2Ki 19:2

HE SENT ELIAKIM THE PALACE ADMINISTRATOR, SHEBNA THE SECRETARY, AND THE LEADING PRIESTS, ALL WEARING SACKCLOTH, TO THE PROPHET ISAIAH SON OF AMOZ: Then the king sent some of his highest officials and some of the leading priests, who were also in mourning, to visit Isaiah. Notice that Hezekiah did not summon Isaiah into his presence. This reflects the respect that the king felt for the prophet (cp 2Ki 6:12).

2Ki 19:3

AS WHEN CHILDREN COME TO THE POINT OF BIRTH AND THERE IS NO STRENGTH TO DELIVER THEM: A common picture in the days of this writing, and one of the worst of human tragedies — a very apt description for Hezekiah to use of the people who were no longer able to bring forth fruit to God, due to lack of spiritual strength through their total lack of spiritual exercise. Isaiah uses this language in two places (Isa 26:17,18; 66:9). This lament is in fact answered by God in Isa 66:9: “Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?”

2Ki 19:12

GOZAN: A region along the Habor River near the Euphrates where the Israelites deported from Samaria were settled (2Ki 17:6; 18:11).

HARAN: An ancient city in Mesopotamia, west of Ur.

REZEPH: A city in eastern Syria, an oasis c 80 mi north of Palmyra. Sennacherib’s commander, in a message to Hezekiah (2Ki 19:12; Isa 37:12), mentioned it as an example of cities captured by the Assyrians. The city at the time of this message had been in Assyrian hands for at least a century. It was probably incorporated as a part of Assyria by Shalmaneser III after his campaign in that region in 838 BC.

TEL ASSAR: One of the cities in northern Mesopotamia inhabited by the people of Eden (Heb “bene Eden”, abbreviation of “bene-Beth-Eden”; cf Amos 1:5; Eze 27:23) — mentioned in the letter of Sennacherib to Hezekiah as conquered by the previous Assyrian kings (cp 2Ki 19:12). In the area of Akkadian Bit-Adini (Beth-eden) along the middle Euphrates was situated Til Ashuri, “mound of Ashur,” mentioned in inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser III.

2Ki 19:13

HAMATH… ARPAD… SEPHARVAIM: Cp Isa 36:19n.

HENA: A city conquered by Assyria, its exact location unknown. Since the name means “low” and the city is mentioned with two other cities on the Orontes River, Hamath and Arpad, Hena probably was in the same general area (2Ki 18:34; 19:13).

IVAH: A city conquered by the Assyrians, according to the boast of Rabshakeh, a representative of Sennacherib (2Ki 18:34; 19:13). Although its exact location has not been determined, it apparently was in Babylonia and perhaps is to be identified with Ava (2Ki 17:24) from which the Assyrians took people to occupy Samaria after its fall.

2Ki 19:14

Here is an example of a person who made a special effort to bring his problem to God. He didn’t just stop and pray where he was. He went up to the House of the Lord, and he took the letter with him and presented it before God. He made a special effort to arrange circumstances that he felt God would accept. God is there for those who arrange their hearts in humility, and make the effort to present themselves a living sacrifice before Him. Our ‘House of the Lord’ is embodied in Jesus. This is where we must meet with God.

2Ki 19:15

ENTHRONED BETWEEN THE CHERUBIM: God’s presence above and with the Ark of the Covenant: Num 7:89; Psa 68:33; 18:10. Here, God dwelt with Judah as their real king, who fought their battles — as Hezekiah here acknowledges.

YOU ALONE ARE GOD OVER ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH: Here is the crux of the matter: is Yahweh God of Israel the ONLY true God, or not?

2Ki 19:16

Vv 16-19: Hezekiah began his prayer — did Isaiah witness it? — by acknowledging Yahweh’s uniqueness; He was not like the gods of the nations but the only true God, who dwelt among His people, the creator who rules and determines everything. He asked the living God to pay attention to the reproachful blasphemies of the Assyrian king. He acknowledged the Assyrians’ superiority over the nations they had overrun, but he ascribed this to the fact that those nations had only gods of wood and stone to defend them. Finally, he asked God to deliver Jerusalem so the nations would know that Yahweh alone was God. In short, he prayed for the glory of God.

2Ki 19:19

NOW, O LORD OUR GOD, DELIVER US FROM HIS HAND, SO THAT ALL KINGDOMS MAY KNOW THAT YOU ALONE, O LORD, ARE GOD: Hezekiah viewed deliverance as an occasion for Israel to fulfill the purpose for which God had raised her up (cp Exo 19:5,6).

2Ki 19:21

THE DAUGHTER OF JERUSALEM: A phrase used almost exclusively in the context of deliverance from the enemy (2Ki 19:21; Isa 37:22; Lam 2:13,15; Mic 4:8; Zep 3:14; Zec 9:9).

2Ki 19:23

I HAVE CUT DOWN ITS TALLEST CEDARS: An allusion to Solomon’s “house of the forest of Lebanon” (1Ki 7:2), which became the armory of Jerusalem. Cp also Jer 22:6,7,23; Isa 2:13; 10:34; Eze 17:3.

2Ki 19:26

LIKE GRASS, SPROUTING ON THE ROOF, SCORCHED BEFORE IT GROWS UP: Cp Hezekiah’s psalm: “May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow” (Psa 129:6).

2Ki 19:28

I WILL PUT MY HOOK IN YOUR NOSE AND MY BIT IN YOUR MOUTH…: On some monuments Assyrian conquerors pictured themselves as leading their captives with a line that passed through rings that they had placed in the victims’ noses (cp Isa 30:28; Eze 38:4; Job 41:1,2). God promised to do to them as they had done to others (cp Gal 6:7).

2Ki 19:29

THIS WILL BE THE SIGN FOR YOU, O HEZEKIAH: “THIS YEAR YOU WILL EAT WHAT GROWS BY ITSELF, AND THE SECOND YEAR WHAT SPRINGS FROM THAT. BUT IN THE THIRD YEAR SOW AND REAP, PLANT VINEYARDS AND EAT THEIR FRUIT”: An immediate sign helped Hezekiah believe in the long range deliverance God promised (v 29). Signs were either predictions of natural events, which came to pass and thus confirmed the prediction (cp Exo 3:12; 1Sa 2:34; Jer 44:29), or outright miracles that proved God’s work in history (cp Isa 7:14; 38:7) (KD). The Israelites had not been able to plant crops around Jerusalem because of the besieging Assyrians. God promised to feed His people for two years with what came up naturally. This was a blessing of fertility for trust and obedience (cp Deu 28:33). In the third year they would again return to their regular cycle of sowing and reaping.

