2 Kings 10:19 kjv
Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
2 Kings 10:19 nkjv
Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live." But Jehu acted deceptively, with the intent of destroying the worshipers of Baal.
2 Kings 10:19 niv
Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live." But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
2 Kings 10:19 esv
Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live." But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.
2 Kings 10:19 nlt
Therefore, summon all the prophets and worshipers of Baal, and call together all his priests. See to it that every one of them comes, for I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who fails to come will be put to death." But Jehu's cunning plan was to destroy all the worshipers of Baal.
2 Kings 10 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 19:16 | ...you shall anoint Jehu... to be king over Israel, and Elisha... to be prophet in your place. | Jehu's divine commission to purge idolatry. |
| 2 Kgs 9:6-7 | ...Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'I anoint you king... You shall strike down the house of Ahab... that I may avenge the blood of my servants...' | Jehu anointed to execute judgment against Ahab's house and Baalism. |
| 1 Kgs 16:31-33 | ...Ahab... took Jezebel... and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal... Ahab did more to provoke the Lord... | Ahab and Jezebel established Baal worship, provoking God. |
| 1 Kgs 18:19 | Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me... together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. | Elijah challenged Baal prophets, setting precedent for gathering them for judgment. |
| Dt 7:5 | But thus you shall deal with them: you shall break down their altars and smash their pillars and cut down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire. | God commands His people to utterly destroy idolatrous symbols and worship. |
| Dt 12:2-3 | You shall surely destroy all the places... where the nations... served their gods... You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars... | God's instruction to utterly dismantle pagan worship centers. |
| Ex 34:13 | You shall tear down their altars and break their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim. | Specific command to destroy pagan altars and images. |
| Nu 25:1-9 | Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods... Phinehas... struck both... | Example of immediate and severe judgment against idolatry. |
| Jdg 6:25-32 | Gideon took ten men... and did as the Lord had told him... broke down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah... | God's agents destroying Baal altars, showing direct action against idolatry. |
| Ps 106:36-39 | They served their idols... and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan... | Depicts the terrible consequences and practices of idolatry. |
| Is 44:9-20 | All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in will not profit... | A satirical denouncement of the futility and emptiness of idolatry. |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them... They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. | Condemnation of false prophets, paralleling Baal's prophets. |
| Ezek 13:2-7 | Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying... | Denunciation of false prophets who deceive God's people. |
| Pr 1:4 | ...to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth... | The Hebrew word for 'cunningly' can also mean 'prudence' or 'shrewdness', usable for good. |
| Mt 10:16 | "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." | Principle of using strategic wisdom ("cunningly") for a righteous purpose. |
| Jn 8:44 | ...He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. | While Jehu used deception, it was for God's purpose against those serving the 'father of lies'. |
| Ro 1:21-23 | For although they knew God, they did not honor him... they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools... | Description of idolatry as a rebellion against God leading to spiritual blindness. |
| Ro 9:17 | For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed..." | God uses human agents, sometimes with morally ambiguous actions, to fulfill His divine purposes. |
| 1 Cor 10:20-21 | No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. | Understanding pagan sacrifices as offerings to demonic entities. |
| Rev 9:20-21 | The rest of mankind... did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood... | The continued adherence to idolatry is a sign of ultimate rebellion against God. |
| 2 Kgs 10:28-29 | Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam... the golden calves... | Jehu's success against Baalism was complete, though he himself had moral shortcomings. |
| Jer 7:18 | The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to other gods... | Illustrates the communal and pervasive nature of idolatry. |
2 Kings 10 verses
2 Kings 10 19 Meaning
Jehu's call to gather all Baal worshippers under the guise of offering a "great sacrifice" to Baal was a deceptive strategy. His true intent, divinely orchestrated, was to lure, trap, and utterly destroy every adherent of Baal in Israel, thereby purging the land of its widespread idolatry. This verse marks the beginning of the decisive phase in his divinely appointed mission to eradicate the idolatrous cult that had plagued Israel since the time of Ahab and Jezebel.
2 Kings 10 19 Context
This verse is pivotal in Jehu's purge of Baal worship from Israel, occurring immediately after his extensive eradication of the house of Ahab and the execution of Jezebel. Commissioned by God through a prophet of Elisha (2 Kgs 9:6-10), Jehu's primary mandate was to utterly destroy the dynasty that had ushered in unprecedented idolatry, specifically the worship of Baal and Asherah promoted by Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:31-33). Having eliminated the royal line and its direct associates, Jehu now targets the root and institutional structure of Baalism itself. The "house of Baal" likely refers to the prominent temple Ahab built in Samaria. Jehu's actions here are a final, systematic cleansing of the land from the specific form of paganism that Elijah had famously confronted on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18). His method involves deception, a ruse to gather all cult members for a decisive blow, fulfilling God's fierce judgment against idolatry.
