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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
International Standard Version

Ahab’s Dynasty is Ended

10 Meanwhile, Ahab had 70 sons who lived in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria—to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab’s children.[a] He told them, 2 “As soon as you receive this letter (since your master’s children are with you, you have chariots and horses there with you, and you are protected by a walled city and weaponry), 3 select the best and most qualified of your master’s sons, set him in place on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s dynasty!”

4 But they were too terrified, and so they told one another,[b] “Look! Two previous kings couldn’t stand up to Jehu, so how can we?” 5 So the household overseer and the city supervisor, along with the elders and the children’s guardians, sent word[c] to Jehu, telling him, “We will serve you and do everything you ask. We won’t set up a king, so do what you want to do.”

6 But Jehu wrote them another letter: “If you’re loyal to me, and if you intend to obey my commands,[d] then bring the heads of your master’s sons and meet me in Jezreel about this time tomorrow.”

Now the king’s sons, totaling 70 men, were living with the leading men of the city, who were their guardians. 7 When the letter from Jehu[e] arrived, the city leaders arrested the king’s sons, slaughtered all 70 of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu[f] at Jezreel.

8 When the messenger arrived to report to the king, he said, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.”

Jehu[g] replied, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” 9 The next morning, Jehu went out, stood still, and announced to all the people: “Are you righteous? I conspired against my master and killed him, but who slaughtered all of these? 10 Keep this in mind—not a single statement by the Lord will fail to come about that he spoke concerning Ahab’s dynasty, because the Lord has accomplished what he predicted by his servant Elijah.”

11 So Jehu executed all those who remained from Ahab’s dynasty in Jezreel, including all of Ahab’s men, his friends, and his priests, until there remained not even one survivor.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 10:1 The Heb. lacks children
  2. 2 Kings 10:4 The Heb. lacks to one another
  3. 2 Kings 10:5 The Heb. lacks word
  4. 2 Kings 10:6 Lit. voice
  5. 2 Kings 10:7 The Heb. lacks from Jehu
  6. 2 Kings 10:7 Lit. him
  7. 2 Kings 10:8 Lit. He
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2 Kings 9
2 Kings 11
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