Reminiscent of the language of the year of release or Jubilee. Thus an indication that this year was a seventh year, and that Israel’s experience of God’s provisions for that year would indicate that they could trust in His promise to deliver them from the Assyrian.

2Ki 19:30

2Ki 19:30.

ONCE MORE A REMNANT OF THE HOUSE OF JUDAH WILL TAKE ROOT BELOW AND BEAR FRUIT ABOVE: Like the crops, the remnant of the people left after the invasions of Israel and Judah would also multiply under God’s blessing.

2Ki 19:31

FOR OUT OF JERUSALEM WILL COME A REMNANT, AND OUT OF MOUNT ZION A BAND OF SURVIVORS. THE ZEAL OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS: Yahweh would preserve a people for Himself from among the people of Jerusalem. This would include the Davidic line of kings, as He had promised (2Sa 7:16; cp Isa 9:6). His own zeal to remain true to His word and to bless His people would perform this (cp Isa 9:7; 59:17). It would not depend on the faithfulness of His people (cp 2Ti 2:13).

2Ki 19:34

I WILL DEFEND THIS CITY AND SAVE IT: The deliverance of God’s city and His people there probably occurred at the time of Passover (cp Isa 26:20,21; 30:29; 31:5,8).

Hezekiah’s defenses (2Ch 32:3-5) were unimportant after all!

2Ki 19:35

Vv 35-37: Isaiah had predicted that God would break Assyria’s power in the Promised Land (Isa 14:24-27). This short section records how He miraculously fulfilled that promise. This divine act of massive proportions settled the issue of Assyria’s fate and provided the crowning demonstration that Yahweh controls world history.

See Lesson, Sennacherib, destruction.

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND PUT TO DEATH A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND MEN IN THE ASSYRIAN CAMP: The Lord Himself slew 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers in one night. Evidently this was an act of the angel of the Lord similar to the slaying of the Egyptian firstborn before the Exodus (Exo 12:12,1323; cp 2Sa 24:1,15,16; Luke 12:20).

And how would such an immense number of corpses be disposed of? By burning with lime (Isa 33:11,12).

PUT TO DEATH: The verb “put to death” implies smiting with a disease.

Things and circumstances can change, as it were, in a moment, or as in this case, over night. What may be deemed most important and precious one day can become trivial the next day.

In these closing days of Gentile times we should be keeping our eyes, thoughts and actions on “the joy set before us” Or as Heb 10:25 tells us: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Three accounts have been left by the Assyrian monarch himself of his campaign against Israel and Judah. The most famous is the six-sided prism known as the Taylor Prism. Sennacherib described in detail how he came against the cities of Israel and then Judah, and ‘Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem his capital city like a bird in a cage.’ Many smaller towns and villages fell. The might of all Assyria was marshaled against Hezekiah. But the Taylor Prism does not record the defeat of Hezekiah or the fall of Jerusalem as one would expect. Sennacherib returned to Nineveh his capital city. The boastful account ends not in triumph but with an anticlimax. What had happened? What made Sennacherib withdraw at the last moment? This v explains. In addition to the evidence of Sennacherib’s own account, in 1938 the archaeologist Starkey found a mass grave outside the city of Lachish, which Sennacherib had conquered and which was the base for the Assyrian move to Jerusalem. In the Lachish grave were two thousand human skeletons evidently thrown in with great haste. Here was the reason for Sennacherib’s sudden withdrawal.

2Ki 19:36

SO SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA BROKE CAMP AND WITHDREW. HE RETURNED TO NINEVEH AND STAYED THERE: Sennacherib, the great “king of Assyria” (cp Isa 36:4,13), then returned to Assyria having lost a large part of his army and having heard a rumor about the advancing Ethiopian king (vv 7-9). He lived in Nineveh for 20 years before his death, and he conducted other military campaigns, but none in Palestine.

2Ki 19:37

ONE DAY, WHILE HE WAS WORSHIPING IN THE TEMPLE OF HIS GOD NISROCH, HIS SONS ADRAMMELECH AND SHAREZER CUT HIM DOWN WITH THE SWORD, AND THEY ESCAPED TO THE LAND OF ARARAT. AND ESARHADDON HIS SON SUCCEEDED HIM AS KING: Ironically, it was while worshipping in the temple of his idol in Nineveh that God affected Sennacherib’s assassination. “And so he died ignominiously in the very shadow of a useless deity” (WIsa 62). By contrast, it was while worshipping the true God in His temple in Jerusalem that God moved to spare Hezekiah’s life. The Babylonian royal chronicles recorded the assassination of Sennacherib and the accession of Esarhaddon in 681 BC (Pritchard). It was not the Assyrian way to record their national disasters, so it is understandable that archaeologists have discovered no Assyrian accounts of Sennacherib’s humiliations.

The same event was recorded for the library at Nineveh and the clay tablet of the record is now in the British Museum: ‘On the twentieth day of the month Tebet Sennacherib king of Assyria his son slew him in rebellion… Esarhaddon his son sat on the throne of Assyria.’

2Ki 20:1

2Ki 20: The events of this chapter predate those of the Assyrian invasion.

” ‘Thou shalt die, and not live!’ This solemn, terrifying message must have been received by King Hezekiah with fear. It was not merely the end of life, but the fact that he had not provided a seed for the throne of David, as was the responsibility of the monarch. The line of David was threatened by the neglect of Hezekiah. He was ‘sick unto death,’ a physical malady that was in a very virulent and incurable form, implying the living death of leprosy (v 7). It typified the cause of mortality in mankind: the ‘law of sin and death’ which afflicts all mankind, and from which there is no cure apart from the divine redemption. It was clearly ‘a sign’ (2Ch 32:34), foreshadowing the death and resurrection of the Lord.

“It was this condition that drove the king to prayer (v 3). He was without a successor, and his death would weaken the attitude of the people in resistance of the Sin-power Sennacherib. It would mean the end of all hopes to establish the fullness of the divine worship (cp Isa 38:9-20). But a wondrous answer was received: vv 4-6; it answered the five-fold blessing of grace. Within three days he would be restored, as Christ came from the darkness of the earth in three days. Hezekiah’s miraculous restoration was hailed by the nations round about. Congratulations were received from Merodach-Baladan, but Hezekiah’s folly in sharing such things with Babylon was condemned by Isaiah: vv 14,15. The king was shown the folly of putting confidence in the flesh, and thereby strengthened the instrument of divine punishment against his people. Thus, though typical of the Lord Jesus, he did not manifest the purity and righteousness of Yahshua, in whose great strength we trust” (GEM).

