BC) reflects changed conditions in the early 700s BC. Assyria was in decline and relations between Israel and Judah were cordial. Uzziah’s spiritual convictions earned God’s blessing so that Judah enjoyed its greatest prosperity since the days of Solomon (2 Chr 26:9-10  ^he).
15:4  ^hf In spite of his good spiritual evaluation, Uzziah continued to allow worship at the pagan shrines (14:4  ^hg).
15:5  ^hh Because Uzziah usurped the prerogatives of the priesthood (2 Chr 26:16-21  ^hi), the Lord struck the king with leprosy. His son Jotham became co-regent (about 750 BC). While Uzziah’s isolation kept him from public duties, he may have continued to exercise political power. King Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (744–727 BC), in connection with his first western campaign (744–743 BC), mentioned an opponent named Azariau whom many scholars understand as Uzziah.
Summary for 2Kgs 15:8-12: 15:8-12  ^hj Jeroboam II’s son Zechariah was far less capable than his father. Zechariah perpetuated the sins that Jeroboam [I] ... led Israel to commit. God had promised Jehu a royal line to the fourth generation (10:30  ^hk); Zechariah’s six-month reign fulfilled that promise.