This verse shows how wholehearted agreement in following God solidifies mutual bonds.
“Now when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he greeted him and said to him, ‘Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?’ And Jehonadab answered, ‘It is.’ Jehu said, ‘If it is, give me your hand.’ And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.” (2 Kings 10:15) Jehu, who began his rule over the northern kingdom of Israel around 841 BC, has just completed an act of zeal against the house of Ahab. While on the road, he encounters Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. Historically, “the son of Rechab” highlights that Jehonadab is part of the Rechabite family, known for their strict devotion to purity and abstaining from certain practices (Jeremiah 35). When Jehu asks, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” (v.15) he extends an invitation of unity, seeking someone who shares his fervor to eliminate idolatry and uphold the worship of the LORD.
In this moment, the geography shifts from the places where Jehu has brought judgment—likely moving from the region around Jezreel or Samaria—to a road where he meets Jehonadab. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, was situated on a strategic hill, and Jezreel lay to the east of the Jezreel Valley. Jehu’s journey from one city to another reveals his mission to purge Baal worship throughout Israel (2 Kings 10). It is on this route that he encounters a like-minded ally. Jehu’s question about the heart underscores the importance of genuine agreement in purpose before partnership, a principle that resonates throughout Scripture, and it foreshadows the type of unity Jesus prayed for among His followers (John 17).
When Jehonadab agrees and Jehu says, “If it is, give me your hand” (v.15), he is offering a physical gesture of acceptance and alliance. This act highlights the necessity of wholehearted commitment in pursuing God’s will. Jehonadab’s alliance with Jehu underscores a purposeful connection between two men intent on spiritual reform. Later in Israel’s history, the Rechabites would be commended for their steadfast adherence to their ancestor’s commands (Jeremiah 35). Seeing Jehonadab join Jehu’s chariot symbolizes a shared mission and a readiness to confront the rampant idolatry of that time.
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2 Kings 10:15 meaning
“Now when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he greeted him and said to him, ‘Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?’ And Jehonadab answered, ‘It is.’ Jehu said, ‘If it is, give me your hand.’ And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.” (2 Kings 10:15) Jehu, who began his rule over the northern kingdom of Israel around 841 BC, has just completed an act of zeal against the house of Ahab. While on the road, he encounters Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. Historically, “the son of Rechab” highlights that Jehonadab is part of the Rechabite family, known for their strict devotion to purity and abstaining from certain practices (Jeremiah 35). When Jehu asks, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” (v.15) he extends an invitation of unity, seeking someone who shares his fervor to eliminate idolatry and uphold the worship of the LORD.
In this moment, the geography shifts from the places where Jehu has brought judgment—likely moving from the region around Jezreel or Samaria—to a road where he meets Jehonadab. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, was situated on a strategic hill, and Jezreel lay to the east of the Jezreel Valley. Jehu’s journey from one city to another reveals his mission to purge Baal worship throughout Israel (2 Kings 10). It is on this route that he encounters a like-minded ally. Jehu’s question about the heart underscores the importance of genuine agreement in purpose before partnership, a principle that resonates throughout Scripture, and it foreshadows the type of unity Jesus prayed for among His followers (John 17).
When Jehonadab agrees and Jehu says, “If it is, give me your hand” (v.15), he is offering a physical gesture of acceptance and alliance. This act highlights the necessity of wholehearted commitment in pursuing God’s will. Jehonadab’s alliance with Jehu underscores a purposeful connection between two men intent on spiritual reform. Later in Israel’s history, the Rechabites would be commended for their steadfast adherence to their ancestor’s commands (Jeremiah 35). Seeing Jehonadab join Jehu’s chariot symbolizes a shared mission and a readiness to confront the rampant idolatry of that time.