מלכים ב, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ט

A calculated and sweeping operation to eradicate idolatry requires both absolute secrecy and brilliant manipulation. Jehu initiates a meticulous plan to destroy the worship of Baal in Israel by organizing a massive assembly. Disguised as an unprecedented religious ceremony, this gathering is designed to draw every single prophet, worshiper, and priest of Baal into one enclosed location.

To ensure total attendance, Jehu demands that not a single person be absent; every individual affiliated with the idol is obligated to appear [מצודת ציון, רלב״ג, שטיינזלץ]. He justifies this mandatory gathering by announcing his intention to offer a massive sacrifice entirely dedicated to Baal [מצודת דוד]. To guarantee that no loyalist stays behind, he issues a clear and severe threat: anyone who fails to attend will be executed.

Beneath the surface of this grand religious invitation lies a completely different motive. Jehu acts with deep deception, a move widely understood as operating through deceit and cunning [רש״י, רלב״ג, שטיינזלץ]. Some commentators add that this approach also reflects a profound cleverness, echoing earlier biblical instances of someone being outwitted [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. The ultimate goal of this trickery is to coax all the idolaters into gathering together of their own free will [מצודת דוד], only to seal their doom.

By pretending to be a devoted follower of Baal, Jehu is able to positively identify the true worshipers. This initial declaration sets into motion a much larger strategy. It paves the way for the subsequent phases of his plan, which include separating the idolaters from the worshipers of God by dressing them in special garments, stationing armed guards outside to ensure no one escapes, and ultimately executing everyone inside. The operation concludes with the uprooting of the sacred pillars and the transformation of the idolatrous temple into a site of permanent disgrace and impurity [אברבנאל].