2 Kings 10:18
in 2 Kings 10Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much.
KJV
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
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This verse in 2 Kings 10
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAhab served Baal a little - Jehu had determined to have no worship in Israel but that of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel; therefore he purposes to destroy all the worshippers of Baal: and that he may do it without suspicion, he proclaims a great sacrifice; and that he may do it the more easily, he gathers them all together into one place.
This site's exposition
Ahab served Baal a little
on 2 Kings 10:18-19
Jehu's proclamation that Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu will serve him much is theater aimed at gathering every worshipper into one place. Clarke and the commentators read it as calculated deception rather than any change of heart, since Jehu has already sworn allegiance to the Lord's word through Elijah and Elisha. The lie works because Baal's own worshippers have no reason yet to suspect the king who just destroyed their rivals in Ahab's court.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
This opinion dishonors the holy martyrs; no, altogether removes the possibility of holy martyrdom. For, according to the Priscillianists, the martyrs would act more justly and wisely if they did not confess to their persecutors that they were Christians and by their confession make homicides of their persecutors, but rather, if by lying and by denying what they were, they preserved the advantage of the flesh and the intention of the heart and did not allow their persecutors to perform the wicked deed they had in mind. For these persecutors were enemies of the truth itself, not neighbors of theirs in the Christian faith to whom they were obliged to speak the truth with their tongue that they spoke in their heart. For if Jehu (whom as an example of lying they look on with greater show of prudence than on the others) falsely declared that he was a servant of Baal in order to kill the servants of Baal, how much more justly, according to the perversity of the Priscillianists, would the servants of Christ in time of persecution declare falsely that they are servants of demons in order that the servants of demons not kill the servant of Christ! And if Jehu sacrificed to Baal in order to kill people, how much more justly would they sacrifice to idols in order that people not be killed! Why, according to the remarkable doctrine of these liars, should it be prejudicial to them to profess falsely the worship of the devil in the open, provided they preserved the worship of God in their heart? But not in this manner have the true martyrs, the holy martyrs, understood the apostle. […]
"Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, 'Ahab offered Baal small service; but Jehu will offer much more.' " We need to examine the purpose of words and actions. And this must be done here too. In fact, since he did not …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The truth of God needs not any man's lie. He issued a proclamation, requiring the attendance of all the worshippers of Baal to join with him in a sacrifice to Baal (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And Jehu gathered all the people together,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Jehonadab the son of Rechab--(See 1Ch 2:55). A person who, from his piety and simple primitive manner of life (Jer 35:1-19), was highly esteemed, and possessed great influence in the country.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Though we cannot ascribe to Jehu a spirit of true piety (see 2Ki 10:29), we can well enough understand how the soldier, trained in the Syrian wars, revolted against the unmanly and voluptuous worship of the Dea Syra, and wished to go back to the simple solemn service of Yahweh. These views and feelings it would have been dangerous to declare during the lifetime of Jezebel. Even after her death it was prudent to temporise, to wait until the party of Ahab was crushed politically, before broaching tbe religious question. Having now slain all the issue of Ahab in the kingdom of Israel, and all the influential men of the party 2Ki 10:7, 2Ki 10:11, 2Ki 10:17, Jehu felt that he might begin his reformation of religion. But even now he uses “subtilty” rather than open violence. “Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.”
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ | vaiyikbotz | and he gathered | H6908 → | |
| יֵהוּא֙ | yehu' | Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֔ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַחְאָ֕ב | ʾachav | Ahab | H256 → | 92 times |
| עָבַ֥ד | ʾavad | he served | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבַּ֖עַל | habaal | <the> Baal | H1168 → | 82 times |
| מְעָ֑ט | meat | a little | H4592 → | |
| יֵה֖וּא | yehu' | Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| יַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ | yaavdenu | he will serve him | H5647 → | 288 times |
| הַרְבֵּֽה׃ | harbeh | much | H7235 → | 227 times |
וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץand he gathered
vaiyikbotzH6908 →
יֵהוּא֙Jehu
yehu'H3058 →58 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶ֔םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
אַחְאָ֕בAhab
ʾachavH256 →92 times
עָבַ֥דhe served
ʾavadH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבַּ֖עַל<the> Baal
habaalH1168 →82 times
מְעָ֑טa little
meatH4592 →
יֵה֖וּאJehu
yehu'H3058 →58 times
יַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּhe will serve him
yaavdenuH5647 →288 times
הַרְבֵּֽה׃much
harbehH7235 →227 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:8Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!
it leads to
- Romans 6:1
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
- Romans 6:15
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!
- Romans 6:1
Through
1 Kings 18:22Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:10
“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am…
- 1 Kings 19:14
“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am…
- 1 Kings 19:10
Through
1 Kings 18:19Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 16:33
Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.
- Joshua 19:26
Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west the border touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath,
- 2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 Kings 16:33
Through
Job 13:7Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?
it leads to
- Job 36:4
For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you.
- Job 36:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomAhabSeventh king of the northern kingdom, son of Omri, who "did evil above all that were before him"; Elijah's chief antagonist, conde…
- PersonDivided kingdomJehuThe furious-driving commander anointed at Elisha's order who purged the house of Ahab and Baal from Israel — zealous for the LORD,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Against Lying 2.3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, QUESTION 34, ON 2 KINGS.