2 Kings 10:13

Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We [are] the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

Jehu {H3058} met {H4672} with the brethren {H251} of Ahaziah {H274} king {H4428} of Judah {H3063}, and said {H559}, Who are ye? And they answered {H559}, We are the brethren {H251} of Ahaziah {H274}; and we go down {H3381} to salute {H7965} the children {H1121} of the king {H4428} and the children {H1121} of the queen {H1377}.

where he encountered relatives of Achazyah king of Y'hudah. "Who are you?" he asked. "We're relatives of Achazyah," they answered, "and we're going down to pay our respects to the families of the king and of the queen mother."

Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” “We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”

Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah: and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

Commentary

This verse details a significant and revealing encounter during Jehu's swift and violent purge of the house of Ahab and the worshippers of Baal in Israel.

Context

Jehu, recently anointed king by God's command, was executing judgment against the descendants and allies of King Ahab, as prophesied. He had already killed King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah (2 Kings 9:27), who was allied with Joram. Jehu was in Samaria, the capital, systematically eliminating those connected to Ahab's dynasty and Baal worship (2 Kings 10:11). The group he meets here consists of relatives of the recently deceased King Ahaziah of Judah, likely unaware of the full extent of the massacre unfolding in Samaria. They were heading to visit the children of the king and queen (presumably the surviving royal family members in Samaria), highlighting the interconnectedness and alliances between the royal houses of Israel and Judah at this time.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: Jehu's actions, including this encounter, are part of God's judgment against the wicked house of Ahab and their allies.
  • Intertwined Royal Families: The presence of Ahaziah's relatives in Samaria underscores the close, and ultimately fatal for Judah's royal line here, alliance between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah during this period.
  • Swift Justice: The unexpected meeting highlights the rapid and far-reaching nature of Jehu's purge.
  • Loyalty and Kinship: The men identify themselves by their relation to Ahaziah and state their purpose as visiting family, contrasting with the violent political upheaval.

Reflection

This brief interaction serves as a stark illustration of the pervasive reach of Jehu's purge and the consequences of the alliance between Judah and the wicked house of Ahab. It shows how political and spiritual choices (like the alliance with idolaters) can have devastating consequences, even for extended family members who seem innocent of the primary offenses. It reminds us that periods of intense judgment can sweep up many who are connected to the condemned structures or individuals.

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Cross-References

  • 2 Kings 8:29 (5 votes)

    And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

  • 2 Kings 8:24 (4 votes)

    And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

  • 2 Chronicles 21:17 (3 votes)

    And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

  • 2 Kings 9:21 (2 votes)

    And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

  • 2 Kings 9:27 (2 votes)

    But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw [this], he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. [And they did so] at the going up to Gur, which [is] by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

  • 2 Chronicles 22:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

  • 2 Chronicles 22:10 (2 votes)

    ¶ But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.