IN THOSE DAYS HEZEKIAH BECAME ILL: “In those days” (v 1) refers to the year Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem (701 BC), since Hezekiah died 15 years later in 686 BC.

PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER: Setting one’s life in order is a significant thing in the service of God: Gen 22:9; Exo 26:17; 39:37; 40;4,23; Lev 1:7,8,12; 6:12; 24:8; 1Ki 18:33; 2Ki 20:1; 2Ch 13:11; 29:35; Eze 41:6; Acts 18:23; 1Co 11:34; 14:40; Tit 1:5.

Do we just muddle through life, or is there some order and structure to our worship and devotion to the Father? For example, do we have a strategy to ensure that we read Scripture regularly and pray regularly?

YOU ARE GOING TO DIE; YOU WILL NOT RECOVER: But sometimes what God announced through His prophets seemed inevitable, but when His people prayed it became negotiable (cp Gen 32:26; Exo 32:7-14; Jam 4:2).

2Ki 20:3

Hezekiah’s prayer was answered immediately. Why was this? We know that God hears (and answers) prayers that are voiced “according to his will” (1Jo 5:14); we have to conclude, therefore, that what Hezekiah asked was according to God’s will. Psa 102, for example, is a prayer of a man in dire straits. Maybe this is that prayer of Hezekiah. If so, it is instructive, because the Psalmist prays for the fulfilment of God’s plan with Zion rather than seeking his own deliverance.

2Ki 20:5

THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER DAVID: God sent His answer to Hezekiah’s prayer back to him through Isaiah (cp 2Ki 20:4). The LORD identified Himself as the God of David, his forefather. Perhaps the reference to David helped Hezekiah remember God’s promises to David about the perpetuity of his dynasty (2Sa 7). This reminded the king that God would remain faithful and care for His people.

2Ki 20:6

FIFTEEN YEARS: Perhaps related to the 15 songs of degrees (Psa 120-134).

I WILL DEFEND THIS CITY: Cp Psa 121:2-8; 124:1-3,6; 125:2; 126:2,3; 127:1.

2Ki 20:7

Instances of signs that accompany healings: 2Ki 2:20-22; 4:41; 20:7.

2Ki 20:8

2Ki 20:8.

HEZEKIAH HAD ASKED ISAIAH, “WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN THAT THE LORD WILL HEAL ME AND THAT I WILL GO UP TO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD ON THE THIRD DAY FROM NOW?”: Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will in fact go back to the temple in three days. Rather than an indication of unbelief, his request should be viewed against the background of his father Ahaz’s refusal of a sign in Isa 7:12. Isaiah gladly offers Hezekiah a choice of signs (v 9).

I WILL GO UP TO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD: This is consistent with Hezekiah’s previously-shown zeal for the house of the LORD (2Ch 29:3; cp Psa 122:1,9; 134:1,2).

2Ki 20:9

Vv 9-11: The rare word used consistently for “steps” or “degrees” here is “ma’alah” — also sw used in titles “Songs of DEGREES”!

2Ki 20:11

TEN STEPS: Or “ten degrees”. Possible miraculous event? See Lesson, 360-day year.

At this point, insert Hezekiah’s song of praise and thanksgiving (Isa 38:9-20).

THE STAIRWAY OF AHAZ: Evidently an exterior stairway that led to his upper room on the roof of the palace, where Ahaz had erected altars (2Ki 23:12). This stairway was probably not built as a sundial, but it served that purpose as the sun cast its shadow on more or fewer steps depending on the time of day. That stairway may have been constructed as a sundial, or a different stairway constructed for that purpose could be in view. Evidently Hezekiah could see it from his sickbed. The passing away of daylight on the stairway symbolized the passing away of Hezekiah’s life, and the return of sunlight represented the restoration of life.

At this point, insert Hezekiah’s song of praise and thanksgiving (Isa 38:9-20).

2Ki 20:12

MERODACH-BALADAN: Lit, “the god Marduk has given a son”. He raised Babylon to a position from which it threatened and eventually overthrew Assyrian dominance in the ancient Near East (cp Isa 21:1-10). He was the first king of Babylon, and he led that nation during two periods: c 721-710 BC and c 703-702 BC. In 710 BC Sargon, another Babylonian leader, ousted him, but in 702 BC the Assyrians defeated him. After this defeat, he continued to foment revolt against Assyria in the Fertile Crescent. This seems to have been his motivation for cultivating Hezekiah’s friendship by sending letters and a present when he heard of Hezekiah’s recovery.

2Ki 20:13

HEZEKIAH RECEIVED THE MESSENGERS AND SHOWED THEM ALL THAT WAS IN HIS STOREHOUSES — THE SILVER, THE GOLD, THE SPICES AND THE FINE OIL — HIS ARMORY AND EVERYTHING FOUND AMONG HIS TREASURES. THERE WAS NOTHING IN HIS PALACE OR IN ALL HIS KINGDOM THAT HEZEKIAH DID NOT SHOW THEM: Hezekiah received Merodach-baladan warmly since he had expressed sympathy toward him and because the Babylonians shared Judah’s antagonism toward Assyria. But showing the Babylonians all of his wealth and military resources went beyond what Hezekiah needed to do for such a friendly visitor. It expressed a desire to share these resources with an ally who might help Judah oppose Assyria. Thus Hezekiah’s act demonstrated trust in Babylon and reliance on her for safety.

“Here was a ready-made opportunity for Hezekiah to glorify God before the pagan Babylonians, to tell of his greatness and of his grace. Instead, he succumbed to the temptation to glorify himself and to prove to the Chaldeans that he was a worthy partner for any sort of coalition they might have in mind. There is no indication that they were interested in such an alliance, however. Much more likely they simply wished to encourage someone whom they viewed as a petty kinglet without making any commitment on their part” (Oswalt).

This visit constituted a divine test of Hezekiah’s heart. 2Ch 32:31 reads, “And even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land [namely Hezekiah’s recovery], God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.”

