Who killed Ahab's sons?

[tonychanyt]

Elijah proclaimed in 1K 21:

23 And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”

A decade later, Jehu ordered the killing of Ahab's sons. They did it and brought the heads to him. 2K 10:

9 The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

Jehu knew he had ordered that killing. He knew the officials who sided with him carried out his orders. Why did he pose this rhetorical question?

He understood the horizontal reasons. Now, he aimed to address the vertical reason: God did it.

10 Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”

Jehu wanted his followers to understand that he and they were carrying out the will of God. Don't feel bad about betraying the former king's sons.

His question aimed to direct people away from human agency and toward divine sovereignty. While the leaders of Samaria physically executed the killings, Jehu wanted the people to recognize that the ultimate cause of these deaths was God's judgment on Ahab's house. Their actions fulfilled Elijah's prophecy.