Lexical Summary
Yehu: Jehu
Original Word:יֵהוּא
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Yehuw'
Pronunciation:YAY-hoo
Phonetic Spelling:(yay-hoo')
KJV: Jehu
NASB:Jehu
Word Origin:[fromH3068 (יְהוֹוָה - LORD) andH193 (אוּל - Mighty)1]
1. Jehovah (is) He
2. Jehu, the name of five Israelites
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jehu
FromYhovah andhuw'; Jehovah (is) He; Jehu, the name of five Israelites -- Jehu.
see HEBREWYhovah
see HEBREWhuw'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
Yhvh and
huDefinition"the LORD is He," the name of several Isr.
NASB TranslationJehu (58).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(probably contracted from =
is He, compare and references; cuneiform
Ia-u-a COT
1 Kings 16:23;
2 Kings 9:2 (further Schr
MBAW 1880, 277, ZA iii. 3 Hpt
BAS i. 296, 329 Jäger
ib. 468); compare also ) —
( , A often ,L1 Kings 19:16,17 (twice in verse);2 Kings 9:2 36t.2 Kings 9 & 10 +2 Kings 12:2;2 Kings 13:1;2 Kings 14:8;2 Kings 15:12; 2Chronicles 22:7,8,9; 25:17;Hosea 1:4.
prophet of Northern Israel in time of Baasha & Jehoshaphat ( , AL in Kings; , , AL in Chronicles)1 Kings 16:1,7,12; 2Chronicles 19:2; 20:34.
1 Chronicles 12:3 ( ,L ).
1 Chronicles 2:38 (twice in verse) ( , AL ).
1 Chronicles 4:35 ( i.e. ; AL ).
see below above.
Topical Lexicon
OccurrencesThe personal name Jehu (Hebrew יֵהוּא, Yehûʾ, “Yahweh is He”) appears about fifty-eight times across the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament. Its bearers fall into two groups: (1) nationally significant figures—Jehu son of Nimshi and Jehu son of Hanani, and (2) lesser-known individuals cited in tribal or military lists.
Principal Bearers
1. Jehu son (or descendant) of Nimshi, commander in Israel’s army who became the tenth king of the northern kingdom and founder of its longest dynasty (2 Kings 9–10; 13:1; 15:12).
2. Jehu son of Hanani, a prophet active in both the northern and southern kingdoms (1 Kings 16:1–12;2 Chronicles 19:2; 20:34).
3. Minor figures named Jehu:
• A Jerahmeelite of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:38).
• A Simeonite warrior (1 Chronicles 4:35).
• An Anathothite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:3).
Jehu Son of Nimshi: Historical Setting
His rise occurs during the Omride era (ninth century BC). Ahab’s house had institutionalized Baal worship (1 Kings 16:31–33) and increased political entanglements with Phoenicia and Judah. Elijah had already been commissioned to “anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel” (1 Kings 19:16), a task completed by Elisha through a prophetic messenger (2 Kings 9:1–3).
Anointing and Coup (2 Kings 9)
The young prophet declared, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel’” (2 Kings 9:6). Jehu immediately executed Joram of Israel at Jezreel (9:24), mortally wounded Ahaziah of Judah (9:27), and ensured the grisly fulfillment of Elijah’s word concerning Jezebel (9:30–37).
Judgment on the House of Ahab
Jehu’s purge reached into Samaria: “He killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel and in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD” (2 Kings 10:17). Seventy royal sons were executed; their heads were heaped at the city gate as public testimony (10:7–8).
Extirpation of Baal Worship
Feigning zeal for Baal, Jehu gathered the priests and devotees into Baal’s temple, then ordered, “Go in and strike them down! Let no one escape!” (2 Kings 10:25). The temple was razed and made “a latrine to this day” (10:27). “Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel” (10:28).
Divine Commendation and Conditional Promise
The LORD said, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My eyes… your sons will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation” (2 Kings 10:30). That word was later recalled when Zechariah, Jehu’s great-great-grandson, ascended (2 Kings 15:12).
Shortcomings and Mixed Verdict
“Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam… the golden calves at Bethel and Dan” (2 Kings 10:29). The verdict summarizes: “He was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart” (10:31). Consequently, Hazael of Aram began reducing Israelite territory (10:32–33).
Dynastic Span
Jehu reigned twenty-eight years (about 841–814 BC). His dynasty—Jehoahaz, Joash (Johoash), Jeroboam II, and Zechariah—lasted almost a century, the longest in the northern kingdom.
Later Prophetic Assessment
Hosea’s opening oracle recalls Jezreel: “I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel” (Hosea 1:4). The verse does not condemn the original execution of Ahab’s line—sanctioned by God—but the ongoing violence and apostasy of Jehu’s descendants, whose rule culminated in Israel’s fall.
Jehu Son of Hanani: Prophetic Ministry
This Jehu confronted King Baasha: “I lifted you up out of the dust… but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam” (1 Kings 16:2). He also rebuked King Jehoshaphat for his ill-advised alliance with Ahab: “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?” (2 Chronicles 19:2). His record of Jehoshaphat’s reign formed part of an official chronicle (2 Chronicles 20:34), illustrating the literary activity of the prophets.
Minor Figures Named Jehu
• Jehu of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:38): linked to the Jerahmeelites, showing the name’s early use within the tribe of Judah.
• Jehu son of Joshibiah (1 Chronicles 4:35): listed among Simeonite clans that migrated in search of pasture.
• Jehu the Anathothite (1 Chronicles 12:3): one of the warriors who defected to David while Saul still reigned, highlighting loyalty to God’s chosen king.
Theological Significance
1. Divine sovereignty over nations: Jehu’s rise fulfills prophetic word (1 Kings 19:16–17;2 Kings 9:6–10).
2. Certainty of judgment: the fall of Ahab’s house and Jezebel’s grisly end (2 Kings 9:36–37) display the inviolability of God’s warnings.
3. Conditional blessing: the promise of a four-generation dynasty balanced by the demand for covenant faithfulness (2 Kings 10:30–31).
4. Religious reform limited by self-interest: Jehu eliminated Baal yet tolerated calf worship—partial obedience that falls short of wholehearted devotion.
5. Prophetic accountability: Jehu son of Hanani models fearless proclamation to both kings and commoners, reminding God’s people that compromise invites rebuke.
Lessons for Believers
• Obedience must be complete, not selective.
• God’s plans advance through flawed instruments, but flaws still bear consequences.
• Zeal for reform does not excuse idolatry in other forms.
• Prophetic voices remain essential to call leaders back to covenant truth.
Forms and Transliterations
וְיֵה֖וּא וְיֵה֗וּא וְיֵה֞וּא וְיֵהוּא֙ ויהוא יֵ֠הוּא יֵה֑וּא יֵה֔וּא יֵה֖וּא יֵה֗וּא יֵה֛וּא יֵה֣וּא יֵה֤וּא יֵה֤וּא ׀ יֵה֥וּא יֵה֨וּא יֵהֽוּא׃ יֵהוּא֙ יֵהוּא֮ יהוא יהוא׃ לְיֵהוּא֙ ליהוא lə·yê·hū leyeHu ləyêhū veyeHu wə·yê·hū wəyêhū yê·hū yeHu yêhū
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