Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 10:19

Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did [it] in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

19. call unto me all the prophets of Baal ] The LXX. represents Jehu’s words as an address to the prophets of Baal, ‘Now, O ye prophets of Baal, call ye unto me all his servants &c.’

all his servants ] R.V. worshippers. As the same word is so translated at the close of this verse, and again in 21, 22, and 23, there can be no warrant for a change in this place. R.V. makes the whole consistent.

all his priests ] These were not the same as the prophets. The latter gave oracles to enquirers and taught the mysteries of the worship, the priests attended on the numerous sacrifices.

Jehu did it in subtilty ] The word in the original is one connected with the same root as the name Jacob, a name interpreted by Esau to signify ‘supplanter’. Such an action as his implies a certain degree of guile, and hence the sense in this verse.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

It appears from this verse that the prophets and priests of Baal were not identical. The former would correspond to the dervishes, the latter to the mullahs, of Muslim countries. By the servants of Baal are meant the ordinary worshippers.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. Whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live.] Because, as he will thereby show himself without zeal for the service of his God, he will justly forfeit his life. All this was done in the very spirit of deceit.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

All his servants; either,

1. All his ministers; of whom there may seem to have been several sorts, whereof two are here distinctly mentioned, his prophets and priests; and the rest of the inferior sort may be comprehended under this general title of servants, because they were to attend upon the others in their sacred ministrations. And these being once destroyed, Jehu rightly concluded that the rest would fall of course. And this sense may seem to be favoured by 2Ki 10:22, wherein vestments were brought forth

for all these worshippers of Baal; which were not commonly used by the people in the worship either of God or of Baal, but only by the priests or ministers. Or,

2. All his worshippers, as the same word is translated in the close of this verse.

Quest. How could all these be contained in one house of Baal?

Answ. Well enough, for the number of Baals worshippers had been vastly diminished by the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, and the rest of the prophets, and by Jorams neglect and disuse of that worship. For the generality of the Israelites had too much knowledge to have any real and religious respect to such senseless idols; only they practised it in compliance with the humour of their king and queen, and for worldly or wicked ends; and therefore when the king deserted it, they generally forsook it, some few silly and besotted persons excepted, who are here gathered together. Besides, this house or temple of Baal might be very large and capacious, and probably was so, because it was the chief of that sort, as being in the kings city, and nigh his palace, and for the use of the king and queen, and the while court, and for great and high solemnities. Moreover, as the name of the house or temple of God at Jerusalem oft signifies not only the principal building, but all the other buildings and courts belonging to it, in which all the worshippers stood when they worshipped; so it might be here; and so there was space sufficient for all the worshippers of Baal which can reasonably be thought to have been at this time in all Israel.

I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; I will offer to him a noble and acceptable sacrifice; not of sheep, or oxen, &c., as they understood it, but of his own beloved priests, and prophets, and servants, as he meant it.

In subtlety; with another design, that he might both certainly discover and utterly destroy them all, without any further trouble, or danger of sedition or tumult in his kingdom.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

19. call unto me all the prophets ofBaalThe votaries of Baal are here classified under the severaltitles of prophets, priests, and servants, or worshippers generally.They might be easily convened into one spacious temple, as theirnumber had been greatly diminished both by the influentialministrations of Elijah and Elisha, and also from the late KingJoram’s neglect and discontinuance of the worship. Jehu’s appointmentof a solemn sacrifice in honor of Baal, and a summons to all hisworshippers to join in its celebration, was a deep-laid plot, whichhe had resolved upon for their extinction, a measure in perfectharmony with the Mosaic law, and worthy of a constitutional king ofIsrael. It was done, however, not from religious, but purelypolitical motives, because he believed that the existence andinterests of the Baalites were inseparably bound up with the dynastyof Ahab and because he hoped that by their extermination he wouldsecure the attachment of the far larger and more influential partywho worshipped God in Israel. Jehonadab’s concurrence must have beengiven in the belief of his being actuated solely by the highestprinciples of piety and zeal.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Ver. 19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, let none be wanting,…. All that were employed in the several parts of religious worship given him, and in performing any rite and ceremony belonging to it; in invocation of him, and singing praises to him, as the prophets; in offering sacrifices to him, as the priests; or in assisting them in their service, who may be meant by his servants or ministers:

for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal; by which, though he might mean a sacrifice of his prophets, priests, servants, and worshippers, he would have it otherwise understood, and his design was to deceive, which cannot be justified:

whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live: but be put to death; this he said, pretending his great zeal for Baal, when his view was by this threatening to get all his worshippers together to destroy them, that none might escape as follows:

but Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal: the Targum renders it, “with wisdom”; but Jarchi and Ben Gersom much better, “in deceit”; the word signifies supplantation, such as Esau charged Jacob with.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(19) Call unto me all the prophets of Baal.Comp. the similar convocation of the prophets of the Baal and Asherah by the prophet Elijah, 1Ki. 18:19 seq.

His servants.The same word as worshippers, infra.

To do.Omit.

To Baal.For the Baal.

But Jehu did it.Or, Now Jehu had done it; a parenthesis.

In subtilty.Or, in guile, treacherously. The word (oqbh) occurs only here. It is connected with the proper name Jacob. (See Gen. 25:26; Hos. 12:4.) The LXX. renders literally, , in heelingi.e., striking with the heel, tripping up.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

19. The prophets servants priests Every representative and devotee of the Baal worship must be present at this great sacrifice.

Jehu did it in subtilty His craft and guile on this occasion were in fearfulness equal to the duplicity and baseness which prepared the way for the massacre of St. Bartholomew. His Divine commission doubtless authorized him to cut off the worshippers of Baal, but not by guile. God praised his zeal in rooting out idolatry, but not his subtilty.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments