Jehu Executes Ahab’s Kin at Jezreel
2 Kings 10:1-17
2 K.10.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולאחאב: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שבעים: NUM,card,m,pl
- בנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בשמרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויכתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוא: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ספרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- יזרעאל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הזקנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- האמנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- 2 Kings 9:6-10 (structural): Jehu is anointed and explicitly commissioned to destroy the house of Ahab—this commission provides the narrative and theological rationale for the letters and killings described in 2 Kgs 10:1.
- 2 Kings 10:6-11 (verbal): Immediate continuation of 2 Kgs 10:1: Jehu’s letters to Samaria’s leaders are carried out and Ahab’s sons are seized and killed—same episode and wording continuity.
- 2 Chronicles 22:10 (thematic): Athaliah’s massacre of the royal seed in Judah (to seize the throne) parallels the motif of exterminating a royal family to eliminate rivals and secure power.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (thematic): The execution of Zedekiah’s sons by the Babylonians echoes the motif of slaying a king’s offspring as a political measure and punishment of a dynasty.
Alternative generated candidates
- There were seventy sons of Ahab in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to the rulers of Jezreel—the elders and the trusted men of Ahab—saying:
- Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to the chief men of Jezreel, the elders and to Ahab’s trusted men, saying:
2 K.10.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- כבא: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הספר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- אליכם: PREP+PRON,2,pl
- ואתכם: CONJ+PRON,2,m,pl
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- אדניכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- ואתכם: CONJ+PRON,2,m,pl
- הרכב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והסוסים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- ועיר: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,const
- מבצר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנשק: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Exod.24.7 (verbal): Moses takes and reads 'the book of the covenant' to the people—same phrase and the act of presenting a covenant-book parallels 2 Kgs 10:2.
- Deut.31.9-13 (thematic): Moses writes the law and commands periodic public reading to all Israel (men, women, children) so they may learn and fear the LORD—parallels the public proclamation/reading of a covenant text.
- Josh.8.34-35 (structural): After victory Joshua reads the law aloud to all Israel at Mount Ebal and Gerizim; similar structure of reading the covenant publicly before the people and leaders.
- 2 Chron.34.30-33 (thematic): King Josiah reads the discovered Book of the Law and leads a national covenant renewal with officials and the people—close royal-centred parallel to bringing and reading a covenant-book.
- Neh.8.2-8 (thematic): Ezra reads the law publicly to the assembled people and Levites explain it—a later Persian-period example of presenting and proclaiming a written covenant/law to the community.
Alternative generated candidates
- “When this letter comes to you, you and the sons of your master, the chariot and the horsemen, the fortified city and its armory,
- ‘And when this letter comes to you— you, the sons of your masters, and you the chariotry and horsemen, the garrison town and the weapons—
2 K.10.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וראיתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- הטוב: ADJ,m,sg,def
- והישר: ADJ,m,sg,def
- מבני: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cs
- אדניכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- ושמתם: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- על: PREP
- כסא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- והלחמו: VERB,hitpael,imperf,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדניכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
Parallels
- 1 Kings 1:32-40 (verbal): Account of Solomon being anointed and set on his father David’s throne — parallels the language and action of placing a son on his father’s throne to secure succession.
- 1 Kings 2:13-25 (thematic): Narrative of Adonijah’s claim and Solomon’s measures to secure the throne — thematically related in protecting the king’s house and eliminating rivals to the dynasty.
- 2 Kings 9:13-14 (thematic): The anointing and public acclamation of Jehu (and the mobilization of support) — parallels the seizure of power and rallying of followers to install a new ruler.
- 2 Kings 10:6-7 (structural): Jehu’s letters to the rulers of Samaria instructing them what to do ‘when you see the sign’ — a direct continuation/parallel of the same instruction to set the son on his father’s throne and then act for the house of the lord.
Alternative generated candidates
- see out the best and most upright of the sons of your master, and set him on his father’s throne and fight for the house of your master.”
