Verse 11. - So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks; rather, and Jehu slew. Encouraged by his past success, having killed Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Jezebel, having secured the adhesion of the chief men in Samaria, and effected the destruction of all those who might naturally have claimed the succession and involved him in civil war, Jehu proceeded to greater lengths. He "slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel" - the princesses probably, as well as the princes - and further put to death all the leading partisans of the dethroned dynasty, the "great men," perhaps even those who had worked his bloody will at Samaria, and the intimate friends and supporters of the house - the מְיֻדָּעִים, as they are here called - not relatives, but "intimate acquaintances." And his priests. This expression causes a difficulty, since the destruction of the Baal-priests is related subsequently (vers. 19-25). It has been suggested to understand by כֹּהֲניִם, not" priests," but "high state officers" (Bahr) - a meaning which the word is thought to have in 2 Samuel 8:18 and 1 Kings 4:5. But this signification of כֹּהֵן is scarcely an ascertained one. Perhaps the same persons are intended as in ver. 19, the present notice of their death being a mere summary, and the narrative of vers. 19-25 a full statement of the circumstances. Until he left him none remaining; i.e. until the entire Ahabite faction was blotted out.
10:1-14 In the most awful events, though attended by the basest crimes of man, the truth and justice of God are to be noticed; and he never did nor can command any thing unjust or unreasonable. Jehu destroyed all that remained of the house of Ahab; all who had been partners in his wickedness. When we think upon the sufferings and miseries of mankind, when we look forward to the resurrection and last judgment, and think upon the vast number of the wicked waiting their awful sentence of everlasting fire; when the whole sum of death and misery has been considered, the solemn question occurs, Who slew all these? The answer is, SIN. Shall we then harbour sin in our bosoms, and seek for happiness from that which is the cause of all misery?
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 some of them at least were those very men that cut off the heads of his sons in complaisance to Jehu:
and his kinsfolks: more distantly related to him or his acquaintance and familiars, his associates in sin and wickedness:
and his priests: who officiated for him and offered his sacrifices to Baal; the priests he kept in his palace, and ate at his table:
until he left him none remaining; either of his kindred or his priests, that is, that were at Jezreel; for there were others at Samaria, 2 Kings 10:17.
In Jezreel.--The seat of the court.
His great men--i.e., high officials of his court; persons who owed their exaltation to him.
Kinsfolks.--Rather, his friends (literally, his known ones; "familiares ejus").
Priests.--See Notes on 2 Samuel 8:18; 1 Kings 4:5; 1 Chronicles 18:17.
None remaining.--No survivor.
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 some of them at least were those very men that cut off the heads of his sons in complaisance to Jehu:
and his kinsfolks: more distantly related to him or his acquaintance and familiars, his associates in sin and wickedness:
and his priests: who officiated for him and offered his sacrifices to Baal; the priests he kept in his palace, and ate at his table:
until he left him none remaining; either of his kindred or his priests, that is, that were at Jezreel; for there were others at Samaria, 2 Kings 10:17.