2Ki 20:14

Vv 14,15: God’s Spirit and Hezekiah’s failure to trust the Lord undoubtedly moved Isaiah to confront Hezekiah. First, the prophet asked about the visit of the Babylonian ambassadors and what Hezekiah had done with them. Hezekiah told the truth and put his actions in the best light, but he did not relate what the envoys had said or explain his motive. He put the best possible light on his actions. Nevertheless he put his own neck in the noose by answering Isaiah’s simple questions as he did (cp Gal 6:7).

2Ki 20:17

THE TIME WILL SURELY COME WHEN EVERYTHING IN YOUR PALACE, AND ALL THAT YOUR FATHERS HAVE STORED UP UNTIL THIS DAY, WILL BE CARRIED OFF TO BABYLON. NOTHING WILL BE LEFT, SAYS THE LORD: This happened finally in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem (cp 2Ki 24:13; 25:13-15; 2Ch 36:18; Jer 20:5). Isaiah’s mention of Babylon as the enemy undoubtedly shocked Hezekiah because at this time Assyria was the great threat to Judah.

This one sin of Hezekiah’s did not doom Judah to Babylonian captivity. However, it illustrates the pride that the whole nation and its leaders manifested that ultimately resulted in the captivity.

2Ki 20:18

AND SOME OF YOUR DESCENDANTS, YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, THAT WILL BE BORN TO YOU, WILL BE TAKEN AWAY, AND THEY WILL BECOME EUNUCHS IN THE PALACE OF THE KING OF BABYLON: Some of Hezekiah’s descendants would also be taken captive to Babylon. (It is very probable that at the time of the events in Isa 36 — 39 Hezekiah had no children. His son, Manasseh, began reigning when he was 12 years old, and Hezekiah died a year later, in 686 BC. Thus Isaiah’s announcement here may have sparked a hope of some descendants in Hezekiah’s mind. As usual, God’s promise of judgment contained some hope: cp with Psa 127:3-5; Psa 128.) This became true of the king’s physical descendants: his son Manasseh (2Ch 33:11), King Jehoiachin (2Ki 24:12), King Zedekiah (2Ki 25:7), and Daniel and companions (Dan 1:3). It also became true of many of Hezekiah’s people, his “children” in that sense, when Nebuchadnezzar carried three deportations of Judahites off to Babylon (cp 2Ki 24:12-16; 2Ch 33:11; Dan 1:3,4,6).

2Ki 20:19

THE WORD OF THE LORD YOU HAVE SPOKEN IS GOOD: A humble acknowledgment of the preeminence of God’s will (cp 2Ch 32:26).

THERE WILL BE PEACE AND SECURITY IN MY LIFETIME: Which, after all, is all that any man can aspire to! For Hezekiah’s ardent desire for peace, cp Psa 120:6,7; 122:6,7; 125:5; 128:6.

2Ki 20:20

HOW HE MADE THE POOL AND THE TUNNEL BY WHICH HE BROUGHT WATER INTO THE CITY: Hezekiah’s 1,777 foot long tunnel was a noteworthy accomplishment. It brought water from the Gihon spring outside the city wall, under the wall of Jerusalem, and into the city, specifically to the pool of Siloam. This made Jerusalem much more self-sufficient in times of invasion than it would have been otherwise.

See Lesson, Hezekiah’s tunnel.

2Ki 21:1

TWELVE YEARS OLD WHEN HE BECAME KING: Thus he was not born until 3 years after Hezekiah’s life was extended (cp Isa 53:8).

2Ki 21:2

HE DID EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD…: The tragedy is that Hezekiah, the good king, had a son in his old age who was an appalling example of evil. So faithful men do not always have faithful sons. A comfort to those righteous ones with children who have not accepted the gospel (yet! — for, remember that Manasseh repented at the end of his life!).

2Ki 21:3

ASHERAH: See Lesson, Asherah.

2Ki 21:4

IN JERUSALEM I WILL PUT MY NAME: Cp Deu 12:5; 2Sa 7:13; 1Ki 8:29; 9:3; Psa 78:68,69; 132:13,14.

2Ki 21:7

ASHERAH: See Lesson, Asherah.

2Ki 21:12

THE EARS OF EVERYONE WHO HEARS OF IT WILL TINGLE: The dreadful news will affect him like a sharp piercing sound. This phrase, which is first used in the time of Samuel, passes into use by the prophets to remind Israel that they are following the sins of the house of Eli: 1Sa 3:11; Jer 19:3.

2Ki 21:13

I WILL WIPE OUT JERUSALEM AS ONE WIPES A DISH, WIPING IT AND TURNING IT UPSIDE DOWN: (1) As one wipes a dish clean, turning it over so that no drop is left, so Jerusalem’s destruction would be total. None would remain. Yet the dish is not destroyed, “signifying hereby the emptying of Jerusalem of its palaces and houses, wealth and riches and of all its inhabitants; and yet the empty dish being preserved, seems to denote the restoration of Jerusalem after the seventy years’ captivity” (Gill).

Or… (2) ” ‘I will blot out Jerusalem as tablets are wont to be blotted out’ [Vulgate]. This is a metaphor taken from the ancient method of writing: they traced their letters with a stylus on boards thinly spread over with wax; for this purpose one end of the stylus was sharp, the other end blunt and smooth, with which they could rub out what they had written, and so smooth the place and spread back the wax, as to render it capable of receiving any other word. Thus the Lord had written down Jerusalem, never intending that its name or its memorial should be blotted out. It was written down The Holy City, The City of the Great King; but now God turns the stylus and blots this out; and the Holy Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, is no longer to be found! This double use of the stylus is pointed out in this ancient riddle: ‘I am flat at the top, but sharp at the bottom; I turn either end, and perform a double function: One end destroys what the other end has made’ ” (Clarke).

Ct with Rev 14:1; 3:10-12: God’s name written on their foreheads. Also ct Rev 3:5: “I will never blot out his name from the book of life.”

2Ki 21:17

See 2Ch 33:11-19. Manasseh is carried captive to Babylon, where he repents and is heard by God. He returns and begins his reforms.

2Ki 21:18

AMON: Poss named after Egyptian sun-god.

2Ki 15:4

THE HIGH PLACES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT REMOVED: Specific mention is made, several times, of the high places not being taken away: by Asa (1Ki 15:14); Jehoshaphat (1Ki 22:43); Jehoash (2Ki 12:3); Amaziah (2Ki 14:4); Azariah/Uzziah (2Ki 15:4); and Jotham (2Ki 15:35) — demonstrating the importance of this action in God’s sight. These kings did not make a full return to God. The high places (which had been used for idol worship) might have been out of use for the time being, but it seems they were not totally destroyed until the time of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:4; 2Ch 32:12); and even then their prohibition did not last beyond his reign (2Ch 33:3).

