Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants

2 Kings 10

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in p Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, 1 to the elders, and to q the guardians of the sons 2 of Ahab, saying, 2 "Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3 select the best and fittest 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 could not stand before him. How then can we stand?" 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, r "We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes." 6 Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, "If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time." Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, q who were bringing them up. 7 And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons s and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning." 9 Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent. t It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10 Know then that there shall u fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done v what he said by his servant Elijah." 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

12 Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met w the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, "Who are you?" And they answered, "We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother." 14 He said, "Take them alive." And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.

15 And when he departed from there, he met x Jehonadab the son of y Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, "Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?" And Jehonadab answered, "It is." Jehu said, 3 "If it is, z give me your hand." So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16 And he said, "Come with me, and see a my zeal for the Lord." So he 4 had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, b he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the Lord v that he spoke to Elijah.

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 16:24
    He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
  2. Cross References
    Esther 2:7
    He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 9:8
    They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?
    Joshua 9:11
    So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us."
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 10:1
    Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 21:21
    Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 9:14
    Thus Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ( Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria.
    2 Kings 9:24
    And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 3:19
    And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 21:19
    And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the Lord : "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'
    1 Kings 21:21
    Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
    1 Kings 21:29
    "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house."
  9. Cross References
    2 Kings 8:29
    And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
    2 Kings 9:16
    Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram.
    2 Chronicles 22:8
    And when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them.
  10. Cross References
    Jeremiah 35:6 - 10
    But they answered, "We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, 'You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever.
    Jeremiah 35:14
    The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me.
    Jeremiah 35:16
    The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.
    Jeremiah 35:18
    But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you.
  11. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 2:55
    The clans also of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.
  12. Cross References
    Ezra 10:19
    They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.
    Ezekiel 17:18
    He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:10
    He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.
  14. Cross References
    2 Kings 9:8
    For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
    2 Chronicles 22:8
    And when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them.
  15. Cross References
    2 Kings 10:10
    Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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