HarperCollins Study Bible
Page 153
9.29 This verse repeats 8.25, but corrects the chronology to take into account the fact that Joram and Ahaziah died in the same year.
9.30–37 The death of Jezebel brings to an end the influence of the most powerful woman in the history of the Northern Kingdom.
9.30 Jezebel’s formal dress and her appearance at the window give the occasion the air of a royal audience.
9.31 Jezebel’s taunting greeting recalls Zimri’s assassination of the Northern king Elah and the slaughter of all of Baasha’s descendants (1 Kings 16.8–14). The taunt may also be intended to remind Jehu of the earlier usurper’s extremely short reign (1 Kings 16.15).
9.36–37 Jehu’s quotation elaborates Elijah’s original oracle (1 Kings 21.23).
2 KINGS 10
Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants
1Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel,a to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons ofb Ahab, saying, 2“Since your master’s sons are with you and you have at your disposal chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons, 3select the son of your master who is the best qualified, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4But they were utterly terrified and said, “Look, two kings could not withstand him; how then can we stand?” 5So the steward of the palace, and the governor of the city, along with the elders and the guardians, sent word to Jehu: “We are your servants; we will do anything you say. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think right.” 6Then he wrote 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 leaders of the city, who were charged with their upbringing. 7When the letter reached them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, seventy persons; they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8When 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.” 9Then in the morning when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him; but who struck down all these? 10Know 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 through his servant Elijah.” 11So Jehu killed all who were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his leaders, close friends, and priests, until he left him no survivor.
12Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13Jehu met relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah and said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are kin of Ahaziah; we have come down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” 14He said, “Take them alive.” They took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two in all; he spared none of them.
15When he left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him; he greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart as true to mine as mine is to yours?”c Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said,d “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So hee had him ride in his chariot. 17When he came to Samaria, he killed all who were left to Ahab in Samaria, until he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke to Elijah.
Slaughter of Worshipers of Baal
18Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab offered Baal small service; but Jehu will offer much more. 19Now therefore summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests; let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu was acting with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20Jehu decreed, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21Jehu sent word throughout all Israel; all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was no one left who did not come. They entered the temple of Baal, until the temple of Baal was filled from wall to wall. 22He said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. 23Then Jehu entered the temple of Baal with Jehonadab son of Rechab; he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is no worshiper of the LORD here among you, but only worshipers of Baal.” 24Then they proceeded to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside, saying, “Whoever allows any of those to escape whom I deliver into your hands shall forfeit his life.” 25As soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and to the officers, “Come in and kill them; let no one escape.” So they put them to the sword. The guards and the officers threw them out, and then went into the citadel of the temple of Baal. 26They brought out the pillarf that was in the temple of Baal, and burned it. 27Then they demolished the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the temple of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.
28Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to commit—the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what I consider right, and in accordance with all that was in my heart have dealt with the house of Ahab, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31But Jehu was not careful to follow the law of the LORD the God of Israel with all his heart; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to commit.
Death of Jehu
32In those days the LORD began to trim off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Wadi Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan. 34Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, all that he did, and all his power, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? 35So Jehu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him. 36The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
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a Or of the city; Vg Compare Gk
b Gk: Heb lacks of the sons of
c Gk: Heb Is it right with your heart, as my heart is with your heart?
d Gk: Heb lacks Jehu said
e Gk Syr Tg: Heb they
f Gk Vg Syr Tg: Heb pillars
10.1–17 Jehu’s slaughter of Ahab’s descendants follows the familiar practice of usurpers who destroy all rivals (see 2 Sam 3–4; 1 Kings 15.28–30; 16.8–14).
10.1 Seventy, probably not precise; it may represent all of the possible claimants to the throne (see Judg 9.5; 12.14).
10.2–4 Jehu invites the guardians to fight to continue the royal line of Ahab, something they are afraid to do.
