said nothing of importance. But the men saw from his appearance and manner that something of significance had occurred. On being pressed Jehu revealed that he had been anointed as king of Israel, on which striking pronouncement the army immediately proclaimed him king.—2 Ki. 9:11-14.

DESTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE OF AHAB

Giving orders to keep the matter secret from Jezreel, Jehu rode furiously for that city. (2 Ki. 9:15, 16) Messengers sent out from Jezreel by Jehoram to inquire “Is there peace?” were sent to the rear of Jehu’s men. As the “heaving mass” of Jehu’s horsemen and chariots came closer, the chariot driving of Jehu “with madness” identified him to the watchman on the tower. Jehoram son of Ahab became suspicious and rode out in his war chariot, reaching Jehu at Naboth’s tract of land. Jehu shot him with an arrow and, recalling the prophecy of Elijah, commanded his adjutant Bidkar to throw his body into the field of Naboth. Then Jehu continued on into the city of Jezreel. Apparently Ahab’s grandson Ahaziah, who had come out of the city with Jehoram, tried to make his way back to his own capital, Jerusalem, but got only as far as Samaria and hid there. He was captured later and taken to Jehu near the town of Ibleam, not far from Jezreel. Jehu ordered his men to kill him in his war chariot. They wounded him mortally, on the way up to Gur, near Ibleam, but he escaped and fled to Megiddo, where he died. Then he was taken to Jerusalem and buried there.—2 Ki. 9:17-28; 2 Chron. 22:6-9.

On Jehu’s arrival in Jezreel, Ahab’s widow Jezebel called out: “Did it go all right with Zimri the killer of his lord?” (See 1 Kings 16:8-20.) But Jehu, unmoved by this veiled threat, called upon the court officials to throw her down. They complied. Her blood spattered on the wall and Jehu trampled her under his horses. Possibly giving a further insight into Jehu’s character is the terse statement in the account, “After that he came on in and ate and drank,” then commanded her burial. In the meantime Jezebel had been eaten by the dogs, which circumstance brought back to Jehu’s mind Elijah’s prophetic expression as to the manner of her execution.—2 Ki. 9:30-37; 1 Ki. 21:23.

Jehu wasted no time in pursuing the completion of his mission. He challenged the men of Samaria to set one of Ahab’s seventy sons on the throne and fight. But in fear they expressed loyalty to Jehu. Jehu boldly tested their loyalty by saying: “If you belong to me, . . . take the heads of the men that are sons of your lord and come to me tomorrow at this time at Jezreel.” The next day messengers appeared, carrying in baskets the seventy heads, which Jehu commanded to be put in two heaps at the gate of Jezreel until morning. After this Jehu killed all of Ahab’s distinguished men and acquaintances and his priests, and slaughtered forty-two men, the brothers of Ahab’s grandson King Ahaziah of Judah. Thus he destroyed also the sons of Jehoram of Judah, the husband of wicked Jezebel’s daughter Athaliah.—2 Ki. 10:1-14.

Great steps had been taken toward ridding Israel of Baal worship, but Jehu had much yet to do, and he went about it with characteristic promptness and zeal. On his ride to Samaria he encountered Jehonadab, a Rechabite. It may be recalled that the descendants of this man were later commended by Jehovah through the prophet Jeremiah for their faithfulness. (Jer. 35:1-16) Jehonadab expressed himself as being on Jehu’s side in his fight against Baalism and went along, assisting Jehu. All left over of those related to or connected with Ahab in Samaria were destroyed.—2 Ki. 10:15-17.

BAAL WORSHIPERS ANNIHILATED

Next, by the ruse of calling a great gathering for the worship of Baal, Jehu got all Israel’s Baal worshipers to assemble at the house of Baal. After ascertaining that there were no worshipers of Jehovah present, Jehu commanded his men to put to death everyone in the house. They thereafter destroyed the sacred pillars of Baal and pulled down the house, setting it aside for privies, for which the site was used down to the day of Jeremiah, writer of the account in the book of Kings. The record reads: “Thus Jehu annihilated Baal out of Israel.” (2 Ki. 10:18-28) However, later on Baal worship again gave trouble in both Israel and Judah.—2 Ki. 17:16; 2 Chron. 28:2; Jer. 32:29.

Likely to keep the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel distinct from the kingdom of Judah with its temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem, King Jehu let the calf worship remain in Israel with its centers at Dan and Bethel. “And Jehu himself did not take care to walk in the law of Jehovah the God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam with which he caused Israel to sin.”—2 Ki. 10:29, 31.

Nevertheless, for Jehu’s zealous and thorough work in eradicating Baalism and in executing Jehovah’s judgments on the house of Ahab, Jehovah rewarded Jehu with the promise that four generations of his sons would sit upon the throne of Israel. This was fulfilled in Jehu’s descendants Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II and Zechariah, whose rule ended in his assassination in 791 B.C.E. The dynasty of Jehu therefore reigned over Israel for about 114 years.—2 Ki. 10:30; 13:1, 10; 14:23; 15:8-12.

