The Skeptics Annotated Bible (344 page)

12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

14 And he said, Take them alive. And
they took them alive, and slew
them at the pit of the shearing house, even
two and forty men
; neither left he any of them.

(10.14)
“They took them alive, and slew … two and forty men.”
Jehu meets with 42 brothers of Ahaziah, and then he murders them. 2 Chronicles 22.7 says that his killing was “of God.”
God’s 109th Killing

(10.15-17) Jehu and his partner show off their zeal for the Lord by murdering “all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, according to the word of the Lord.”
God’s 110th Killing

15 And
when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab
the son of Rechab
coming to meet him
: and he saluted him,
and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

(10.15)
“When he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab … coming to meet him … and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.”
After meeting with Ahaziah’s family (and killing them all), Jehu got into his chariot and drove away furiously toward Samaria. On his way, he ran across his old friend, Jehonadab. Jehu asked him, “Is your heart true to mine as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab said, “It is.” (They were very good friends.)

16 And he said,
Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.
So they made him ride in his chariot.

(10.16)
“Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.”
When Jehonadab and Jehu were finally alone, Jehu said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” Then the two men, whose hearts were true to each other, rode off into the sunset toward Samaria.

17 And when he came to Samaria,
he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

(10.17)
“He slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.”
When they arrived in Samaria, they slaughtered the rest of Ahab’s family “ according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.” And by so doing, the true-hearted partners expressed their zeal for the Lord.

(10.18-25) Jehu lied to the followers of Baal so that he could trap and kill them. God’s 111th Killing