2 Kings 10:18
New International Version
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

New Living Translation
Then Jehu called a meeting of all the people of the city and said to them, “Ahab’s worship of Baal was nothing compared to the way I will worship him!

English Standard Version
Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

King James Bible
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

New King James Version
Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve him much.

New American Standard Bible
Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

NASB 1995
Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

NASB 1977
Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

Amplified Bible
Jehu assembled all the people and said [in pretense] to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much [more].

Christian Standard Bible
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

American Standard Version
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much.

Contemporary English Version
Jehu called together the people in Samaria and said: King Ahab sometimes worshiped Baal, but I will be completely faithful to Baal.

English Revised Version
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Jehu brought all the people together. He said, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

Good News Translation
Jehu called the people of Samaria together and said, "King Ahab served the god Baal a little, but I will serve him much more.

International Standard Version
Then Jehu assembled all the people and announced to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot!

Majority Standard Bible
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, ?Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

NET Bible
Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, "Ahab worshiped Baal a little; Jehu will worship him with great devotion.

New Heart English Bible
Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jehu convened all the people, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

World English Bible
Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jehu gathers the whole of the people and says to them, “Ahab served Ba‘al a little—Jehu serves him much:

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehu gathereth the whole of the people, and saith unto them, 'Ahab served Baal a little -- Jehu doth serve him much:

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehu will gather together all the people, and say to them, Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jehu gathered together all the people, and said to them: Achab worshipped Baal a little, but I will worship him more.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Jehu gathered together the entire people. And he said to them: “Ahab worshipped Baal a little, but I will worship him even more.

New American Bible
Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them: “Ahab served Baal to some extent, but Jehu will serve him yet more.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab offered Baal small service; but Jehu will offer much more.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yahu gathered all the people and said to them: “Akhab worked for Baala a little. Yahu will work for him greatly!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them: 'Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Ju gathered all the people, and said to them, Achaab served Baal a little; Ju shall serve him much.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal
18Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. 19Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.…

Cross References
1 Kings 16:31-33
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. / First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. / Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

1 Kings 18:19-22
Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” / So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. / Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word. ...

1 Kings 19:18
Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

2 Kings 3:2-3
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. / Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

2 Kings 9:22
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

2 Chronicles 22:8-9
So while Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. / Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. So Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So no one was left from the house of Ahaziah with the strength to rule the kingdom.

Hosea 1:4
Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

Jeremiah 19:5
They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

Zephaniah 1:4-5
“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— / those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,

Romans 11:4
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

Revelation 2:20
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Revelation 17:1-6
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.” / And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ...

Matthew 12:39
Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Matthew 23:13-15
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

Ahab served Baal

2 Kings 3:2
And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.

1 Kings 16:31,32
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him…

1 Kings 18:19,22,40
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table…

Jehu

Job 13:7
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

Romans 3:8
And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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Ahab Assembled Baal Ba'al Baal's Convened Gathered Gathereth Great Jehu Little Servant Serve Served Small Together Way
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Ahab Assembled Baal Ba'al Baal's Convened Gathered Gathereth Great Jehu Little Servant Serve Served Small Together Way
2 Kings 10
1. Jehu, by his letters, causes seventy of Ahab's sons to be beheaded
8. He excuses the fact by the prophecy of Elijah
12. At the shearing house he slays forty-two of Ahaziah's brothers
15. He takes Jehonadab into his company
18. By subtilty he destroys all the worshippers of Baal
29. Jehu follows Jeroboam's sins
32. Hazael oppresses Israel
34. Jehoahaz succeeds Jehu














Then Jehu brought all the people together
The phrase begins with "Then Jehu," indicating a continuation of Jehu's decisive actions as king. Jehu, anointed by a prophet at God's command, was tasked with eradicating the house of Ahab and the worship of Baal in Israel. The Hebrew root for "brought together" (קָבַץ, qavats) implies a gathering or assembling, often used in contexts of summoning for significant events. This gathering was not merely a casual assembly but a strategic move by Jehu to consolidate his power and address the idolatry in Israel.

and said to them
Jehu's address to the people signifies a public declaration. In the ancient Near Eastern context, public proclamations were crucial for kings to communicate their intentions and policies. This phrase underscores the importance of leadership communication in rallying the people and setting the stage for the actions that would follow.

Ahab served Baal a little
This phrase contrasts Jehu's forthcoming actions with those of Ahab, the former king notorious for his promotion of Baal worship, influenced heavily by his wife Jezebel. The Hebrew word for "served" (עָבַד, avad) is often used in the context of worship or enslavement, indicating Ahab's commitment to Baal, though Jehu diminishes it as "a little." This could be seen as a rhetorical strategy to emphasize the severity of his own forthcoming actions against Baal worship.

but Jehu will serve him a lot
Here, Jehu uses irony or perhaps a deceptive strategy to gather all Baal worshipers together. The phrase "will serve him a lot" is a cunning declaration, as Jehu's true intention was to destroy Baal worship entirely. The Hebrew word for "a lot" (רַב, rav) suggests abundance or greatness, which in this context, serves to mislead the Baal worshipers into believing Jehu's commitment to Baal would surpass Ahab's. This strategic deception was part of Jehu's plan to fulfill God's command to eliminate Baal worship from Israel.

(18) Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.--Ahab had, as the people well knew, served Baal more than a little; but the antithesis was not too strong for Jehu's hidden meaning. He was thinking of his intended holocaust of human victims (2Kings 10:25).

Verses 18-28. - Jehu destroys the worshippers of Baal, arid puts an end to the Baal-worship. Verse 18. - And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. Hitherto the revolution had borne the appearance of a mere dynastic change, like those introduced by Baasha (1 Kings 15:27-29), Zimri (1 Kings 16:9-12), and Omri (1 Kings 16:17-19), and had had none of the characteristics of a religious reformation. Probably, as yet, no suspicion had touched the public mind that Jehu would be a less zealous worshipper of Baal than his predecessor. The outburst against Jezebel's "whoredoms" and "witchcrafts" (2 Kings 9:22) would be known to few, and might not have been understood as a condemnation of the entire Baalistic system. The "zeal for Jehovah" whispered in the ear of Jehonadab (ver. 16) had been hitherto kept secret. Thus there was nothing to prevent the multitude from giving implicit credence to the proclamation now made, and looking to see the new reign inaugurated by a magnificent and prolonged festival in honor of the two great Phoenician deities, Baal the sun-god, and Ashtoreth or Astarte the famous "Dea Syra" Such festivals were frequently held in Phoenicia and the rest of Syria, often lasting over many days, and constituting a time of excitement, feasting, and profligate enjoyment, which possessed immense attraction for the great mass of Asiatics.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Jehu
יֵהוּא֙ (yê·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3058: Jehu -- 'the LORD is He', the name of several Israelites

brought all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

together
וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ (way·yiq·bōṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6908: To gather, collect

and said,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Ahab
אַחְאָ֕ב (’aḥ·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet

served
עָבַ֥ד (‘ā·ḇaḏ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

Baal
הַבַּ֖עַל (hab·ba·‘al)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1168: Baal -- a heathen god

a little,
מְעָ֑ט (mə·‘āṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

but Jehu
יֵה֖וּא (yê·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3058: Jehu -- 'the LORD is He', the name of several Israelites

will serve him
יַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ (ya·‘aḇ·ḏen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

a lot.
הַרְבֵּֽה׃ (har·bêh)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great


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OT History: 2 Kings 10:18 Jehu gathered all the people together (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 10:17
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