They quickly recognized Jehu’s authority and acted to secure their own protection.
When we read that So the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” (v.5), we see an immediate acknowledgment of Jehu’s rising authority. In the northern kingdom of Israel (which separated from Judah around 930 BC), Jehu emerged as a ruler anointed by God to purge the land of Ahab’s wicked dynasty. According to the historical record, Jehu reigned from approximately 841 BC to 814 BC. This verse describes how Israel’s ruling officials—those over the royal household and the city—along with the children’s guardians, collectively submit to Jehu’s leadership. Their promise that they will do “all that you say to us” and “we will not make any man king” shows both their fear of Jehu’s power and their willingness to comply rather than resist his reforms.
Jehu had sent letters to Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom, commanding its elders and leaders to eliminate the remaining members of King Ahab’s line. Some of these were the sons of Ahab, who lived under the care of various guardians in Samaria. Faced with Jehu’s formidable position and remembering that he had already executed King Joram (Ahab’s successor), Samaria’s leaders recognized that refusing Jehu would bring dire consequences. They thus declared, “We are your servants” (v.5), offering their allegiance. Their cooperation enabled Jehu to fulfill his mission of ending Ahab’s dynasty, a mission that was foretold and permitted by the LORD due to the idolatry promoted by Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 21:20-26). The swift capitulation in 2 Kings 10:5 foreshadows the drastic measures Jehu would soon carry out on the house of Ahab, actions further detailed in the same chapter when Jehu “killed all who remained of the house of Ahab” (2 Kings 10:11).
In this verse, the guardians and elders stand at a pivotal historical moment, ensuring that no other claimant to the throne is set up against Jehu. The language “do what is good in your sight” (v.5) reveals their understanding that their survival and the stability of Israel’s leadership depend on submission. Though Jehu was ultimately commended earlier for removing Ahab’s influence, he too would later deviate from faithfully following God’s law, which hastened further turmoil in Israel (2 Kings 10:31). Nevertheless, here we see the transitional phase of Israel’s monarchy where royal officials pledge total loyalty to the new king, trusting that it would spare them from destruction.
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2 Kings 10:5 meaning
When we read that So the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” (v.5), we see an immediate acknowledgment of Jehu’s rising authority. In the northern kingdom of Israel (which separated from Judah around 930 BC), Jehu emerged as a ruler anointed by God to purge the land of Ahab’s wicked dynasty. According to the historical record, Jehu reigned from approximately 841 BC to 814 BC. This verse describes how Israel’s ruling officials—those over the royal household and the city—along with the children’s guardians, collectively submit to Jehu’s leadership. Their promise that they will do “all that you say to us” and “we will not make any man king” shows both their fear of Jehu’s power and their willingness to comply rather than resist his reforms.
Jehu had sent letters to Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom, commanding its elders and leaders to eliminate the remaining members of King Ahab’s line. Some of these were the sons of Ahab, who lived under the care of various guardians in Samaria. Faced with Jehu’s formidable position and remembering that he had already executed King Joram (Ahab’s successor), Samaria’s leaders recognized that refusing Jehu would bring dire consequences. They thus declared, “We are your servants” (v.5), offering their allegiance. Their cooperation enabled Jehu to fulfill his mission of ending Ahab’s dynasty, a mission that was foretold and permitted by the LORD due to the idolatry promoted by Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 21:20-26). The swift capitulation in 2 Kings 10:5 foreshadows the drastic measures Jehu would soon carry out on the house of Ahab, actions further detailed in the same chapter when Jehu “killed all who remained of the house of Ahab” (2 Kings 10:11).
In this verse, the guardians and elders stand at a pivotal historical moment, ensuring that no other claimant to the throne is set up against Jehu. The language “do what is good in your sight” (v.5) reveals their understanding that their survival and the stability of Israel’s leadership depend on submission. Though Jehu was ultimately commended earlier for removing Ahab’s influence, he too would later deviate from faithfully following God’s law, which hastened further turmoil in Israel (2 Kings 10:31). Nevertheless, here we see the transitional phase of Israel’s monarchy where royal officials pledge total loyalty to the new king, trusting that it would spare them from destruction.