10.6 Jehu’s letter is ambiguous, since in Hebrew, as in English, heads can refer literally to a part of the anatomy or metaphorically to leaders of a group. The recipients of the letter will choose to understand the word literally.
10.8 This display is intended to discourage opposition to Jehu’s plans.
10.9–11 Jehu implies that he did not intend the murder of Ahab’s descendants, but he sees this turn of events as the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy (1 Kings 21.21–22, 24). The narrator, however, is clear about Jehu’s intentions.
10.12–14 By slaughtering the relatives of Ahaziah, Jehu may have thought that he was eliminating all of the remaining scions of the house of David, thus paving the way for a successful annexation of Judah.
10.12 Beth-eked of the Shepherds is on the road between Jezreel and Samaria, but its precise location is uncertain.
10.15 Jehonadab son of Rechab was associated with a group called the Rechabites, who developed a reputation as fanatical
worshipers of the Lord. Like the Nazirites (Num 6.1–21), the Rechabites considered all aspects of Canaanite culture to be corrupting, and they therefore avoided cultivating land, planting vineyards, drinking wine, and building houses (Jer 35). Jehonadab presumably saw Jehu’s revolt as an opportunity to restore the worship of the Lord in the Northern Kingdom.
10.17 In Samaria Jehu completes the slaughter of the house of Ahab that he began in Jezreel (see v. 11). The narrator then duly notes the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy (1 Kings 21.21–22, 24).
10.18–31 After destroying all of the house of Ahab, Jehu removes all traces of the worship of Baal, which Ahab and Jezebel had introduced into Israel (1 Kings 16.31–33).
10.19 Jehu’s statement is again ambiguous (cf. v. 6), since the Hebrew word translated sacrifice also means “slaughter.”
10.26–27 Pillars. See note on 1 Kings 14.23. Because the pillars were stone, the burning was probably part of the process of cracking the stone so that it could be demolished.
10.29 Because the narrator considers the real theological problem in the North to be the illegitimate worship of the Lord, which was introduced by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12.26–32), Jehu still receives the standard negative evaluation in spite of his eradication of the worship of Baal.
10.32–36 The closing summary of Jehu’s reign has been expanded to include additional references to Hazael’s successful attacks on Israelite territory. This activity was probably thought to be a fulfillment of Elisha’s prophetic vision (8.12).
10.33 The land of Gilead and the areas occupied by the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh all lay east of the Jordan and were traditionally Israelite territory. Aroer is on the Arnon River, which joins the Dead Sea at the midpoint of its eastern shore. The town marks the southern limit of Aramean expansion; Bashan, in southern Syria, marks the northern limit.
10.36 Jehu reigned ca. 843/2–815 BCE.
2 KINGS 11
Athaliah Reigns over Judah
1Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family. 2But Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter, Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s children who were about to be killed; she puta him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus sheb hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed; 3he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Jehoiada Anoints the Child Joash
4But in the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carites and of the guards and had them come to him in the house of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD; then he showed them the king’s son. 5He commanded them, “This is what you are to do: one-third of you, those who go off duty on the sabbath and guard the king’s house 6(another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards), shall guard the palace; 7and your two divisions that come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the LORDc 8shall surround the king, each with weapons in hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to be killed. Be with the king in his comings and goings.”
9The captains did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; each brought his men who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the sabbath, and came to the priest Jehoiada. 10The priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the LORD; 11the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house, to guard the king on every side. 12Then he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant;d they proclaimed him king, and anointed him; they clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
Death of Athaliah
13When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the LORD to the people; 14when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 15Then the priest Jehoiada commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and kill with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be killed in the house of the LORD.” 16So they laid hands on her; she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was put to death.
17Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people, that they should be the LORD’s people; also between the king and the people. 18Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars. The priest posted guards over the house of the LORD. 19He took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land; then they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, marching through the gate of the guards to the king’s house. He took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been killed with the sword at the king’s house.
