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.

2 KINGS 10:17KJV
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2 Kings 10:17 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 10:17 mean?

2 Kings 10:17 describes how Jehu, after arriving in Samaria, killed everyone who was left from the family of Ahab, completely wiping them out as God had earlier said would happen through Elijah. This verse shows Jehu carrying out the judgment that God had promised against Ahab’s family for their wrongdoing.

Jehu is the main actor in this verse, acting on God’s earlier message delivered by Elijah. The setting is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, where the remaining members of Ahab’s family had taken refuge. The verse emphasizes that Jehu’s actions were not just personal revenge but were fulfilling a prophecy spoken by God, highlighting a moment of reckoning for the house of Ahab.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 10:17

  • "slew" (נָכָה, nakah): This word often means to strike or kill decisively. Here, it stresses the complete and forceful destruction of Ahab’s remaining family, not just a partial defeat.
  • "destroyed" (שָׁמַד, shamad): This term means to utterly destroy or exterminate. Its use underlines that Jehu left no survivors from Ahab’s line, fulfilling the prophecy to its fullest extent.
  • "saying" (דָּבָר, davar): This word refers to a spoken word or message. In this context, it points back to the specific prophecy God gave through Elijah, showing that these events were not random but followed God’s declared plan.

Why 2 Kings 10:17 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jehu’s actions were not just political but were seen as carrying out God’s judgment as foretold by Elijah, connecting Jehu’s story to earlier prophetic warnings.
  • The mention of Samaria as the location highlights that even in the capital, Ahab’s family was not safe from the consequences of their actions, showing the thoroughness of the judgment.
  • The verse ties together the themes of prophecy and fulfillment, reminding readers that what God says through his prophets will come to pass, even if it takes time.

Where else these words appear

“Elijah” Hebrew H452 · used in 65 verses

  • 1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
  • 1 Kings 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
  • 2 Kings 1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

“Ahab” Hebrew H256 · used in 81 verses

  • 1 Kings 16:28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Kings 21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
  • 2 Kings 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

“destroyed” Hebrew H8045 · used in 86 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 31:3 The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.
  • Esther 7:4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

“Samaria” Hebrew H8111 · used in 101 verses

  • 1 Kings 13:32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
  • 2 Kings 13:1 In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.