BLOODGUILT ON JEHU’S HOUSE

However, after Jehu’s day, by the prophet Hosea, Jehovah said: “For yet a little while and I must hold an accounting for the acts of bloodshed of Jezreel against the house of Jehu, and I must cause the royal rule of the house of Israel to cease.” (Hos. 1:4) This bloodguilt on Jehu’s house could not be for his carrying out the commission to destroy the house of Ahab, for God commended him for this. Neither could it be because he destroyed Ahaziah of Judah and his brothers. By their family connections, namely, by the marriage of Jehoram of Judah, the son of King Jehoshaphat, to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, the royal line of Judah was contaminated with an infiltration of the wicked house of Omri.

Rather, the key to the matter seems to lie in the statement that Jehu let calf worship continue in Israel and did not walk in the law of Jehovah with all his heart. This indicates that the motive of Jehu may not have been altogether right in destroying all that belonged to Ahab. He may have done it with at least a measure of selfish interest—to ensure his own position as the new king. For he let calf worship go on, just as Jeroboam had done, perhaps for the same reasons. (1 Ki. 12:25-30) Jehovah, while being pleased that the blotting out of filthy Baal worship and its adherents was carried out, would consider the whole motive of Jehu, even though he acted as Jehovah’s instrument. Jehu’s case may parallel in some respects the destruction of unfaithful Jerusalem by Babylon. Babylon carried out the execution as God had foretold, but did so from wrong motives—hatred of the Jews and their God Jehovah. Therefore, God brought Babylon to an accounting.—Jer. 25:8, 9; 50:33, 34; 51:24, 34, 35; Zech. 1:15.

The real power of the kingdom of Israel was broken when Jehu’s house fell, the kingdom lasting only about fifty years longer. Only Menahem, who struck down Zechariah’s murderer Shallum, had a son succeeding him on the throne. This son, Pekahiah, was assassinated, as was his murderer and successor Pekah. Hoshea, Israel’s last king, went into captivity to the king of Assyria.—2 Ki. 15:10, 13-30; 17:4.

The primary sin of Israel all along was its practice of calf worship. This led to the drawing of the nation away from Jehovah, with consequent deterioration. So the guilt for the “bloodshed of Jezreel” was one of the things, along with murdering, stealing, adultery and other crimes, that really found its root in the false worship that the rulers permitted the people to indulge in. (Hos. 4:2) Finally God had to “cause the royal rule of the house of Israel to cease.”—Hos. 1:4.

SYRIA AND ASSYRIA HARASS ISRAEL

Because of not turning fully to Jehovah and walking in his ways, Jehu had to face trouble from Hazael, king of Syria, all the days of his rule. Hazael took territory piece by piece from Israel’s domain on the other side of the Jordan. (2 Ki. 10:32, 33; Amos 1:3, 4) At the same time the Assyrian threat to Israel’s existence mounted.

ASSYRIAN INSCRIPTIONS NAME JEHU

In inscriptions of Shalmaneser III, king of Assyria, he claims to have received tribute from Jehu. The inscription reads: “The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri; I received from him silver, gold, a golden saplu-bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king, (and) wooden puruhtu [the meaning of the latter word being unknown].” (Actually, Jehu was not the son of Omri. But from Omri’s time the expression was sometimes used to designate the kings of Israel, doubtless because of Omri’s prowess and his building of Samaria, which continued as Israel’s capital until the fall of that ten-tribe kingdom to Assyria.)

Along with this same inscription on what is known as the Black Obelisk is a pictorial representation, probably of an emissary of Jehu, bowing before Shalmaneser and offering tribute. Some commentators remark that this is the first pictorial portrayal of Israelites, as far as is known. (See illustration on page 153.) However, we cannot be absolutely sure of the truthfulness of Shalmaneser’s claim. Also, the appearance of the figure in the picture cannot be relied on to be an accurate likeness of an Israelite, for these nations may have depicted their enemies as undesirable in appearance, much as drawings or pictures today portray people of an enemy nation as weak, grotesque or hateful.

4. The son of Obed of the family of Jerahmeel, a descendant of Hezron, son of Perez, who was born to Judah by Tamar. This Jehu’s line came through Jarha, an Egyptian slave. Sheshan, a descendant of Jerahmeel, had no sons, so he gave to Jarha his daughter as wife. The son born to them was Attai, an ancestor of Jehu.—1 Chron. 2:3-5, 25, 34-38.

5. A Simeonite, the son of Joshibiah. In the days of King Hezekiah of Judah he was among the chieftains of the Simeonite families who struck down the Hamites and the Meunim living in the vicinity of Gedor and who dwelt thereafter in the place of these people with their flocks.—1 Chron. 4:24, 35, 38-41.

