2 Kings 10:23

23 Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, went into the temple of Baal and said to the worshipers of Baal, "Make sure that there are no worshipers of the LORD here with you. Only the worshipers of Baal should be here."

2 Kings 10:23 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 10:23

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 ^F20 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 "----procul, o procul este profani". Virgil. Aeneid. 6. ver. 258.

2 Kings 10:23 In-Context

21 Jehu sent messengers to all the Israelites. All the worshipers of Baal came, and there wasn't one who didn't come. They went into the temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other.

22 Then Jehu told the man in charge of the priests' robes, "Bring out the robes for all the worshipers of Baal." So he brought out robes for them.

23 Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, went into the temple of Baal and said to the worshipers of Baal, "Make sure that there are no worshipers of the LORD here with you. Only the worshipers of Baal should be here."

24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But Jehu had stationed 80 of his men outside. He said[to them], "If any of the people I'm putting in your hands escape, you will pay for their lives with yours."

25 When the burnt offerings had been made, Jehu said to the guards and attendants, "Kill them. Don't let anyone get away." So they used swords to kill the Baal worshipers and threw out the bodies until the guards and attendants came to the stronghold in the temple of Baal.