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2 Kings 10:1-11
New English Translation

Jehu Wipes Out Ahab’s Family

10 Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab’s dynasty. This is what the letters said,[a] 2 “You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives,[b] 3 pick the best and most capable[c] of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and defend[d] your master’s dynasty.”

4 They were absolutely terrified[e] and said, “Look, two kings could not stop him![f] How can we?”[g] 5 So the palace supervisor,[h] the city commissioner,[i] the leaders,[j] and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, “We are your subjects![k] Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper.”[l]

6 He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me,[m] then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.”[n] Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent men[o] of the city were raising them. 7 When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them.[p] They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel. 8 The messenger came and told Jehu,[q] “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu[r] said, “Stack them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” 9 In the morning he went out and stood there. Then he said to all the people, “You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all of these men? 10 Therefore take note that not one of the Lord’s words which he pronounced against Ahab’s dynasty[s] will fail to materialize.[t] The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.”[u] 11 Then Jehu killed all who were left of Ahab’s family in Jezreel, and all his nobles, close friends, and priests. He left no survivors.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 10:1 tn Heb “to the officers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab, saying.” It is not certain why the officials of Jezreel would be in Samaria. They may have fled there after they heard what happened to Joram and before Jehu entered the city. They would have had time to flee while Jehu was pursuing Ahaziah.
  2. 2 Kings 10:2 tn Heb “And now when this letter comes to you—with you are the sons of your master and with you are chariots and horses and a fortified city and weapons.”
  3. 2 Kings 10:3 tn Hebrew יָשָׁר (yashar) does not have its normal moral/ethical nuance here (“upright”), but a more neutral sense of “proper, right, suitable.” For the gloss “capable,” see HALOT 450 s.v. יָשָׁר.
  4. 2 Kings 10:3 tn Or “fight for.”
  5. 2 Kings 10:4 tn Heb “they were very, very afraid.” The term מְאֹד (meʾod) “very,” is repeated for emphasis.
  6. 2 Kings 10:4 tn Heb “did not stand before him.”
  7. 2 Kings 10:4 tn Heb “How can we stand?”
  8. 2 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “the one who was over the house.”
  9. 2 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “the one who was over the city.”
  10. 2 Kings 10:5 tn Or “elders.”
  11. 2 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “servants.”
  12. 2 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “Do what is good in your eyes.”
  13. 2 Kings 10:6 tn Heb “If you are mine and you are listening to my voice.”
  14. 2 Kings 10:6 sn Jehu’s command is intentionally vague. Does he mean that they should bring the guardians (those who are “heads” over Ahab’s sons) for a meeting, or does he mean that they should bring the literal heads of Ahab’s sons with them (so reads Lucian’s Greek translation, the Syriac Peshitta, and some mss of the Targum)? The city leaders interpret his words in the literal sense, but Jehu’s command is so ambiguous he is able to deny complicity in the executions (see v. 9).
  15. 2 Kings 10:6 tn Heb “great men,” probably in wealth, position, and prestige.
  16. 2 Kings 10:7 tn Heb “and when the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered seventy men.”
  17. 2 Kings 10:8 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. 2 Kings 10:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. 2 Kings 10:10 tn Heb “the house of Ahab.”
  20. 2 Kings 10:10 tn Heb “will fall to the earth.”
  21. 2 Kings 10:10 tn Heb “by the hand of his servant Elijah.”
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2 Kings 10:1-11
Legacy Standard Bible

The Heads of Ahab’s Sons Sent to Jehu

10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in (A)Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “So now, (B)when this letter comes to you, [a]since your master’s sons are with you, [b]as well as the chariots and horses and a fortified city and the weapons, 3 look for the best and [c]fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared exceedingly greatly and said, “Behold, (C)the two kings did not stand before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “(D)We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote a letter to them a second time saying, “If you are on my side, and you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me about this time tomorrow at Jezreel.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 Now it happened that when the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and (E)slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 Then the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” So he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 Now it happened in the morning that he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are righteous; behold, (F)I conspired against my master and killed him, but (G)who struck down all these? 10 Know then that (H)nothing from the word of Yahweh, which Yahweh spoke concerning the house of Ahab, shall fall to the earth. Indeed, Yahweh has done (I)what He spoke by the hand of His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in (J)Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until [d]there was no survivor remaining for him.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 10:2 Lit and
  2. 2 Kings 10:2 Lit and with you the
  3. 2 Kings 10:3 Lit most upright
  4. 2 Kings 10:11 Lit he had no survivor
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2 Kings 9
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