John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria , etc.] These might not be all his immediate sons, but some of them his grandsons, as such are sometimes called in Scripture: and Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel ; who fled thither, perhaps on Jehu’s coming to Jezreel, having slain Joram, being the metropolis of the kingdom, to consult about a successor, or how to oppose Jehu, and to frustrate his designs: but the Septuagint version is, “to the rulers of Samaria”, which seems most likely to be the true reading: to the elders ; the civil magistrates of the city of Samaria: and to them that brought up Ahab’s children : who had the care of their education; who either always dwelt at Samaria, being the royal city, or were sent with their charge thither, when Joram went to Ramothgilead, for safety, supposing he should be worsted by the Syrians; or they fled thither with them upon the death of Joram: saying ; as follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-14 - In the most awful events, though attended by the basest crimes of man the truth and justice of God are to be noticed; and he never did no can command any thing unjust or unreasonable. Jehu destroyed all tha remained of the house of Ahab; all who had been partners in his wickedness. When we think upon the sufferings and miseries of mankind when we look forward to the resurrection and last judgment, and thin upon the vast number of the wicked waiting their awful sentence of everlasting fire; when the whole sum of death and misery has bee considered, the solemn question occurs, Who slew all these? The answe is, SIN. Shall we then harbour sin in our bosoms, and seek for happiness from that which is the cause of all misery?
Original Hebrew ולאחאב256 שׁבעים7657 בנים1121 בשׁמרון8111 ויכתב3789 יהוא3058 ספרים5612 וישׁלח7971 שׁמרון8111 אל413 שׂרי8269 יזרעאל3157 הזקנים2205 ואל413 האמנים539 אחאב256 לאמר׃559
