Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

2 KINGS 10:28KJV
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2 Kings 10:28 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 10:28 mean?

2 Kings 10:28 states that Jehu removed the worship of Baal from Israel. This verse marks the outcome of Jehu’s campaign to eliminate Baal worship, showing that he succeeded in eradicating this particular form of idolatry from the nation.

Jehu was the king of Israel at this time, and the verse summarizes his efforts to destroy the cult of Baal, a foreign god whose worship had spread in Israel. The context is that Jehu had just carried out a violent purge against Baal’s followers and their temple, as described in the previous verses. This verse serves as a summary statement, highlighting the completion of Jehu’s mission against Baal worship.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 10:28

  • Jehu (יֵהוּא, Yehu): This is the name of the king who led the campaign. His actions are central to the story, as he is the one responsible for the destruction described.
  • destroyed (שָׁמַד, shamad): This word often means to completely wipe out or exterminate. Its use here emphasizes that Jehu’s actions were thorough and left no trace of Baal worship.
  • Baal (בַּעַל, Ba‘al): This refers to a Canaanite deity whose worship was seen as a major threat to Israel’s faithfulness to their God. The verse’s focus on Baal underscores the religious conflict at the heart of Jehu’s reforms.
  • Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yisra’el): The nation as a whole is in view, showing that Jehu’s actions had a nationwide impact, not just a local or isolated effect.

Why 2 Kings 10:28 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jehu’s campaign was not just a partial effort but a decisive action that removed Baal worship from all of Israel.
  • The verse serves as a turning point in the narrative, showing the fulfillment of a key part of Jehu’s mission as king.
  • It highlights the seriousness with which idolatry was treated in Israel’s history, and how leadership could influence the nation’s spiritual direction.

Where else these words appear

“Jehu” Hebrew H3058 · used in 54 verses

  • 1 Kings 16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
  • 2 Kings 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
  • 2 Kings 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

“Baal” Hebrew H1168 · used in 68 verses

  • Judges 2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
  • 1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
  • 2 Chronicles 23:17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

“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.