2 Kings 10:25 kjv
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
2 Kings 10:25 nkjv
Now it happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, "Go in and kill them; let no one come out!" And they killed them with the edge of the sword; then the guards and the officers threw them out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.
2 Kings 10:25 niv
As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal.
2 Kings 10:25 esv
So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, "Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape." So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal,
2 Kings 10:25 nlt
As soon as Jehu had finished sacrificing the burnt offering, he commanded his guards and officers, "Go in and kill all of them. Don't let a single one escape!" So they killed them all with their swords, and the guards and officers dragged their bodies outside. Then Jehu's men went into the innermost fortress of the temple of Baal.
2 Kings 10 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Judgment on Idolatry | ||
| Deut 13:16 | "And you shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn..." | Total destruction for idolatry. |
| Deut 20:17 | "but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite..." | Command for utter destruction of idolaters. |
| Exod 34:13 | "You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim" | Destroying symbols of idolatry. |
| Lev 26:30 | "And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars..." | God's promise to destroy idolatry. |
| 1 Kgs 18:40 | "Then Elijah said to them, 'Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.'" | Elijah's execution of Baal prophets. |
| 2 Kgs 23:4 | "And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests... to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal..." | Josiah's comprehensive purge of idolatry. |
| Isa 2:18 | "And the idols shall utterly pass away." | Prophecy of the end of idols. |
| Jer 10:11 | "Thus you shall say to them: 'The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'" | Impotence and destruction of false gods. |
| Psa 115:4 | "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands." | The powerlessness of idols. |
| Execution of God's Will/Justice | ||
| 2 Kgs 9:7 | "For you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge..." | Divine mandate for Jehu's actions. |
| 2 Kgs 10:10 | "Know then that no word of the LORD that the LORD has spoken concerning the house of Ahab shall fail..." | Fulfillment of God's prophecy. |
| Num 25:8 | "He went after the man of Israel into the chamber and thrust both of them through..." | Phinehas' zeal for God's holiness. |
| Rom 13:4 | "for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain..." | The governing authority as God's agent of justice. |
| Psa 69:9 | "For zeal for your house has consumed me..." | Biblical zeal for God (contextually different but conceptually related). |
| Deceit/Strategy in Conflict (Descriptive, not Prescriptive) | ||
| Judg 4:18-22 | Jael's cunning and killing of Sisera. | Using strategy to defeat an enemy. |
| Josh 8:4-8 | Joshua's ambush strategy against Ai. | Military strategy and deception. |
| 1 Sam 16:2 | "And Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.''" | God directs Samuel to use a deceptive approach (to protect Samuel). |
| Consequences of Rejecting God | ||
| Judg 2:13-14 | "They abandoned the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel..." | God's judgment on those who turn to Baal. |
| Deut 8:19 | "And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them..." | Warnings about forgetting God and turning to other gods. |
| Zeph 1:4 | "I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal..." | Prophetic judgment against Baal worshippers. |
2 Kings 10 verses
2 Kings 10 25 Meaning
2 Kings 10:25 describes the climactic execution of Jehu's mission to eradicate Baal worship in Israel. After completing a feigned burnt offering to Baal, Jehu commanded his guards and officers to enter the temple, slay all the gathered Baal worshippers, and ensure none escaped. They carried out the slaughter, removing the bodies, and then proceeded to the inner sanctum of the Baal temple to continue the purge by destroying the idols and cult objects, as detailed in the following verses. This verse marks the bloody end of the public display of Baal's cult within the temple itself.
2 Kings 10 25 Context
This verse is positioned at the apex of Jehu's bloody, divinely commanded purge of the house of Ahab and the widespread Baal worship it had promoted in Israel. Jehu, anointed by Elisha's prophet to fulfill God's judgment, had systematically eliminated King Joram of Israel, King Ahaziah of Judah, and the infamous Queen Mother Jezebel. He then orchestrated the killing of seventy of Ahab's descendants in Samaria and all related royal officials and priests. To utterly eradicate Baal worship, Jehu enacted a clever, deceptive strategy: he proclaimed a "solemn assembly for Baal" (2 Kgs 10:20), even greater than Ahab's, gathering all prophets, priests, and worshippers of Baal to Samaria. Verse 24 explicitly states that "there was not a man left who did not come." The context leading to verse 25 is Jehu's feigned devotion to Baal, ensuring every worshipper was within the temple. This setting transforms the temple of Baal from a place of false worship into a trap, sealing the fate of those who defied Yahweh. Historically, Baal worship, imported into Israel through figures like Jezebel, represented a severe threat to Yahweh's exclusive claim on Israel's devotion, leading to moral corruption and spiritual apostasy.