- look well and truly among the sons of your masters; set the one who is best and upright on his father’s throne, and fight for the house of your master.’
2 K.10.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויראו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- מאד: ADV
- מאד: ADV
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- הנה: PART
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- המלכים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- עמדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ואיך: CONJ+ADV
- נעמד: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,pl
- אנחנו: PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- 2 Kings 9:30-37 (structural): Same episode (Jehu at Jezreel): Jezebel is thrown from the window and killed; the populace witnesses royal violence and reacts with fear—direct narrative background to 10:4.
- 2 Kings 10:8-11 (structural): Immediate continuation of the scene in 10:4: the elders of Jezreel plead for their lives and acknowledge their fear, and Jehu tests loyalty—shows how fear leads to submission and confession.
- 2 Kings 10:17-28 (thematic): Jehu's wider purge of Ahab's house and the massacre of Baal's worshipers in Samaria; similar motif of townspeople terrified by sudden, decisive violent action by a new ruler.
- 2 Samuel 4:5-7 (thematic): Account of regicidal violence (murder of Ish-bosheth's men) resulting in fear and swift action among bystanders—parallels the climate of terror and the recognition that royal protections have failed.
Alternative generated candidates
- They were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, these two kings did not stand before him—how shall we stand?”
- They were exceedingly afraid and said, ‘Behold, those two kings did not stand before him; how shall we stand?’
2 K.10.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- על: PREP
- הבית: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואשר: CONJ+PRON,rel
- על: PREP
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- והזקנים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- והאמנים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- אל: NEG
- יהוא: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- עבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2ms
- אנחנו: PRON,1,pl
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אשר: PRON,rel
- תאמר: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- נעשה: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- נמליך: VERB,hiph,impf,1,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הטוב: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בעיניך: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,const,2,ms
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.24.3 (verbal): Communal commitment formula — the people answer in one voice, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do,” paralleling the pledge “whatever you say to us we will do.”
- Josh.24.24 (verbal): Corporate pledge of obedience — the people tell Joshua “We will serve the LORD,” and refuse to forsake him, echoing the language of loyal commitment and refusal to abandon their leader in 2 Kings 10:5.
- 2Kgs.9.13 (structural): Immediate predecessor scene in the same narrative — Jehonadab’s declaration “I am for you” is a direct, structural parallel of local leaders explicitly pledging support to Jehu.
- 1Chr.12.18 (thematic): Affirmation of allegiance to a new ruler — warriors declare “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh” when joining David, thematically similar to civic leaders swearing obedience and loyalty to Jehu.
Alternative generated candidates
- So they sent the household officer and the city officer and the elders and the trusted men to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants; whatever you command us we will do. We will not leave a man—do what is good in your sight.”
- So the palace steward and the city steward and the elders and Ahab’s trusted men sent to Jehu, saying, ‘We are your servants; whatever you say to us we will do. Do as is good in your sight.’
2 K.10.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויכתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- ספר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שנית: ADV
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- אם: CONJ
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ולקלי: PREP,1,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- שמעים: VERB,qal,part,?,m,pl
- קחו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- ראשי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- אדניכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- ובאו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כעת: ADV
- מחר: ADV
- יזרעאלה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- שבעים: NUM,card,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- גדלי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- מגדלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אותם: PRON,3,m,pl,obj
Parallels
- 2 Kings 9:24-29 (structural): Same Jehu narrative: episode of a violent coup against Ahab’s house—offers the immediate literary context for 10:6 (Jehu’s purge of the royal family and killing of rival princes).
- 2 Samuel 4:6-12 (thematic): Rechab and Baanah cut off Ish-bosheth’s head and bring it as proof to David—parallel motif of political assassination and presenting heads as evidence of loyalty or victory.
- 1 Kings 2:30-46 (thematic): Solomon’s execution of rivals (Adonijah, Joab, Shimei) to secure the throne—comparable royal purges where the new ruler orders or carries out killings of potential claimants.
- Matthew 2:16 (thematic): Herod’s massacre of the infants to eliminate a rival king—an analogous motif of a ruler ordering the slaughter of potential heirs to protect power.
Alternative generated candidates
- He wrote to them a second letter: “If you are for me and for my lord, then hear me: take the heads of the sons of your master and bring them to me now at Jezreel.”
- He wrote to them a second time, saying, ‘If you are for me, and if you are for my lord, obey me: take the heads of the men, your masters’ sons, and bring them to me at Jezreel tomorrow. The king’s sons, the seventy men, you shall place at the entrance of the city and set them before the gate.’
2 K.10.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כבא: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הספר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- ויקחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישחטו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שבעים: NUM,card,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישימו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- ראשיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- בדודים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וישלחו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- יזרעאלה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 4:8-12 (verbal): Rechab and Baanah kill Ish‑bosheth, cut off his head and bring it to David — same motif of decapitation and delivering a head as proof of victory or a deed accomplished.
- 1 Samuel 31:9-10 (thematic): The Philistines fasten Saul’s body (and display the remains) after he and his sons are killed — parallels the public treatment of royal bodies/heads as trophies and evidence of defeat.
- 1 Samuel 17:54 (verbal): David cuts off Goliath’s head and brings it back — another instance of a defeated foe’s head being taken and presented as confirmation of the killing.
- 2 Chronicles 22:10 (thematic): Athaliah slays the king’s offspring to secure power — thematically parallels Jehu’s massacre of royal sons as a purge to eliminate rivals to the throne.
Alternative generated candidates
- When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered seventy men, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jezreel to him.
- When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons, and they killed seventy men; they put their heads in pans and sent them to him at Jezreel.
2 K.10.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- המלאך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- הביאו: VERB,hiphil,imperat,2,m,pl
- ראשי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שימו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- צברים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- פתח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עד: PREP
- הבקר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 4:6-8 (verbal): Men behead Ish‑bosheth and bring his head to David as proof of victory; parallels the motif of severed heads presented to a leader and the explicit act of bringing heads.
- 1 Samuel 17:54 (thematic): After killing Goliath David takes and displays the giant’s head—uses the severed head as a trophy and public proof of triumph, similar to Jehu’s piling of heads.
- 1 Chronicles 10:10-11 (thematic): The Philistines strip Saul, fasten his body, and display his head and armor—another instance of decapitation and public display of an enemy’s head for humiliation and proof.
- 2 Kings 9:24-26 (structural): Earlier in the same Jehu narrative Jehu strikes down members of Ahab’s house (including Joram); 2 Kgs 10:8 continues the purge—structurally connected episodes of execution and public exposure of enemies.
Alternative generated candidates
- The messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” He said, “Set them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
- A messenger came and reported to him, ‘They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.’ He said, ‘Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.’
2 K.10.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בבקר: PREP
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויעמד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- כל: DET
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- הנה: PART
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- קשרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- על: PREP
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- ואהרגהו: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- ומי: PRON,interr
- הכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 9:24 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: Jehu's violent striking of King Joram earlier in the coup — the event to which Jehu here refers when he says he 'conspired against my lord and killed him.'
- 2 Kings 10:7–8 (structural): Directly connected scene in the same episode: Jehu's orders to slaughter Ahab's house and the carrying out of the massacre that prompts his appeal to the people in v.9.
- 1 Kings 21:19, 21:21–24 (allusion): Elijah's oracle condemning Ahab's house for the blood of Naboth provides the prophetic/ideological justification invoked later in Jehu's purge (cf. Jehu's appeals to Naboth's blood in 2 Kgs 10).
- 2 Samuel 3:27–30 (thematic): Political assassination and its public fallout (Joab's murder of Abner and the king's need to manage public reaction) — a thematic parallel in which violent power struggles are followed by leaders' attempts to justify or distance themselves from the killings.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the morning he went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are righteous. See, I conspired against my master and killed him—who then struck all these?”
- In the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, ‘Are you innocent? Behold, I conspired against my lord and killed him— who struck all these?’
