The Skeptics Annotated Bible (343 page)

(9.26) “I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.”

27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.

29 And
in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign
over Judah.

(9.29) “In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign.”
242 When did Ahaziah begin to reign?

30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

(9.33-37) God has Jezebel thrown off a wall. Her blood is sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, by which she is trampled. Her body is eaten by dogs and all that remains of it is her hands, feet, and skull. (Jehu was just following God’s orders here. See 1 Kg 9.10)
God’s 106th Killing

33 And he said
, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

(9.33)
“Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.”

34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter.

35
And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

(9.35)
“And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.”

36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

(9.36)
“This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.”

37
And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field
in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

(9.37)
“And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field.”

(10.1-10) All seventy of King Ahab’s sons are killed, their heads put in baskets, and sent to Jehu. (God was punishing Ahab for not killing a captured king. See 1 Kings 20.42)
God’s 107th Killing

10
And
Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,

2 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and
fight for your master’s house.

(10.1-3)
“Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying … fight for your master’s house.”

4
But they were exceedingly afraid, and said
, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying,
We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

(10.4-5)
“But they were exceedingly afraid, and said … We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.”

6
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying
, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice,
take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time
. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

(10.6)
“Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying … take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time.”

7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that
they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets
, and sent him them to Jezreel.

(10.7)
“They took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets.”

8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying,
They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.

(10.8)
“They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.”

9 And it came to pass
in the morning,
that
he went out
, and stood,
and said
to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for
the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

(10.9-10)
“In the morning … he went out … and said … the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.”

11
So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

(10.11)
“So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.”
Jehu killed all that remained of king Ahab’s family and friends.
God’s 108th Killing