Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 10
Samaria’s leaders cut off the heads of the princes from Ahab’s family. They killed these young men and boys so that Jehu would be in control of the whole country. They then brought the heads to Jehu at Jezreel, to prove that they had done it.
About 150 years earlier, Rechab and Baanah killed Ish-Bosheth and cut off his head for a similar purpose. Ish-Bosheth’s death brought the whole of Israel under David’s control. David’s reaction to that event was extreme anger at the cruelty of those two men. He ordered that they must die for their crime (2 Samuel chapter 4).
The Bible does not record Jehu’s emotions when he heard about the deaths of the 70 princes. It may be that he showed no emotion whatever. We do not know whether he was angry at this cruel act. We cannot say whether he was pleased to gain control over the whole nation. We only know that Jehu had urged Samaria’s rulers to act against the princes. Jehu wanted them to die – but he did not want to have any responsibility for this cruel act.
Jehu’s only reaction was to give an order about what to do with the heads. He put them on public display at the city’s gate, the only entrance into Jezreel. They were in two piles, probably one on each side of the gate. So, anyone who so desired, could go to see this awful sight. Everyone who entered the city that evening would have to walk past the two piles. Soon, everyone in the city knew what had happened. Probably, they all considered it a terrible shock.
Next part: Jehu's speech about Ahab's 70 sons (2 Kings 10:9-10)
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