Do we have other shrines at which we worship? We must be sure that we remove the “high places” from our lives completely, even if they are currently “out of use”.

2Ki 15:5

THE LORD AFFLICTED THE KING WITH LEPROSY: Because he presumed to offer incense before God (2Ch 26:19-21). Whilst the Kings account does not mention this specifically, we should not forget the presumption of Uzziah.

2Ki 15:16

TIPHSAH: “The Jewish writers commonly take this Tiphsah to be without the land of Israel, the same with that in 1Ki 4:24 on the borders of Syria, and near the Euphrates; but it seems to be some place nearer Samaria, and Tirzah; it was but six miles from Samaria” (Gill). “Since it is clearly associated with Tirzah in the territory of Manasseh, it is not to be identified with the city on the Euphrates. However, the variant readings of the name in the Gr versions and the otherwise singularity of its reference have led the RSV to adopt the Lucianic reading Taphoe and to identify the name with Tappuah, a town in the north of Ephraim not far from Shiloh (cf Jos 16:8; 17:7)” (WyE).

2Ki 15:30

THE TWENTIETH YEAR OF JOTHAM: That is, the 20th year of his life, not the 20th year of his reign: he only reigned 16 years (v 33; 2Ch 27:1). Thus, this is 4th year of reign of Ahaz — cp Isa 7.

2Ki 15:32

Vv 32-38: “The career of Jotham was relatively short but enormously successful. He came to the throne as a coregent with his father Uzziah who was forced out of public life through the leprosy contracted in the temple as a result of his presumption. It appears that Jotham’s sole reign lasted only about six years but throughout his short reign he followed the example of his father’s early years and sought Yahweh who in turn blessed him.

“The history of Jotham’s reign is very short but sufficient is recorded to clearly indicate that Jotham was one of Judah’s finest rulers. Like his father he was successful at home and abroad; his military campaigns and internal projects to fortify Judah were all divinely blessed until he ‘became mighty’. The only deficiency of his reign was that his dedication to Yahweh was not shared by the majority of the people of Judah. After the divine estimation of Jotham the record concludes ominously: ‘And the people did yet corruptly.’ Jotham’s personal integrity was beyond question but he appears to have been unaware of the desperate need for a reformation in the ecclesia. This had to wait till the reign of Hezekiah his grandson.

“The most important feature of Jotham’s life was that his success was directly related to his godliness. The account is explicit: ‘So Jotham became mighty, BECAUSE he prepared (established or fixed) his ways before Yahweh his God.’ The grounds upon which present and ultimate success are predicated have not changed: ‘To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word’ (Isa 66:2)” (CKi).

2Ki 15:35

THE HIGH PLACES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT REMOVED: Specific mention is made, several times, of the high places not being taken away: by Asa (1Ki 15:14); Jehoshaphat (1Ki 22:43); Jehoash (2Ki 12:3); Amaziah (2Ki 14:4); Azariah/Uzziah (2Ki 15:4); and Jotham (2Ki 15:35) — demonstrating the importance of this action in God’s sight. These kings did not make a full return to God. The high places (which had been used for idol worship) might have been out of use for the time being, but it seems they were not totally destroyed until the time of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:4; 2Ch 32:12); and even then their prohibition did not last beyond his reign (2Ch 33:3).

Do we have other shrines at which we worship? We must be sure that we remove the “high places” from our lives completely, even if they are currently “out of use”.

2Ki 11:1

Vv 1-3: “The king of Judah has been killed, his alliance with the king of Israel having involved him in the latter’s fate. Jehu had also murdered ‘the brethren of Ahaziah,’ forty-two in number. Next, Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah and a daughter of Ahab, killed all the males of the royal family, and planted herself on the throne. She had Jezebel’s force of character, unscrupulousness and disregard of human life. She was a tigress of a woman, and, no doubt, her six years’ usurpation was stained with blood and with the nameless abominations of Baal worship. Never had the kingdom of Judah been at a lower ebb. One infant was all that was left of David’s descendants. The whole promises of God seemed to depend for fulfilment on one little, feeble life. The tree had been cut down, and there was but this one sucker pushing forth a tiny shoot from ‘the root of Jesse.’

“We have in the passage, first, the six years of hiding in the temple. It is a pathetic picture, that of the infant rescued by his brave aunt from the blood-bath, and stowed away in the storeroom where the mats and cushions which served for beds were kept when not in use, watched over by two loving and courageous women, and taught infantile lessons by the husband of his aunt, Jehoiada the high priest. Many must have been aware of his existence, and there must have been loyal guarding of the secret, or Athaliah’s sword would have been reddened with the baby’s blood. Like the child Samuel, he had the Temple for his home, and his first impressions would be of daily sacrifices and white-robed priests. It was a better school for him than if he had been in the palace close by. The opening flower would have been soon besmirched there, but in the holy calm of the Temple courts it unfolded unstained. A Christian home should breathe the same atmosphere as surrounded Joash, and it, too, should be a temple, where holy peace rules, and where the first impressions printed on plastic little minds are of God and His service” (MacL).

The careful planning of Jehoiada the priest paid off. It would have been easy for him to reason that as Athaliah was on the throne and there was no obvious son to sit on the throne that there was nothing he could do about it. However, being provided with one of the king’s sons, he was willing to wait and plan for seven years before implementing his plan to remove Athaliah from the throne.

May we have the foresight and determination to plan to do the will of God even if it seems that our work will not come to fruition for many years.

THE WHOLE ROYAL FAMILY: Her own grandchildren!

2Ki 11:2

A BEDROOM: “Bedchamber” (AV). A closet or storage chamber, off the sleeping area, where mats and quilts were kept (StrScr 53).

2Ki 11:4

JEHOIADA: The husband of Jehosheba (2Ch 22:11).

2Ki 11:6

THE SUR GATE: A side exit from the palace to the temple.

2Ki 11:8

WHEREVER HE GOES: That is, back and forth between temple and palace.

2Ki 11:12

A COPY OF THE COVENANT: “The testimony” (AV). Prob meaning a copy of the written Law of God.

2Ki 11:14

THERE WAS THE KING, STANDING BY THE PILLAR, AS THE CUSTOM WAS: It seems that it was traditional for the king to stand by a pillar — perhaps as a security measure against attack: 2Ki 23:3.

