2 Kings 10:23

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

15-28 Is thine heart right? This is a question we should often put to ourselves. I make a fair profession, have gained a reputation among men, but, is my heart right? Am I sincere with God? Jehonadab owned Jehu in the work, both of revenge and of reformation. An upright heart approves itself to God, and seeks no more than his acceptance; but if we aim at the applause of men, we are upon a false foundation. Whether Jehu looked any further we cannot judge. The law of God was express, that idolaters were to be put to death. Thus idolatry was abolished for the present out of Israel. May we desire that it be rooted out of our hearts....

Verse 2 Kings 10:23. _NONE OF THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD_] Though he was not attached to that service, yet he would tolerate it; and as he was led to suppose that he was fulfilling the will of _Jehovah_ in what he was doing, he would of course treat his worship and worshippers with the more respect. He might have ordered the search to be made on pretense of expelling any of those whom they would consider _the profane_, especially as this was "a solemn assembly for Baal," as was the custom with the heathen when any extraordinary exhibition of or for their god was expected; thus Callimachus, (Hymn to Apollo,) after imagining the temple and its suburbs to be shaken by the approach of Apollo, cries out, Εκας, ἑκας, ὁστις, αλιτρος. To prevent any suspicion of his real design, such might have been Jehu's plea, else alarm must have been excited, and perhaps some w

The presence of persons belonging to another religion was usually regarded by the ancients as a profanation of the rites. In the case of the Greek mysteries such intrusion is said to have been punished by death. Consequently Jehu could give these injunctions without arousing any suspicion....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 10:1 THE REIGN OF JEHU OVER ISRAEL. 2 KINGS 10:1 The revolution initiated by the destruction of Joram and Jezebel is here traced through its second and its third stages. The immediate question, after Joram's death, was—Would any member of his family rise up as a claimant of the throne, and dispute the succession with Jehu? Ahab had seventy male descendants, all of them resident in Samaria: would there be any one among their number bold enough to come forward and assert his hereditary fight? Jehu regarded this as the most pressing and imminent danger, wherefore his first step was to challenge such action, and either pr

AND JEHU WENT, AND JEHONADAB THE SON OF RECHAB, INTO THE HOUSE OF BAAL,.... Who no doubt was led into the secret, and knew the design of Jehu, or he would not have gone into such an idolatrous place: 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; pretending a great regard to the purity of their worship and sacrifices, that they might not be profaned t by the company of such who were not worshippers of Baal, but of Jehovah; whereas his view was to prevent any of the worshippers of God perishing with them, who might out of curiosity go in among them, to behold the manner of their service. t "----procul, o procul este profani". Virgil. Aeneid. 6. ver. 258....

2. JEHU'S JUDGMENTS, BAAL-WORSHIP DESTROYED, AND HIS DEATH CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The judgment upon the house of Ahab (2 Kings 10:1)_ 2. The relations of Ahaziah slain (2 Kings 10:12; 2 Chronicles 22:8) 3. Jehonadab spared (2 Kings 10:15) 4. The Baal worship destroyed (2 Kings 10:18) 5. Jehu's record (2 Kings 10:29) 6. Israel cut short ...

DESTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE OF AHAB AND OF THE BAAL WORSHIPPERS. The same source is continued, but 2 Kings 10:28 are from a Deuteronomist. The whole story is one of the most terrible in the OT, Ahab had a large family in Samaria. Jehu with a sort of rude chivalry invited the elders of the city to choose one of them as king, and to fight for the throne. But the cowardly rulers promised submission, and at Jehu's command sent the heads of the seventy sons to Jezreel in baskets (2 Kings 10:7). A further massacre of all Ahab's adherents at Jezreel followed, and of forty-two of the family of Ahaziah, king of Judah (2 Kings 10:13). Jehu next ...

_Search, and look_, &c. Not only did he manifest anxiety that all the Baal-worshippers should be present, but that none of the rest of the people should be included in the destruction. As the worshippers would be full of the thought that they were to become possessed of special privileges in the new reign, they were sure to be the best agents in excluding any who could not shew that he had belonged to Baal's congregation before. Josephus strangely says -When he had come into the house with his friend Jonadab he gave commandment to search lest any _alien_or _stranger_should be among them. For he did not wish a _foreigner_to take part in their sacrifices"....

D. THE MASSACRE OF THE BAAL WORSHIPERS 10:18-27 TRANSLATION (18) And Jehu gathered all the people, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. (19) And now call all the prophets of Baal and all his servants and all his priests unto me; let no man be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Any who is lacking shall not live. But Jehu did this deceitfully in order to destroy the servants of Baal. (20) And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. (21) And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and every servant of Baal came, so that there did not remain a man who did not come. And they came to the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other. (22) And he said to the one who was over the vestry, Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal. And he brought forth to them the vestments. (23) And Jehu cam...