2 Kings 10:32

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) In those days.—As a vassal and ally of Assyria (see Notes on 2Kings 9:2), Jehu drew upon himself the active hostility of Hazael. (See Note on 2Kings 8:15.) Schröder remarks that it was quite natural for the Israelite sovereign to “throw himself into the arms of distant Assyria, in order to get protection against his immediate neighbour Syria, Israel’s hereditary foe.” Comp. the similar conduct of Ahaz as against Pekah and Rezin (2Kings 16:7). From the point of view of the sacred writer, this verse states the consequence of Jehu’s neglect of “walking in Jehovah’s instruction with all his heart” (2Kings 10:31).

The Lord began.—Through Hazael and the Syrians. (Comp. Isaiah 7:17; Isaiah 7:20; Isaiah 10:5-6.)

To cut Israel short.—Literally, to cut off in Israel—i.e., to cut off part after part of Israelite territory. (The verb means to cut off the extremities, Proverbs 26:6.) This refers to the conquests of Hazael. The Targum explains, “The wrath of the Lord began to be strong against Israel;” and the Vulg. has, “tædere super Israel.” Thenius conjectures from this that we should read, “to be wrathful with Israel;” but the construction would not then be usual.

In all the coasts.—Rather, on the whole border—scil., conterminous with Syria.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 10:32. In those days — In the time of Jehu’s life and reign, 2 Kings 10:34. The Lord began to cut Israel short — Either to diminish the number of the people by cutting them off, or to straiten their borders. Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel — In their borders, or the outermost part of their land, beyond Jordan, as it is explained 2 Kings 10:33; and at this time, probably, he executed the cruelties predicted by Elisha, 2 Kings 8:12.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:29-36 It is justly questionable whether Jehu acted from a good principle, and whether he did not take some false steps in doing it; yet no services done for God shall go unrewarded. But true conversion is not only from gross sin, but from all sin; not only from false gods, but from false worships. True conversion is not only from wasteful sins, but from gainful sins; not only from sins which hurt our worldly interests, but from those that support and befriend them; in forsaking which is the great trial whether we can deny ourselves and trust God. Jehu showed great care and zeal for rooting out a false religion, but in the true religion he cared not, took no heed to please God and do his duty. Those that are heedless, it is to be feared, are graceless. The people were also careless, therefore it is not strange that in those days the Lord began to cut Israel short. They were short in their duty to God, therefore God cut them short in their extent, wealth, and power.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To cut Israel short - literally, "to cut off in Israel," i. e., to take away from Israel portions of its territory (see the marginal reference).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

29. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam … Jehu departed not from after them—Jehu had no intention of carrying his zeal for the Lord beyond a certain point, and as he considered it impolitic to encourage his subjects to travel to Jerusalem, he re-established the symbolic worship of the calves.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

In those days; in the time of Jehu’s life and reign, as may be gathered by comparing 2 Kings 10:31.

To cut Israel short; either to diminish the number of the people, by cutting them off; or to straiten their borders.

In all the coasts of Israel, i.e. in their borders, or the uttermost part of their land beyond Jordan, as it is explained, 2 Kings 10:33. And at this time possibly he executed those cruelties mentioned 2 Kings 8:12.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short,.... To bring their dominions into a narrower compass; this was done in the days of Jehu, though he was so active and courageous, wherefore the hand of God was the more seen in it:

and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; which bordered on his country, when he did what Elisha foretold he would, 2 Kings 8:12.

Geneva Study Bible

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32–36. Cutting short of Israel. Jehu’s death, his successor and the duration of his reign (Not in Chronicles)

32. to cut Israel short] Literally ‘to cut off in Israel’. The meaning is ‘to give over some parts of their land into the enemy’s hand’. This, it is said, should rather be expressed by ‘to cut off from Israel’. But, as it stands, the context makes all clear enough. What had been part of Israel’s possessions, was severed from it, and passed into the power of Hazael and the Syrians.

in all the coasts of Israel] In the days when the A.V. was made, ‘coast’ meant ‘any border land’ and had no necessary relation to the sea. The ‘coasts’ described in the next verse are all on the east of Jordan, and entirely away from the Mediterranean. Hazael must have thoroughly overrun and taken possession of the trans-Jordanic part of Israel.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32-36. - Jehu's wars, length of reign, and successor. Verse 32. - In those days the Lord began to out Israel short. It is certainly not stated in direct terms that the ill success of Jehu's foreign wars was a punishment on him for his continued maintenance of the calf-idolatry; but the juxtaposition of vers. 31 and 32 naturally raises the idea, and constitutes a strong presumption that it was in the writer's mind. The "theocracy" under the kings was carried on mainly, as the writer of Chronicles clearly saw, by the bestowal of worldly prosperity and military success on good kings, and the accumulation of misfortunes and military disasters on bad ones (see 2 Chronicles 12:5-12; 2 Chronicles 13:4-18; 2 Chronicles 14:2-15; 2 Chronicles 15:2-15; 2 Chronicles 17:3-5. etc.). By "cutting Israel short" - literally, "cutting off in Israel" - is probably meant the conquest of certain portions of the territory. Hazael resumed the war which Benhadad had so long waged, and gained numerous successes. And Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; or, along their whole frontier (Bahr). The frontier intended is, of course, that on the north and east, where the Israelite territory was conterminous with that of Syria. 2 Kings 10:32

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Therefore (this link of connection follows from the actual fact, though it is not distinctly mentioned in the text) Hazael had now to inflict chastisement upon faithless Israel. In Jehu's days Jehovah began "to cut off in Israel," i.e., to rend away certain portions from the kingdom. "Hazael smote them (the Israelites) on the whole of the border of Israel," i.e., of the kingdom, "from Jordan to the sun-rising (i.e., on the eastern side of the Jordan), the whole of the land of Gilead (כּל־ארץ את is dependent upon יכּה which must be supplied from יכּם), namely, the territory of the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Half-Manasseh, from Aroer on the brook Arnon (now Araayr, a ruin on the northern border of the Mojeb (Arnon) valley; see at Numbers 32:34), the southern border of the Israelitish land to the east of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 2:36; Deuteronomy 3:12), both Gilead and Bashan," the two countries into which Gilead in the broader sense was divided (see at Deuteronomy 3:8-17). - These conquests took place during the twenty-eight years' reign of Jehu, since Hazael began to reign before Jehu, viz., while Joram was king, and had already fought successfully against the Israelites at Ramoth in Joram's reign (2 Kings 8:28-29), but not in the later part of Jehu's reign, as Thenius supposes.