Chapter 10: Yeihu annihilates all the descendants of Achav and the worshippers of Baal

1. Yeihu kills all 70 sons, and all the descendants, of Achav:

• Achav had seventy sons in Shomron.
• Yeihu taunts the sons of Achav and their protectors to wage war against him: Yeihu wrote letters and sent them to Shomron. The letters were sent to the elderly officials of Yizrael, and to the caretakers of Achav’s children [who were all located at the time in the city of Shomron^[1]]. The letter read as follows: “When this letter reaches you [begin to prepare for war against me^[2]]. You have Achav’s sons with you on your side, and chariots, horses, fortified cities, and arms. Now, select the best and the most suitable of Achav’s sons, and appoint him to his father’s throne, and come fight for your master’s monarchy.” [Yeihu sent this letter in order to discover if the people of Shomron would support his monarchy or would fight against him.^[3]]
• The recipients are frightened and capitulate to Yeihu: The recipients of the letter were very very frightened [understanding that Yeihu was in essence bringing them to war in order to annihilate them as he did to the two kings], and they said to each other, “Behold the two kings [Yoram and Achaziyahu] were unable to overcome him, how will we overcome him?” The people of the city, including the minister appointed over the palace, and the minister appointed over the city, and the elders of the city as well as the caretakers of the children, sent to Yeihu the following letter in reply: “We are your servants, and whatever you tell us we will do. We will not appoint anyone of Achav’s children as king and you may do whatever pleases you.”
• Yeihu sends a second letter asking the ministers to kill Achav’s sons: Yeihu sent a second letter to them, instructing them as follows: “If you are truly on my side and obey my orders, then bring me tomorrow to Yizrael the heads of the sons of Achav. Now, Achav has seventy sons who are being raised by the elders of the city.” [Yeihu wrote all this information in order to relate to the city leaders that he knows exactly how many sons Achav had and how many heads he is expecting on the morrow.]
• The 70 sons of Achav are killed and their heads are delivered to Yeihu: When the city leaders received the letter, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered them. A total of seventy men, who were all the sons of the King, were killed. The city leaders placed the heads of the sons in pots and sent them to Yeihu, to Yizrael. A messenger came and told Yeihu that they have brought him the heads of Achav’s sons. Yeihu instructed for the pots with the heads to be arranged into two piles at the entrance of the gate, until the morning.
• Yeihu speaks to the people: In the morning, Yeihu went out and stood outside to give a speech to the people. Yeihu told the people, “You all view yourselves as righteous [and innocent of murder, and view me as a murderer for killing the kings^[4]]. However, I only revolted against my master and slew him, but who slew all these beheaded individuals [if not you the people, the leaders of Shomron]. You should all know that all of G-ds words which he spoke regarding Achav shall be fulfilled, and indeed Hashem has fulfilled that which He spoke through His servant Eliyahu.”
• Yeihu kills the remaining descendants of Achav and all of his affiliates: Yeihu killed all those remaining of the house of Achav in Yizrael, and all his dignitaries, and relatives, and priests [of the Bamos], until he did not leave over any survivors.
• Yeihu returns to Shomron: Yeihu got up and traveled to Shomron and arrived by the home on the road where the shepherds would meet to shear the sheep.

[1] Radak 10:1

[2] See Rashi 10:2

[3] Metzudos Dovid 10:3

[4] Rashi 10:9