ATHALIAH TORE HER ROBES AND CALLED OUT, “TREASON! TREASON!”: Ironically, she was pronouncing her own sentence, and demonstrating the end of her authority — just as Caiaphas (Mar 14:63).

2Ki 11:16

HORSES: Who, just like Athaliah, should never have been in the king’s house (Deu 17:16).

AND THERE SHE WAS PUT TO DEATH: Jehoiada — the High Priest who acted as king — destroys the wicked harlot who has reigned for six years!

2Ki 11:18

THEY SMASHED THE ALTARS AND IDOLS TO PIECES: This destruction of instruments of idol worship happens a number of times, but sadly, each time man has created more to destroy. There are certainly many lessons for us to learn if we will. Do we do any better? Are we destroying the idols and the ‘high places’ in our lives — at which we idolize and worship our own desires?

THE PRIEST OF BAAL: Jezebel began Baal-worship in Israel, and Athaliah began the same in Judah.

2Ki 12:3

THE HIGH PLACES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT REMOVED; THE PEOPLE CONTINUED TO OFFER SACRIFICES AND BURN INCENSE THERE: Although Jehoash was described as a good king, this goodness did not extend to making the people good by removing their high places where they worshipped their idols. Hezekiah was the only one to do this (2Ki 18:22), and even this was immediately be reversed by his son (2Ki 21:3). We are under a great responsibility to remove the “high places”, as it were, not just from our own lives, but that of the whole community of believers.

Specific mention is made, several times, of the high places not being taken away: by Asa (1Ki 15:14); Jehoshaphat (1Ki 22:43); Jehoash (2Ki 12:3); Amaziah (2Ki 14:4); Azariah/Uzziah (2Ki 15:4); and Jotham (2Ki 15:35) — demonstrating the importance of this action in God’s sight. These kings did not make a full return to God. The high places (which had been used for idol worship) might have been out of use for the time being, but it seems they were not totally destroyed until the time of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:4; 2Ch 32:12); and even then their prohibition did not last beyond his reign (2Ch 33:3).

Do we have other shrines at which we worship? We must be sure that we remove the “high places” from our lives completely, even if they are currently “out of use”.

2Ki 12:7

Misappropriation of funds.

2Ki 12:15

THEY ACTED WITH COMPLETE HONESTY: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mat 25:21). “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1Co 4:2).

Examples of faithfulness in service: Samuel (1Sa 3:20); David (1Sa 22:14); the temple overseers (2Ki 12:15); the workers (2Ch 34:12); Hananiah (Neh 7:2); Abraham (Neh 9:8); the treasurers (Neh 13:13); Daniel (Dan 6:4); Timothy (1Co 4:17); Epaphras (Col 1:7); Tychicus (Col 4:7); Onesimus (Col 4:9); Paul (1Ti 1:12); Moses (Heb 3:2,5); Gaius (3Jo 1:5); Jesus Christ (Rev 1:5); Antipas (Rev 2:13).

Cp Luk 16:10; 2Ch 31:12.

“An inscription attributed to Jehoash, the king of Judea who ruled in Jerusalem at the end of the ninth century BCE, has been authenticated by experts from the National Infrastructure Ministry’s Geological Survey of Israel following months of examination. The 10-line fragment, which was apparently found on the Temple Mount, is written in the first person on a black stone tablet in ancient Phoenician script. The inscription’s description of Temple ‘house repairs’ ordered by King Jehoash strongly resembles passages in 2Ki 12.

“Dr Gabriel Barkai, a leading Israeli archaeologist from Bar Ilan University’s Land of Israel Studies Department, says that if the inscription proves to be authentic, the finding is a ‘sensation’ of the greatest import. It could be, he says, the most significant archaeological finding yet in Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. It would be a first-of-its kind piece of physical evidence describing events in a manner that adheres to the narrative in the Bible.

“According to Dr Barkai, such a finding, which appears to furnish proof of the existence of the Temple, must be made available for examination by scholars, and can not be kept a virtual secret… Sources have indicated that the writing surfaced in the Temple Mount area as a result of wide-scale excavation work done in recent years in the area by Muslims, and that Palestinians relayed the fragment to a major collector of antiquities in Jerusalem…

“The inscription lauds repairs carried out by King Jehoash in ways reminiscent of the description in 2Ki. It includes the king’s request that priests collect public money to be used for the repair of the First Temple; and there are references to the purchase of timber and quarried stones for the carrying out of repairs on the Temple.

“The inscription contains fragments from 2Ki 12:15: ‘And they did not ask an accounting from the men into whose hands they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen; for they dealt honestly’ ” (BAR).

2Ki 12:18

WHO THEN WITHDREW FROM JERUSALEM: But he soon returned: 2Ch 24.

2Ki 13:1

2Ki 13: “In this ch the record returns to the history of Israel, taking it from the death of Jehu (1Ki 10:35) and briefly sketching the reign of Jehu’s son Jehoahaz and that of his grandson, Jehoahaz, known also as Joash. The Syrian oppression was the great event of the reign of Jehoahaz. But amidst the evil and wickedness of Jehoahaz reign (v 2), Yahweh revealed Himself as tender and compassionate, in spite of the duplicity of the king. His divine character is seen when ‘Jehoahaz besought Yahweh’, an expression which literally means ‘stroked the face of’. The same metaphor is used in Exo 32:11, 1Ki 13:6. It expresses the pleading of a man thoroughly humbled by the reverses of life. To such the Father responds, as does every true father similarly treated (cp Eph 3:15). Thus Yahweh provided a saviour (2Ki 13:5). Israel was saved through the victories of Joash and Jeroboam (v 25; 14:27), but the real source of salvation seems to have been Elisha. He must have been an influence for good in Israel, helping the king by his wise counsel. This explains the concern and despair of Joash on the impending death of Elisha (v 14)” (GEM).

2Ki 13:3

BEN-HADAD: A dynastic title of the Aramean, or Syrian kings. It is first seen in 1Ki 15:18 and the last reference, chronologically, is Jer 49:27.

2Ki 13:4

It is comforting that even in the midst of this apparently irretrievable immoral idolatry, God would listen to the pleas of one unrighteous man and allow him to be the saviour of the nation at that moment. How disappointing that even with this deliverance afforded them by God, none of them turned to Him (v 6).

2Ki 13:5

A DELIVERER: That is, Joash son of Jehoahaz.

