Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city.
We left Jehu in quiet possession of Jezreel, triumphing over Joram and Jezebel; and we must now attend his further motions. He knew the whole house of Ahab must be cut off, and therefore proceeded in this bloody work, and did not do it deceitfully, or by halves, Jer 48:10. I. He got the heads of all the sons of Ahab cut off by their own guardians at Samaria.
Commenting on 2 Kings 10:1-14
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them,.... Having gained his point by the former: saying, if ye be mine, acknowledge yourselves my subjects and servants: and if ye will hearken to my voice; obey my commands: take ye the heads of the men your master's sons; that is, take off their heads: and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time...
take ye the heads of the men, your master's sons--The barbarous practice of a successful usurper slaughtering all who may have claims to the throne, has been frequently exemplified in the ancient and modern histories of the East.