Albert Barnes

Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests.

“It appears from this verse that the “prophets” and “priests” of Baal were not identical. The former would correspond to the dervishes, the latter to the mullahs, of Muslim countries. By the “servants” of Baal are meant the ordinary worshippers.”

And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.

“A solemn assembly - Jehu applies to his proposed gathering the sacred name assigned in the Law to the chiefest festivals of Yahweh (see Lev 23:36; Num 29:35; Deu 16:8).”

Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show.

“In order to understand how such numbers could find room, we must remember that the ancient temples had vast courts around them, which could contain many thousands.”

Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of…

“The presence of persons belonging to another religion was usually regarded by the ancients as a profanation of the rites. In the case of the Greek mysteries such intrusion is said to have been punished by death.”

When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.”

“As soon as he had made an end of offering - The actual sacrificers were no doubt the priests of Baal; but Jehu is considered to have made the offering, since he furnished the victims. Compare 1Ki 8:62-63. The guard - literally, “the runners.””

They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.

“The images - Or “pillars” of wood. The Phoenician pillar idols were mere columns, obelisks, or posts, destitute of any shaping into the semblance of humanity (compare 1Ki 14:23 note).”

They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.

“And they brake down the image of Baal - The other images, it appears, were not images of Baal, but of inferior deities.”

but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

“To abolish the calf-worship was a thought which had probably never occurred to Jehu. He had religious feeling enough, and patriotism enough, to detest the utterly debasing Astarte worship; but the pure worship of Yahweh was altogether beyond and above him.”

from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

“The loss of the entire trans-Jordanic territory seems to be intended, or at any rate its complete ruin and devastation (compare marginal reference “y”). This was the home of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh Jos 22:1-9.”

So the duration of Jehu’s reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

“In Samaria - The family of Ahab had made Jezreel a sort of second capital, and had reigned there, at least in part 2 Kings 9:15-30.”

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.

“Athaliah, as wife of Joram and mother of Ahaziah, had guided both the internal and the external policy of the Jewish kingdom; she had procured the establishmeut of the worship of Baal in Judaea 2Ki 8:18, 2Ki 8:27, and had maintained a close alliance with…”

And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

“And Athaliah did reign over the land - In these words the writer dismisses the entire reign of Athaliah, whereof he scorns to speak.”

and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace,

“Five divisions of the guard under their five captains are distinguished here. Three of the five divisions “enter in” on the Sabbath; the other two “go forth” on the Sabbath 2Ki 11:7.”

And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

“From the right corner ... - Rather, “from the right side of the temple buildings to the left side” - i. e., right across the temple court from the one side to the other, by the altar of burnt offerings, etc.”

And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.”

“Have her forth without the ranges - Rather, “Conduct her out between your ranks.” Guard her, i. e., on all sides, that the people may not fall upon her and kill her as she passes through the court, thereby polluting the temple.”

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.

“A covenant - Rather, “the covenant,” which either was already an established part of a coronation (marginal reference “k”), or at least became such afterward.”

He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the…

“They conducted the king down from the temple hill, across the valley of the Tyropoeum, and up the opposite hill to the royal palace, entering it not by the “horse-gate” 2Ki 11:16, where Athaliah had just been slain, but by the “gate of the guard”…”

Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

“The worship on the “high places” seems to have continued uninterruptedly to the time of Hezekiah, who abolished it 2Ki 18:4. It was, however, again established by Manasseh, his son 2Ki 21:3.”

Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage found in the temple.”

“The collection was not to be made in Jerusalem only, but in all “the cities of Judah” 2Ch 24:5; the various priests and Levites being collectors in their own neighborhoods.”

Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the house of the…

“The priests that kept the door - The north door into the priests’ court Eze 40:35-43 seems to be intended, not the door of the temple building.”

However, the money brought into the house of the LORD was not used for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver for…

“Comparing this verse with the marginal reference, it will be seen that the author of Kings desires to point out, that the repairs were not delayed by any deductions from the money that flowed in.”

The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.

“The trespass money and the sin money - In all cases of injury done to another, a man was bound by the Law to make compensation, to the sufferer, if possible; if not, to his nearest kinsman.”

At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

“There was probably a considerable interval between the conclusion of the arrangement for the repairs and the Syrian expedition related in these verses. For the events which had happened, see 2Ch 24:15-22.”

In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah over Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years.

“In this chapter the history of the kingdom of Israel is traced through the two reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoash. In 2 Kings 14 the history of Judah is resumed. In the three and twentieth year - Rather, the “one and twentieth year.””

So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.

“All their days - literally, “all the days.” Not “all the days” of the two Syrian kings, for Ben-hadad lost to Joash all the cities which he had gained from Jehoahaz 2Ki 13:25; but either “all the days of Jehoahaz” 2Ki 13:22, or “all the…”