2 Kings 10:3-13

3 look you out the best and meet 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 didn't stand before him: how then shall we stand?

5 He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the Zakenim also, and those who brought up [the children], sent to Yehu, saying, We are your servants, and will do all that you shall bid us; we will not make any man king: you do that which is good in your eyes.

6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you be on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Yizre`el by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

7 It happened, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Yizre`el.

8 There came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. He said, Lay you them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.

9 It happened in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and killed him; but who struck all these?

10 Know now that there shall fall to the eretz nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ach'av: for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Eliyah.

11 So Yehu struck all that remained of the house of Ach'av in Yizre`el, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his Kohanim, until he left him none remaining.

12 He arose and departed, and went to Shomron. As he was at the shearing-house of the shepherds in the way,

13 Yehu met with the brothers of Achazyah king of Yehudah, and said, Who are you? They answered, We are the brothers of Achazyah: and we go down to Greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.

2 Kings 10:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 10

This chapter gives a further account of the destruction of the house of Ahab by Jehu, or his orders, even of all his sons and relations, 2Ki 10:1-11, and also of the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, 2Ki 10:12-14, of his taking up Jehonadab the son of Rechab into his chariot, to be a witness of his zeal for the Lord, 2Ki 10:15-17, and of his gathering together the prophets, priests, and worshippers of Baal, and slaying them, 2Ki 10:18-25 and of his extirpation of the idolatry of Baal, 2Ki 10:26-28, nevertheless he continued the worship of the calves, 2Ki 10:29-31 wherefore Israel was distressed by the king of Syria, 2Ki 10:32,33 and the chapter is concluded with the reign and death of Jehu, 2Ki 10:34,35.