2Ki 9-10 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Kgs 9:1-37: 9:1-37 The writer recaps Jehu’s coup that instituted the fourth dynasty in Israel in four phases: (1) Elisha sent a member of the prophetic band to the army camp at Ramoth-gilead to anoint Jehu as the next king of Israel (9:1-10 ); (2) Jehu’s men learned of the prophet’s visit to their commander and proclaimed Jehu as king (9:11-15 ); (3) Both Joram and King Ahaziah of Judah were killed (9:16-29 ); and (4) Jezebel was killed (9:30-37 ). Summary for 2Kgs 9:1-3: 9:1-3 Although Jehu received prophetic endorsement of his kingship, his anointing did not signify approval of all his subsequent actions. It did, however, carry a divine charge to execute the house of Ahab as punishment for his wickedness and idolatry (9:8-10 ).

Summary for 2Kgs 9:1-37: 9:1-37 ^a The writer recaps Jehu’s coup that instituted the fourth dynasty in Israel in four phases: (1) Elisha sent a member of the prophetic band to the army camp at Ramoth-gilead to anoint Jehu as the next king of Israel (9:1-10 ^b); (2) Jehu’s men learned of the prophet’s visit to their commander and proclaimed Jehu as king (9:11-15 ^c); (3) Both Joram and King Ahaziah of Judah were killed (9:16-29 ^d); and (4) Jezebel was killed (9:30-37 ^e).
Summary for 2Kgs 9:1-3: 9:1-3 ^f Although Jehu received prophetic endorsement of his kingship, his anointing did not signify approval of all his subsequent actions. It did, however, carry a divine charge to execute the house of Ahab as punishment for his wickedness and idolatry (9:8-10 ^g).
9:2 ^h This Jehoshaphat is not to be confused with the former king of Judah, who was the son of Asa.
Summary for 2Kgs 9:4-10: 9:4-10 ⁱ As the young prophet carried out his commission, he detailed for Jehu the means for carrying out the divine sentence against the family of Ahab (see 1 Kgs 21:20-24 ^j).
9:11 ^k madman: God’s faithful servants are often disdained as mad by others (see Jer 29:26 ^l; Hos 9:7 ^m).
9:13 ⁿ The bare steps of the house served as a throne and the soldiers’ cloaks as a carpet. Spreading out garments in this fashion was a sign of respect (see Matt 21:8 ^o).
Summary for 2Kgs 9:14-15: 9:14-15 ^p led a conspiracy: Because Jezreel, where Joram was recovering from his wounds, lay about forty-five miles away, Jehu’s coup needed to be carried out swiftly and inconspicuously.
9:16 ^q While Jehu was receiving the homage of his men as their king, Joram and Ahaziah were still at Jezreel (8:28-29 ^r; 9:14-15 ^s).
9:21 ^t the plot of land that had belonged to Naboth: The property Ahab took from Naboth became the location for the demise of Ahab’s line, fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy (1 Kgs 21:19-24 ^u).
Summary for 2Kgs 9:22-24: 9:22-24 ^v The charges against Joram echoed those against his father Ahab and his mother Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:30-33 ^w; 21:25-26 ^x).
Summary for 2Kgs 9:27-28: 9:27-28 ^y The road to Beth-haggan led southward along the eastern edge of the Jezreel Valley, past Ibleam and on to Samaria.

• Megiddo ... he died there: King Ahaziah escaped to Samaria, where he was captured and brought to Jehu (2 Chr 22:8-9 ^z). The accounts in Chronicles and Kings might be combined to show that although Ahaziah was wounded at Gur, he managed to go on to Samaria. Later, Jehu’s men seized him and brought him to Jehu, where he was put to death. Since the Chronicler associates Ahaziah’s capture with Jehu’s slaying of Ahab’s descendants and some of Ahaziah’s relatives (see 2 Kgs 10:1-17 ^aa), it appears that Ahaziah avoided his pursuers for a time. The account here is greatly compressed, with the writer recording Ahaziah’s death and burial before relating further events.
9:30 ^ab The narrator returns to events at Jezreel. Defiant Jezebel prepared for Jehu’s arrival and her impending death by adorning herself, remaining haughty to the end.
9:31 ^ac Jezebel accused Jehu of being another Zimri, perhaps to remind him that Zimri’s quest for power was short-lived (1 Kgs 16:15-19 ^ad).
Summary for 2Kgs 9:32-33: 9:32-33 ^ae Jehu showed his violent nature when he trampled Jezebel’s body under his horses’ hooves.

• While the Hebrew word translated eunuchs can refer to emasculated males, it can also refer to high officials.
Summary for 2Kgs 9:34-37: 9:34-37 ^af The scene depicting Jezebel’s end brought Elijah’s prophecy against the house of Ahab to final fulfillment (1 Kgs 21:21-24 ^ag; 22:34-38 ^ah). 9:34 ^ai Jehu went into the palace to dine, a tacit declaration of his assumption of the throne.

‏ 2 Kings 10

Summary for 2Kgs 10:1-27: 10:1-27 ^aj The writer focuses on two important events of Jehu’s reign: his murder of all who might claim Joram’s throne (10:1-17 ^ak), and his execution of the priests of Baal (10:18-27 ^al). 10:1 ^am 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 ^an) but had fled to Samaria to escape Jehu’s purge.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:2-5: 10:2-5 ^ao 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 ^ap Decapitation of enemies was a common practice in the ancient Near East (6:31-32 ^aq; 1 Sam 17:46 ^ar, 51 ^as; cp. Matt 14:11 ^at).
Summary for 2Kgs 10:9-10: 10:9-10 ^au 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 ^av; 21:21-24 ^aw).
10:11 ^ax 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 ^ay).
Summary for 2Kgs 10:12-14: 10:12-14 ^az 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 ^ba 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 ^bb). Recab was a Kenite (1 Chr 2:55 ^bc). While the nomadic Kenites were concentrated in southern Judah, some lived in Galilee (Judg 4:17 ^bd; 5:24 ^be). 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 ^bf 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 ^bg Jehu deceptively played to the populace, promising to continue and promote the worship of Baal.
Summary for 2Kgs 10:25-26: 10:25-26 ^bh 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 ^bi).
10:27 ^bj 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 ^bk 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 ^bl). This would one day lead to the fall of the northern kingdom (2 Kgs 17:21-23 ^bm).
10:30 ^bn 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 ^bo 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 ^bp).

• 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 ^bq; 13:3 ^br).