21e Jehoashf was seven years old when he began to reign.
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a With 2 Chr 22.11: Heb lacks she put
b Gk Syr Vg Compare 2 Chr 22.11: Heb they
c Heb the LORD to the king
d Or treaty or testimony; Heb eduth
e Ch 12.1 in Heb
f Another spelling is Joash; see verse 19
11.1–3 In the wake of the confusion caused by Jehu’s murder of Ahaziah and his relatives (9.27–28; 10.12–14), Athaliah seizes the throne of Judah. Although she rules seven years (v. 4), the narrator does not consider her a legitimate ruler, both because as a daughter of Ahab of Israel she was not of Davidic descent and because her connections with Jezebel represent a rejection of the worship of the Lord (see notes on 8.18; 8.26). The narrator therefore omits the normal facts about her rule.
11.1 Athaliah reigned ca. 843/2–837 BCE.
11.2 The text does not indicate whether Jehosheba was also Athaliah’s daughter. Joash would have been Athaliah’s grandson, but his early isolation from her and his association with the priests in the house of the Lord (v. 3) seem to have left him untainted in the eyes of the narrator.
11.4–21 The account of the restoration of the Davidic line is the only major story thus far in 2 Kings to focus completely on the affairs of Judah. The extraordinary detail in the narrative suggests that it came from temple sources in Jerusalem.
11.4 Jehoiada, a priest in the house of the Lord (v. 9). In 2 Chr 22.11 he is also said to have been Jehosheba’s husband. Carites, mercenaries charged with guarding the palace and the temple. Their origins are unknown. On the basis of the Hebrew text of 2 Sam 20.23, some scholars have equated them with the Cherethites, a foreign mercenary unit in David’s private army.
11.5–8 The translation here follows closely a rather confusing Hebrew text. Apparently the troops who guarded the king’s house were divided into three groups, each serving a week ending on the sabbath. Jehoiada took the group about to go off duty (one-third of the total guard), divided it into three subgroups, and assigned one subgroup to each of three stations. The remaining two-thirds of the total guard were brought to the house of the Lord to guard the king (Joash).
11.6 Gate Sur. Location unknown. V. 19 implies that the gate behind the guards connected the temple with the palace.
11.10 The weapons may have been those that David captured from the Arameans (see 2 Sam 8.7).
11.12 Covenant, disputed. If so translated, the reference may be to the book of the law that the king is supposed to copy and study (Deut 17.18–19). Some scholars argue that the word refers to some sort of royal insignia, perhaps jewelry.
11.14 Pillar, probably one of the pair at the entrance to the temple (see note on 1 Kings 7.15–
22; cf. 2 Kings 23.3). People of the land, probably wealthy landowners. They seem to have been an important social group in Judah and enjoyed a great deal of political influence (21.23–24; 23.30; Jer 1.18; 34.19–20; 37.2). Tore her clothes. See note on 2.12.
11.17 The renewal of the covenant between the people and the Lord and between the Davidic house and the people is appropriate in the light of the disruption. Unlike the similar ceremony in 23.1–3, the terms of this covenant are not specified.
11.18 There are no earlier references to a temple of Baal in Jerusalem. It may have been introduced by Athaliah.
11.21 In a formal statement of a Judean king’s accession, this information would normally come immediately before the statement of the length of his reign (12.1b; cf. 14.1–2).
2 KINGS 12
The Temple Repaired
1In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign; he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all his days, because the priest Jehoiada instructed him. 3Nevertheless the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.
4Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money offered as sacred donations that is brought into the house of the LORD, the money for which each person is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money from the voluntary offerings brought into the house of the LORD, 5let the priests receive from each of the donors; and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.” 6But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had made no repairs on the house. 7Therefore King Jehoash summoned the priest Jehoiada with the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore do not accept any more money from your donors but hand it over for the repair of the house.” 8So the priests agreed that they would neither accept more money from the people nor repair the house.