JEHUBBAH

(Je·hubʹbah) [possibly, God has hidden].

A leading member of the tribe of Asher.—1 Chron. 7:34, 40.

JEHUCAL

(Je·huʹcal), Jucal (Juʹcal) [Jehovah is able, mighty].

A prince sent by King Zedekiah to ask Jeremiah to pray for Judah. (Jer. 37:3) This son of Shelemiah and three other influential princes had Jeremiah put into the miry cistern because his preaching was, as they put it, “weakening the hands of the men of war,” as well as the hands of the people in general.—Jer. 38:1-6.

JEHUD

(Jeʹhud) [praise].

A site in the territory of Dan (Josh. 19:40, 45) usually identified with modern el-Yahudiyeh, some eight miles (c. 13 kilometers) E of Jaffa (Joppa). The Greek Septuagint, though, uses “Azor” instead of Jehud. (Josh. 19:45, Bagster’s) Therefore some scholars link Jehud with modern Yazur, about three miles (c. 5 kilometers) E-SE of Jaffa. It is believed that this is the place called “Azuru” in Sennacherib’s annals.

JEHUDI

(Je·huʹdi) [a Jew].

An officer of King Jehoiakim sent by the princes of Judah to bring to them Baruch with Jeremiah’s scroll. When Jehudi later read the same roll to Jehoiakim, the king cut it up and burned it, piece by piece, until the whole scroll was destroyed.—Jer. 36:14, 21-23, 27, 32.

Jehudi was a great-grandson of Cushi. (Jer. 36:14) His name (meaning “a Jew”) and that of his ancestor are thought by some to denote that he was not a Jew by birth, but a proselyte, his grandfather’s name suggesting that the family was from Cush, or Ethiopia. However, those of the two generations in between both have typical Jewish names (Nethaniah his father and Shelemiah his grandfather) and even the name Cushi itself is elsewhere found as a proper name of a natural-born Jew. (Zeph. 1:1) So Jehudi was most likely simply a proper name given at birth and not a name first acquired as a proselyte.

JEIEL

(Je·iʹel) [God has healed, or, preserved].

1. A descendant of Jacob’s son Reuben.—1 Chron. 5:1, 7.

2. A Benjamite who, together with his family (wife Maacah and ten sons), was a settler of Gibeon; an ancestor of King Saul. (1 Chron. 8:29; 9:35-39) Apparently the same as Abiel.—1 Sam. 9:1; see ABIEL No. 1.

3. One of David’s mighty men; son of Hotham the Aroerite.—1 Chron. 11:26, 44.

4. A Levite, both a gatekeeper and a musician, who participated in the musical celebration when the Ark was first brought to Jerusalem and thereafter played in front of the tent that contained it.—1 Chron. 15:17, 18, 21, 28; 16:1, 4, 5 (the second occurrence of the name in verse 5).

5. Another Levitical musician who performed the same services as No. 4 above. (1 Chron. 16:5, the first occurrence of the name in that verse) He is called Jaaziel at 1 Chronicles 15:18 and Aziel in 15:20.

6. A Levitical descendant of Asaph and ancestor of the Levite who encouraged King Jehoshaphat and the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem not to fear their enemies for Jehovah would be with his people.—2 Chron. 20:14-17.

7. The secretary who registered and numbered King Uzziah’s army.—2 Chron. 26:11.

8. One of the chief Levites who made a very large contribution of animals for King Josiah’s great Passover celebration.—2 Chron. 35:1, 9.

9. A descendant of Adonikam who made the trip with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem in 468 B.C.E.—Ezra 8:1, 13.

10. One of the sons of Nebo who sent away their foreign wives and sons in Ezra’s day.—Ezra 10:43, 44.

JEKABZEEL

(Je·kabʹze·el).

An alternate form of the name Kabzeel. (Neh. 11:25) This was a city in the southern part of Judah and is sometimes identified with Khirbet Hora, about ten miles (16 kilometers) NE of Beer-sheba.—See KABZEEL.

JEKAMEAM

(Jek·a·meʹam) [probably, may kinsman establish].

The fourth son of Hebron, a Kohathite Levite, and founder of a Levitical paternal house that survived at least until David’s reign.—1 Chron. 23:12, 19; 24:23, 30b, 31.

JEKAMIAH

(Jek·a·miʹah) [may Jehovah establish].

1. A descendant of Judah and son of Shallum.—1 Chron. 2:3, 41.

2. One of the sons born to King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) during his Babylonian exile.—1 Chron. 3:17, 18.

JEKUTHIEL

(Je·kuʹthi·el) [perhaps, may God nourish].

A descendant of Judah and “father of Zanoah.” (1 Chron. 4:1, 18) Zanoah is the name of a city rather than a person in its other occurrence (Josh. 15:56, 57), so Jekuthiel as its ‘father’ was likely the father of those who settled there, or was himself its founder or chief settler.—See ATROTH-BETH-JOAB.