2 Kings 10:28 kjv
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
2 Kings 10:28 nkjv
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel.
2 Kings 10:28 niv
So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.
2 Kings 10:28 esv
Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.
2 Kings 10:28 nlt
In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel.
2 Kings 10 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dt 7:5 | ...break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. | Command to destroy idols |
| Dt 12:2-3 | You must destroy completely all the places... tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and burn their Asherah poles in the fire... | Destroy places of idolatry |
| Ex 34:13 | Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. | Destroy idols |
| Jdg 6:25-32 | Gideon... built an altar to the LORD... destroyed his father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. | Example of destroying Baal altar |
| 1 Ki 16:31 | Ahab... began to serve Baal and worship him. | Introduction of Baal worship by Ahab |
| 1 Ki 19:16-17 | ...anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel... Jehu will put to death those who escape... | Prophecy of Jehu's destructive mission |
| 2 Ki 9:6-7 | 'I anoint you king over Israel... You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master...' | Anointing of Jehu to destroy Ahab & Baal |
| 2 Ki 10:16 | Then he said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD.” | Jehu's zeal for the Lord |
| 2 Ki 10:18-27 | Jehu gathered all the people... Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jehonadab... He commanded those who were in charge of the robes, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” | Jehu's ruse and massacre of Baal worshippers |
| Ps 106:36 | They served their idols, which became a snare to them. | Idolatry as a snare |
| Jer 19:5 | They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal... | Abhorrent practices of Baal worship |
| Hos 2:17 | I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will they be invoked by name. | Prophetic cleansing of Baal names |
| Zeph 1:4 | “I will stretch out My hand against Judah... I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal...' | Prophecy of Baal's eradication from Judah too |
| Is 42:8 | “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols." | God's exclusive claim to worship |
| Dt 6:13-14 | You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him and swear by His name. You shall not go after other gods... | Exclusivity of Yahweh worship |
| Jos 24:14-15 | “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness... Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." | Call to choose Yahweh exclusively |
| 1 Ki 18:39-40 | ...and fell on their faces, and said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” | Yahweh's supremacy over Baal |
| Jer 2:8 | The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who deal with the law did not know me... and the prophets prophesied by Baal... | Leaders led Israel into Baal worship |
| Eze 8:5-18 | Ezekiel's vision of idolatry in the temple, including weeping for Tammuz. | Wider scope of idolatry beyond Baal in Judah's temple |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. | NT warning against idolatry |
| 1 Cor 10:20 | ...the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God... | Idols associated with demonic entities |
| Rev 2:14 | ...who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols... | Spiritual idolatry & false teachings |
2 Kings 10 verses
2 Kings 10 28 Meaning
2 Kings 10:28 signifies the culmination of Jehu's divinely ordained mission to cleanse Israel of Baal worship. This verse affirms that Jehu, through systematic and decisive action, successfully eradicated the organized, state-sanctioned veneration of Baal from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It marks a significant, albeit temporary, religious purification following decades of syncretism and idolatry promoted by the Omride dynasty.
2 Kings 10 28 Context
2 Kings chapter 10 recounts the fulfillment of prophetic judgment against the house of Ahab and the widespread Baal worship that he and Jezebel had introduced and heavily promoted in Israel. Jehu, newly anointed king by divine command, embarks on a swift and ruthless purge. This includes the execution of King Joram, Ahaziah, Jezebel, seventy sons of Ahab, and forty-two relatives of Ahaziah. Following these political assassinations, Jehu turns his attention to the religious reform, specifically targeting the cult of Baal. He gathers all Baal worshippers under the guise of holding a great assembly for Baal, but it is a trap. Once they are inside the temple and distinct from Yahweh worshippers, Jehu's men slaughter them all. The temple of Baal is then destroyed and converted into a latrine, completely defiling it. Verse 28 serves as the climactic summary of this particular aspect of Jehu's mission—the decisive eradication of Baal worship from the nation of Israel.
2 Kings 10 28 Word analysis
- Thus (כֵּן - kēn): This adverb signals consequence or confirmation, indicating that the following statement is the result of Jehu's actions detailed in the preceding verses. It concludes the narrative of Jehu's purge against Baal.
- Jehu (יֵהוּא - yēhū): The divinely chosen agent of judgment. His name likely means "Yahweh is He." His zeal for the Lord is a recurring theme, though his obedience proves partial.
- destroyed (וַיַּשְׁמֵד - vayyashmed from the root שָׁמַד - shamadh): This powerful Hebrew verb signifies utter destruction, extermination, or obliteration. It implies a thorough and complete wiping out, emphasizing the decisiveness and finality of Jehu's act against Baal worship in this instance. It's often used for divine judgment.
- Baal (הַבַּעַל - ha-Ba'al): Refers to the chief Canaanite fertility god, worshipped widely in the ancient Near East. The definite article "ha-" ("the") identifies this specific, well-known false deity that had become the state cult in Israel under Ahab. His worship was antithetical to the worship of Yahweh and involved vile practices.
- from Israel (מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל - miYisra'el): This specifies the geographical and political scope of the cleansing. It means from the territory of the Northern Kingdom, highlighting that the nation was cleared of this specific idolatry. This does not imply an end to all forms of idolatry in Israel, only Baal.
2 Kings 10 28 Bonus section
- The term shamadh ("destroyed") applied to Baal signifies more than just a reduction; it points to a root-and-branch elimination of the Baal cult system itself, demonstrating God's zero tolerance for this rival deity.
- Historically, Baal worship involved elaborate rituals, often including sacred prostitution, self-mutilation by priests, and child sacrifice, making its eradication paramount from God's perspective.
- Jehu's purge was a specific, divinely mandated act of judgment. While thorough for Baal, it differs from the more extensive, ongoing reforms attempted by kings in Judah (like Hezekiah or Josiah) that targeted all forms of idolatry, including high places of Yahweh worship.
- Despite this complete destruction of Baal worship, the Northern Kingdom would still face God's judgment and eventual exile due to their continued adherence to the golden calves and other forms of apostasy, showing the partiality of this specific religious cleansing.
2 Kings 10 28 Commentary
2 Kings 10:28 concludes the account of Jehu's singular achievement: the comprehensive removal of the official, state-sanctioned Baal cult from Israel. This act was a direct fulfillment of prophetic word and a necessary judgment against the profound spiritual apostasy introduced by Ahab and Jezebel. Jehu's execution of this mission was characterized by strategic cunning and extreme thoroughness, ensuring that the altars, priests, and worshippers of Baal were eliminated, and their primary temple defiled. While a significant moment of religious purification for the Northern Kingdom, this verse also implicitly highlights Jehu's limited obedience. Though he eradicated Baal worship, he did not remove the golden calves at Bethel and Dan (2 Ki 10:29), demonstrating a zeal for the Lord that was politically motivated and not entirely pure. Thus, the purge, though decisive for Baal, was not a complete return to exclusive Yahweh worship for Israel.