744 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel,.... Which to do, and to justify himself in so doing, was the design of what he said in the preceding verses: and his great men; his ministers of state and counsellors, that advised him to, and abetted him in his idolatrous practices, and so justly suffered for the same; and perhaps...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ver. 12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria,.... To make a clear riddance there of all that belonged to Ahab, as at Jezreel, and abolish idolatry there: and as he was at the shearing house in the way; or, "the house of the binding of the shepherds", who, in shearing their sheep, bind their legs together; the Targum is, "the house of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah,.... At the above place; these were the sons of his brethren, called his brethren, as Lot was called Abraham's brother, being his brother's son; for as for his brethren, they had been slain by the Arabians before he was made king, 2 Chronicles 22:1, and said, who are ye? though perhaps he knew...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, take them alive,.... Gave orders to his guards to seize them, and make them captives: and they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house; where they washed the sheep when they sheered them; [even] forty and two men, neither left he any of them; they being, by their grandmother's side, of the house of Ahab, and so...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when he was departed thence,.... From Betheked, or the shearing house: he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; a Kenite, a descendant of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, a wise and good man, as appears by the laws and rules he gave to his posterity, who continued to the times of Jeremiah, and were then observant of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord of hosts,.... In destroying idolaters and idolatry, with an intent to do which he was going to Samaria; this seems to savour very much of vain glory, hypocrisy, and a pharisaical spirit: so they made him ride in his chariot; the servants of Jehu by his order opened the chariot door, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria,.... All that were in any connection with him, as related to his family, or as ministers of his in civil or religious things: till he had destroyed him; his whole house, as he was ordered: according to the word of the Lord, which he spake to Elijah; which is observed, to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jehu gathered all the people together,.... The people of Samaria, at least the principal of them: and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, [but] Jehu shall serve him much; which some understand as spoken ironically; but the words seem to be spoken with a design to deceive the idolatrous inhabitants of Samaria, making them to believe that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ver. 19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, let none be wanting,.... All that were employed in the several parts of religious worship given him, and in performing any rite and ceremony belonging to it; in invocation of him, and singing praises to him, as the prophets; in offering sacrifices...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jehu said, proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal,.... Such as with the Jews was an holy convocation, when they were forbidden and restrained from doing any work on that day; and such a day Jehu would have appointed and proclaimed for Baal, that the people might be at leisure to attend: and they proclaimed it; according to his order, in Samaria.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Jehu sent through all Israel,.... Persons to proclaim this solemn assembly: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not; some no doubt came cheerfully, having no suspicion of him, and the rather, as he might have been a worshipper of Baal in the times of Ahab; and as for what he had done to Baal's...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said unto him that was over the vestry,.... That had the care of the garments, in which the priests of Baal ministered: bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal; not for the priests only, but for all that worshipped; and this he ordered for the greater solemnity of this service, as he would have it thought; but, in truth, that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings,.... To Baal, all things being ready for them: Jehu appointed eighty men without; without the temple of Baal, at the several doors and avenues of it: and said, if any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering,.... The chief of the priests of Baal, whose office it was to do this service: that Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains, go in and slay them, let none come forth; this he said to the eighty men set to guard the temple, and the officers over them; and perhaps...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burnt them. Lesser images, the images of other deities, or what were placed as decorations of the temple.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they broke down the temple of Baal,.... Which some take to be Belus, others Saturn, others the sun, which seems most probable: and broke down the house of Baal; his temple, demolished it: and made it a draught house until this day; a common sewer, a jakes; a fit place for dunghill gods to be thrown into, and an idol temple to be turned into.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. His images and temples being served thus in all places, throughout the land of Israel, where there were any.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin,.... Which is the common character given of that king, a blot never to be wiped off: Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan: he did not abstain from the worship of them, partly because he might not think it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord said unto Jehu,.... By a prophet, he not being one himself; and this is generally supposed, by the Jews (w), to be Jonah the son of Amittai: because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes: in rooting out the idolatry of Baal, which was right in the sight of God, and was materially a good work, though it...