2 Kings 10:6 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Take ye the heads, &c.— Besides the accomplishment of the divine decree, Jehu had a further design in requesting this cruel service of the rulers, and elders, and great men of the nation; namely, hereby to involve them in the same crime and conspiracy with himself. For by prevailing with them to murder Ahab's kinsmen in this manner, he bound them so closely to his interest, that if any of the inferior people had been inclined to oppose his designs, they were by this means deprived of any man of distinction to head them; and not only so, but by this expedient Jehu thought that he might, in a great measure, lessen, if not entirely remove, the odium of his own cruel and perfidious conduct; for this is the meaning of his appeal to the people, 2 Kings 10:9. Ye be righteous, &c. as if he had said, "I own, indeed, that I was a great instrument in taking off the late king; but am I more culpable than are the friends, the counsellors, the officers of Ahab? I pretend not to conceal my fault; but the approbation which the principal men of the nation have given it, in taking up arms against the house of Ahab, and the wonderful success which has attended this enterprize of mine, do they not afford a certain proof that God has raised me up to execute his decree in this respect, and ought you not to acknowledge, in this case, the interposition of his hand?" See Calmet.