2 Kings 10 25 Word analysis
- Now when they had made an end: Signifies the completion of the Baalite burnt offering, a meticulously timed moment by Jehu to ensure the entire assembly of worshippers was focused and contained. It highlights Jehu's calculated timing in his mission.
- burnt offering: (עוֹלָה, ʿōlāh) In general, a sacrifice entirely consumed by fire, usually offered to Yahweh as an atonement or complete devotion. Here, it is ironically offered to Baal, demonstrating Jehu's convincing deception to ensnare the worshippers. Its completion serves as the cue for the massacre.
- Jehu said: Indicates a direct, authoritative command from the new king, showcasing his leadership in this brutal extermination.
- to the guard: (הָרָצִים, hārāṣîm) Literally "the runners." These were likely royal bodyguards or elite military couriers/executors, chosen for their loyalty and ability to carry out ruthless commands. They served as Jehu's immediate instruments of power.
- and to the captains: (הַשָּׁלִשִׁים, haššālîšîm) Literally "third men," possibly signifying elite officers or commanders of the royal guard, ranked higher than the general "runners." They were critical to executing such a large-scale, decisive act.
- 'Go in and kill them; let none come out.': A chillingly precise command for total eradication. "Go in" emphasizes the surprise and penetration of the sacred space. "Kill them" is absolute. "Let none come out" underscores the complete confinement and absence of survivors, highlighting the thoroughness and divine judgment upon persistent idolatry.
- So they struck them down: (וַיַּכּוּם, wayyakkûm) Implies a violent and comprehensive act of striking, likely with great force.
- with the edge of the sword: (לְפִי־חֶרֶב, ləfî-ḥereb) Literally "by the mouth of the sword." This is an idiom indicating execution by sharp blades, often used in contexts of complete annihilation or divine judgment. It emphasizes the violent and terminal nature of the killings.
- and the guard and the captains cast them out: Indicates the disposal of the bodies. "Cast them out" suggests disrespect for the dead bodies and possibly a defilement of the temple's surroundings, further signifying the total desecration of the Baal cult.
- and went to the city of the house of Baal: (וַיֵּלְכוּ עִיר בֵּית־הַבָּעַל, wayyēlḵû ʿîr bēyt-haBaʿal) This phrase is key. Some scholars interpret "city of the house of Baal" as the innermost sanctuary or treasury within the temple complex, where Baal's cult objects, statues, or pillars (matsebot) might have been stored. This transition signifies moving from the extermination of worshippers to the obliteration of the material manifestations of Baal worship itself, completing the cleansing as described in 2 Kgs 10:26-28. Others suggest it was an associated cultic complex or "fortress/citadel" tied to the main temple.
2 Kings 10 25 Bonus section
The complete destruction of the Baal temple and its worshippers as narrated here and in the subsequent verses highlights the Old Covenant principle of herem (utter destruction) against systems or peoples that represented total opposition to Yahweh and His covenant. This specific type of divine command was primarily applicable to national, idolatrous apostasy within the boundaries of ancient Israel, under unique historical circumstances where a clear and present danger to Yahweh's exclusive worship existed. It served as a vivid object lesson against syncretism and polytheism, aiming to cleanse the land of spiritual pollutants. Such actions are distinct from how God works in the New Covenant, which emphasizes spiritual warfare through gospel proclamation and transformation of hearts, not physical extermination of opponents.
2 Kings 10 25 Commentary
2 Kings 10:25 describes a decisive moment in Jehu's God-mandated purge. It encapsulates the fulfillment of divine judgment against profound national idolatry that had plagued Israel for decades under the house of Ahab. The use of deceit to gather all Baal worshippers into one location, followed by their slaughter within the very temple where they honored their false god, served as a dramatic and powerful display of Yahweh's supremacy. It starkly illustrates the impotence of Baal to protect his adherents. While the ruthlessness of Jehu's actions can be shocking, the biblical narrative consistently frames it as a righteous execution of God's command to purge Israel of its most egregious spiritual affront, essential for the purity of worship and the nation's spiritual survival under the Old Covenant. This act demonstrates that divine patience with persistent rebellion against God's laws eventually reaches its limit, resulting in severe judgment.