Word Analysis
- Now therefore summon: The Hebrew qara (קָרָא) implies a forceful, authoritative, and public proclamation. Jehu's call is meant to leave no doubt as to its importance and required attendance.
- all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests: This is a comprehensive listing of the entire cult hierarchy and membership.
- Prophets (נְבִיאִים - nevi'im): These were the inspired spokesmen of Baal, seen as receiving direct revelations from the pagan deity. They played a significant role in promoting the cult.
- Servants (עֲבָדִים - avadim): Refers to devoted followers or devotees, those who performed various duties within the cult, possibly the lay adherents.
- Priests (כֹּהֲנִים - kohanim): The sacrificing and ritual functionaries of the Baal cult. Jehu seeks to eradicate the entire apparatus of Baal worship. This all-encompassing call highlights Jehu's meticulous plan to ensure total destruction.
- let none be missing (נֶפְקָד - nefqad): This emphasizes strict accountability. The term indicates being present, accounted for, or in this context, the grave consequence of absence. It signals a severe inspection or census. The threat, "Whoever is missing shall not live," underlines the life-or-death imperative for attendance, ensuring his deceptive plan would capture as many as possible.
- for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal (זֶבַח גָּדוֹל - zevach gadol): The phrase means a "great offering" or "great feast-offering." This is the core of Jehu's deception. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a "great sacrifice" would signify a significant religious event, a major festival requiring the presence of all true devotees, likely promising communal feasting and religious fervor. This deception works precisely because it plays into their existing religious practices and devotion.
- But Jehu acted cunningly (בְּעָרְמָה - b'ormah): The Hebrew word ʿormah (עָרְמָה) means "shrewdness," "craftiness," or "cunning." While sometimes used negatively in Scripture (e.g., deceit for evil, like Gen 3:1), it can also signify wisdom or prudence used strategically for good, especially against adversaries (e.g., Prov 1:4). Here, it denotes Jehu's astute, strategic maneuver to achieve a righteous end: the eradication of idolatry as mandated by God. It implies intellectual dexterity in a challenging mission.
- in order to destroy (לְהַשְׁמִיד - l'hashmid): The Hebrew hashmid (הַשְׁמִיד) means "to annihilate," "exterminate," or "make utterly perish." This clarifies Jehu's ultimate and violent objective.
- the worshipers of Baal (עֹבְדֵי הַבַּעַל - ovedei haba'al): Literally "servers of Baal" or "those who serve Baal." This specifies the target group – not just general idolaters, but those specifically committed to Baal worship, representing a foreign, intrusive, and particularly abominable cult in Israel. This final phrase directly links the method (cunning summons) with the purpose (utter destruction of this specific group).
2 Kings 10 19 Bonus section
The moral implications of Jehu's "cunning" deception in this biblical account are often discussed. While the Bible reports it as an effective strategy for fulfilling God's mandate without explicit condemnation of the deception itself in this context, it prompts theological reflection. This particular action occurred in a time of divine judgment against a severe form of idolatry that permeated the nation and was explicitly commanded by God. It is distinct from advocating deception as a general principle for believers. The Bible consistently promotes truthfulness, but there are instances where righteous figures engage in strategic deception against enemies of God for redemptive or judgmental purposes, showing that God sometimes uses extraordinary means in unique situations to bring about His sovereign will, especially against deeply entrenched wickedness.
2 Kings 10 19 Commentary
2 Kings 10:19 reveals Jehu's strategic brilliance, guided by divine purpose, in executing God's judgment against Baal worship. His seemingly zealous call for a "great sacrifice" was a sophisticated ruse, effectively drawing all members of the Baal cult—prophets, priests, and devotees—to one location under the illusion of a grand religious celebration. The deceptive method, characterized by the term "cunningly," enabled him to efficiently round up the entire idolatrous population for extermination, ensuring no adherents escaped. This systematic purging fulfills the earlier divine command given through Elijah and Elisha for the complete eradication of Ahab's wicked legacy and the Baal cult he instituted. The verse underscores the absolute incompatibility of Yahweh worship with any form of idolatry and demonstrates God's sovereign hand in dismantling forces hostile to His truth, even through instruments that employ methods some might find morally complex, yet fulfilling a righteous, divine decree. It marks the definitive end of state-sanctioned Baal worship in Israel.