2Ki 13:6

ASHERAH: See Lesson, Asherah.

2Ki 13:14

MY FATHER! MY FATHER!… THE CHARIOTS AND HORSEMEN OF ISRAEL!: These are the same words uttered by Elisha himself about his predecessor, Elijah (2Ki 2:12). Even the wicked king Jehoash realizes that Elisha, as God’s prophet, is more powerful than chariots and horses, and expresses here something of his awareness of the presence of the Almighty. It is true enough, that wherever the word of the prophet is found, there is the power of the LORD! And that power is infinitely greater than all the “chariots” and “horses” of all the armies that ever were.

What the younger Elisha had seen earlier in the old prophet Elijah, as he was being taken away from him, is finally seen by another in the now older Elisha, as he also is being taken away. Elisha may scarcely have realized how and when it was happening, but over time the “mantle” of Elijah had truly come to rest on his shoulders, spiritually as well as literally. He had grown up to the office, and now — at the end — it was as though Elijah was once more taking his leave of men. In a similar way, many a young man has wondered if he might ever attain to the wisdom, and experience, and authority, and strength of his father — to find, one day years later, that he has indeed. It has happened even as Jesus’ parable suggests: “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how”… until finally “the grain is ripe” (Mar 4:27,29)!

2Ki 13:17

APHEK: An area immediately east of Israel; site of recent Syrian conflicts. Though Syria is basically north of Israel, this explains “east” of v 17a.

2Ki 13:18

STRIKE THE GROUND: “Smite” in AV, meaning ‘shoot the arrows so they strike the ground.’

2Ki 13:19

We are given here no indication of whether Joash could possibly have known how many times he was expected to “strike”, but the implication is that he acted in a half-hearted manner in carrying out Elisha’s bidding, thus giving Elisha reason to be angry. Let us be sure not to respond half-heartedly to the things that are revealed to us.

2Ki 13:20

EVERY SPRING: Lit, “at the coming in of the year” (cp similar phrase, Exo 34:22): probably the fall, the time of Feast of Tabernacles.

2Ki 14:1

2Ki 14: “A last opportunity for the nation presented itself, as in Israel and Judah there reigned three able sovereigns in Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jeroboam II. The weakness of surrounding nations was their opportunity. A vigorous struggle broke out to raise the nations from the depression into which it had fallen. Syria and Edom were reduced. The borders were extended, the struggle partly successful. But it was frustrated by calamities beyond human power. The kings conquered their enemies, but not themselves, and thus failed in the struggle for complete independence. Those whose pride makes them too eager to fight may get enough of it in quick order. Many would have honour and wealth enough, if they but know when they had enough. But the prosperity of Israel under Jeroboam was a delusion and a snare. Two prophets raised their voices in warning and rebuke. Hosea and Amos, sounded forth their stern, harsh language, revealing the true state of the ecclesia. Hosea was a citizen of the north, for he speaks of the land (Hos 1:2) and ‘our king’ (Hos 7:5). The rough shepherd Amos was from Judah. He beheld with indignation the soft luxury and abandoned life in the northern kingdom. He gives a frightful picture of an apostate, licentious and decadent Israel. It was the ‘last days’ of the Davidic monarchy, and little time remained before the divine judgment came upon both northern and southern elements of the nation” (GEM).

2Ki 14:4

THE HIGH PLACES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT REMOVED: Specific mention is made, several times, of the high places not being taken away: by Asa (1Ki 15:14); Jehoshaphat (1Ki 22:43); Jehoash (2Ki 12:3); Amaziah (2Ki 14:4); Azariah/Uzziah (2Ki 15:4); and Jotham (2Ki 15:35) — demonstrating the importance of this action in God’s sight. These kings did not make a full return to God. The high places (which had been used for idol worship) might have been out of use for the time being, but it seems they were not totally destroyed until the time of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:4; 2Ch 32:12); and even then their prohibition did not last beyond his reign (2Ch 33:3).

Do we have other shrines at which we worship? We must be sure that we remove the “high places” from our lives completely, even if they are currently “out of use”.

2Ki 14:7

THE VALLEY OF SALT: The southern Dead Sea area, site of overthrown cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

SELA: Petra: a city of immense strength and a wonder of the ancient world. From here, trade routes ran to Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.

2Ki 14:8

Background: Amaziah had borrowed a mercenary army from Joash of Israel. The prophet intervened, and they were sent back. They were angry, and pillaged cities of Judah: 2Ch 25.

MEET ME FACE TO FACE: A declaration of war (v 11).

2Ki 14:9

Vv 9,10: Figurative language: ‘You were recently asking for my help, and now you are challenging me?!’ Thistle = king of Judah; cedar = king of Israel.

GIVE YOUR DAUGHTER TO MY SON: That is, ‘Give me an army!’

THEN A WILD BEAST IN LEBANON CAME ALONG AND TRAMPLED THE THISTLE UNDERFOOT: The pillaging of Judah’s cities by the mercenary army (see 2Ki 14:8n).

2Ki 14:10

Amaziah planned to fight the 10 tribes, win, and thus unify all Israel (Josephus).

2Ki 14:12

Reason: Amaziah had begun to practice idolatry with Edom’s “gods” (2Ch 25:14,20).

2Ki 14:16

JEROBOAM HIS SON: Jeroboam II.

2Ki 14:27

UNDER HEAVEN: A phrase suggesting the universality of Yahweh’s judgement: Gen 6:17; Exo 17:14; Deu 7:24; 9:14; 25:19; 29:20; 2Ki 14:27. The two NT references (Acts 4:12; Col 1:23) expand the theme to show that the Father is indeed concerned with salvation for all mankind.

2Ki 14:28

HOW HE RECOVERED FOR ISRAEL BOTH DAMASCUS AND HAMATH: Prob Jeroboam just recovered portions of territory previously taken from Israel by Damascus and Hamath.

2Ki 9:3

I ANOINT YOU KING OVER ISRAEL: The full message in vv 6-10.

2Ki 9:7

Vv 7-10: Not in the original message (v 3), but given in 2Ki 21:21-24.

2Ki 9:10

AND NO ONE WILL BURY HER: By Jewish reckoning, this is a horrendous thing (Psa 79:3). Here the Spirit is seeking to highlight the awful nature of the woman. Later it becomes the lament of the prophet when speaking of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem (Jer 14:16). In this way Jezebel’s death is seen to be as unpleasant as the final overthrow of the kingdom of God.

