The Meaning of 2 Kings 10:18 Explained

2 Kings 10:18

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

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

Darby: And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little: Jehu will serve him much.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 2 Kings 10:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 10:12-24 - Wiping Out Baal-Worship
For the well-being of the race it is sometimes necessary to cut off evil-doers, lest they spread such a contagion of evil as to involve the whole body politic. The actual brethren of Ahaziah were slain by the Arabians, 2 Chronicles 22:1. Jehu's work seems to have been complemented by an invasion of the Bedouins: the men mentioned here were probably, as the margin suggests, cousins or acquaintances. "Brethren" is a wide word, covering many degrees of blood-relationship.
Jehonadab was head of a remarkable tribe, and himself a man of unusual strength of character. The influence of his example and precepts left its mark on following generations, 1 Chronicles 2:55; Jeremiah 35:1-19. Jehu evidently respected Jehonadab's good opinion, and was careful to advertise his own zeal for Jehovah. But the really good man has no need to parade his excellencies; and certainly Jehu could not count that his manner of going to work would be acceptable to the Most High. He might have achieved the same results by less objectionable methods. We must, of course, remember that this Baal-worship was very licentious, and that every Israelite who entered that temple did so in direct defiance of repeated warnings from Elijah and others. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 10:18 mean?

And gathered together Jehu - all the people and said to them Ahab served Baal a little Jehu will serve him much
וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ יֵהוּא֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אַחְאָ֕ב עָבַ֥ד הַבַּ֖עַל מְעָ֑ט יֵה֖וּא יַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ הַרְבֵּֽה

וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ  And  gathered  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
יֵהוּא֙  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אַחְאָ֕ב  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
עָבַ֥ד  served 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
הַבַּ֖עַל  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
מְעָ֑ט  a  little 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
יֵה֖וּא  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
יַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ  will  serve  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
הַרְבֵּֽה  much 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.