THEN HE OPENED THE DOOR AND RAN: Here the young man obeys the command of Elisha in v 3 to flee. Principle: God helps us only if we comply with His requirements. God would not look after the young man once this message was delivered unless he complied with God’s exact instruction, which was to flee as soon as it was done. Let us have our ears open to God’s instructions so that we too know what action is required of us by Him in each of the circumstances of our lives.

2Ki 9:11

THIS MADMAN: Ridicule of soldiers for a “holy man”.

YOU KNOW THE MAN AND THE SORT OF THINGS HE SAYS: ‘If you know he is mad, then you know his message is of no consequence.’

2Ki 9:30

2Ki 9:30:

Jezebel had one last defense: being a harlot, she could try to seduce Jehu.

2Ki 9:31

HIS MASTER: That is, Baasha (1Ki 16:9-15).

2Ki 9:33

THROW HER DOWN: “Lord, throw down the Jezebel of our unbelief, and let the dogs devour it” (CHS).

AS THEY TRAMPLED HER UNDERFOOT: Cp Isa 63:3, where Jesus is portrayed as treading down the enemies of the LORD: “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.”

2Ki 9:35

HER SKULL, HER FEET AND HER HANDS: But they did not eat everything! There is undoubtedly a lesson here, expressed symbolically: so wicked was Jezebel, that even the wild scavenger dogs of the streets — capable of eating the most disgusting garbage and offal — did not consider her head (symbolizing her thoughts), her feet (symbolizing her walk), or her hands (symbolizing her actions) fit to consume! When these dogs — which may readily consume their own vomit (Pro 26:11; 2Pe 2:22) — turn their backs on any “dish”, then it must be abhorrent to the last degree!

HER FEET AND HER HANDS: It is said, also, that dogs dislike small bones and never touch them (Tes 36:313).

2Ki 10:1

2Ki 10: “Jehu sets himself on vengeance bent. The terrible apostasy of the house of Ahab is to be answered on a pathway marked with blood. [1] Fear sweeps Samaria as Jehu now turns his attention to that city, and threatens war on Samaria: vv 1-5. He provides [2] terms of capitulation: vv 6,7, and then opens [3] condemnation upon the rulers: vv 8-11. The heaps of dead bodies were to be placed in an area of public resort that all might see and fear. It demonstrated the treachery of Ahab’s nobles, and the folly and danger of Jehu. This gives rise to the [4] slaughter of Ahaziah’s kinsmen: vv 12-14. Then [5] the vengeful Jehu received support from Jehonadab: vv 15,16, until finally, there is [6] further slaughter in Samaria: v 17. Fear lay heavily on the people at the approach of the ruthless and energetic captain, a fear that was fully justified in the massacre that took place. The people suffered for their support of Ahab. [7] Jehu traps the Baal worshippers: vv 18-28, as the proclamation went throughout the Land. Death was the penalty of non-compliance. The people had ample evidence that Jehu would carry out his threat if they disobeyed. From all parts of Israel, the devotees of Baal converged on the huge temple in Samaria. But it was to no avail, for he ‘destroyed Baal out of Israel’ (v 28), and its worship never effectively recovered. To that extent the revolution was a success. Finally, the record outlines: [8] Jehu’s shortcomings: vv 29-31, [9] Israel oppressed by Hazael: vv 32,33, and [10] the death of Jehu: vv 34-36. All attempts to frustrate Yahweh’s purpose fail” (GEM).

“Jehu is one of the most curious characters to appear in the report of the kings. He manifested an unquenchable zeal for Yahweh while undertaking the mission of wiping out Ahab’s house, but as soon as he came to the throne he casually reintroduced the apostasy of Jeroboam and completely ignored the Law of Yahweh concerning Israel’s worship. In order to ascertain his character, attention must therefore be focused on what motivated his professed zeal for Yahweh.

“Jehu massacred, in succession, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jezebel, seventy sons of Ahab, 42 princes of Judah, and many thousands of Baal worshippers gathered by his decree to a special conference in Samaria. The cool and calculated ruthlessness with which he accomplished the vengeance of Yahweh upon Ahab’s house is a clear indication of the real essence of Jehu’s character. Yahweh commended him for destroying the house of Ahab (2Ki 10:30), but not for the attitude he adopted in accomplishing it. Jehu relished bloodshed and derived great satisfaction from the destruction of his fellow-Israelites, as is revealed in the death of Ahab’s seventy sons — whose heads he piled up in two heaps at the gate of Jezreel (2Ki 10:8-11). His zeal for Yahweh was really only a cloak for a blood-thirstiness unequalled in the history of the kings; hence Yahweh declared that He would in turn ‘avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu’ (Hos 1:4)” (CKi).

Jehu was anointed to be king by Elijah (1Ki 19:16; 2Ki 9:5,6). However, even though he was anointed by the prophet of God, he turned out to be an evil king. It is as if his anointing made him think that he could do nothing wrong. He was lifted above his station. We must take care that we are not presumptuous because we are the “sons of God”.

2Ki 10:4

TWO KINGS: That is, Jehoram and Ahaziah.

2Ki 10:11

“But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers” (Psa 125:5).

2Ki 10:16

COME WITH ME AND SEE MY ZEAL FOR THE LORD: “A zeal for the LORD, but not according to knowledge” (Rom 10:2). While “zeal” for the LORD MAY result in bloodshed, it may also be true that professed “zeal” may be a cloak for a bloodthirsty spirit. Also, it is good to remember that — quite often — true “zeal” may be manifested WITHOUT bloodshed! The one who showed, always, the greatest “zeal” for the LORD and His house (Psa 69:9; John 2:17) demonstrated it by shedding HIS OWN blood, and not someone else’s!

2Ki 10:21

THEY CROWDED INTO THE TEMPLE OF BAAL UNTIL IT WAS FULL…: Ct Gen 15:16: “The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” Now it has!

2Ki 10:23

SEE THAT NO SERVANTS OF THE LORD ARE HERE WITH YOU: Special care taken not to kill any of the righteous: Eze 9:6; Rev 7:3; Gen 19:22; Amo 9:9.

2Ki 10:30

YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL SIT ON THE THRONE OF ISRAEL TO THE FOURTH GENERATION: (1) Jehu; (2) Jehoahaz (v 35); (3) Jehoash (2Ki 13:10); (4) Jeroboam II (2Ki 13:13); (5) Zachariah (2Ki 15:12).