2 K.10.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דעו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- אפוא: PART
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- יפל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מדבר: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ארצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עבדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- אליהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kgs.21:19-24 (quotation): Elijah’s original oracle announcing the destruction of Ahab’s house (including the dogs eating Jezebel); 2 Kgs 10:10 affirms that the LORD’s word against Ahab was fulfilled.
- 2 Kgs.9:6-10 (structural): Jehu is anointed and commissioned to destroy the house of Ahab—this anointing provides the immediate mechanism for the fulfillment affirmed in 2 Kgs 10:10.
- 2 Kgs.9:30-37 (verbal): The account of Jezebel’s death and the dogs eating her, a specific verbal fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy cited in 2 Kgs 10:10.
- 2 Kgs.10:11-17 (thematic): The narrative of Jehu’s purge of Ahab’s relatives and supporters—concrete actions that realize the LORD’s judgment declared in 2 Kgs 10:10.
Alternative generated candidates
- Know, then, that the word of the LORD will not fall to the ground—what the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD has accomplished what he spoke by his servant Elijah.
- So know, therefore, that no word of the LORD will fail: the LORD has fulfilled what he spoke against the house of Ahab, by the hand of his servant Elijah.
2 K.10.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- יהוא: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- הנשארים: PART,m,pl,def
- לבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cns
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביזרעאל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- גדליו: NOUN,m,pl,suff+PRON,3,m,sg
- ומידעיו: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,suff+PRON,3,m,sg
- וכהניו: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,suff+PRON,3,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- בלתי: NEG
- השאיר: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- שריד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kgs 9:7-10 (quotation): Prophetic commission given to Jehu to ‘cut off’ the house of Ahab and to destroy it, which provides the divine authorization for the slaughter reported in 10:11.
- 2 Kgs 9:30-37 (structural): Narrative episode in which Jehu kills Joram and Jezebel at Jezreel — the immediate precursor and partial fulfillment of the wider purge of Ahab’s household.
- 2 Kgs 10:6-8 (verbal): Report of Jehu’s killing of Ahab’s sons in Samaria (seventy) and the execution of Ahab’s house — a parallel account of the same program of extermination and method.
- 2 Kgs 10:12-14 (verbal): Continuation of the same episode describing the destruction of Ahab’s house and the elimination of survivors, echoing the language and outcome of 10:11.
- 1 Kgs 21:19-24 (thematic): Elijah’s oracle of judgment against Ahab’s house for the blood of Naboth; provides the earlier prophetic rationale for the annihilation of Ahab’s line enacted by Jehu.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jehu struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel—his great men, his companions and his priests—leaving him no survivor.
- Jehu struck down all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, his close friends and his priests; he left him not one survivor.
2 K.10.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- וילך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עקד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הרעים: ADJ,m,pl,def
- בדרך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kings 16:24-26 (verbal): States that Omri built Samaria and that Omri’s house did evil in the sight of the LORD—background for the charge that Samaria/the house (בית) was a center of wickedness.
- 1 Kings 16:31-33 (thematic): Describes Ahab and Jezebel’s establishment of Baal worship in Israel—parallels the identification of Samaria with Baal-oriented corruption in 2 Kings 10:12.
- 2 Kings 9:30-37 (structural): Narrates Jehu’s arrival at Jezreel and the death of Jezebel and Ahab’s line—part of the same narrative campaign against Omri/Ahab’s house that culminates in the actions described in 2 Kings 10.
- 2 Kings 10:18-28 (structural): Records Jehu’s massacre of Baal worshipers in Samaria and the destruction of Baal’s temple—directly connected to the depiction of Samaria as a center of wickedness and Baal’s influence mentioned in 2 Kings 10:12.
Alternative generated candidates
- He rose up and went to Samaria, for the house was a stronghold of wickedness along the way.
- Then he rose and went to Samaria, for word of his slaughter of the house of Ahab had spread.
2 K.10.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אחי: NOUN,m,pl,suff
- אחזיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- אחי: NOUN,m,pl,suff
- אחזיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אנחנו: PRON,1,pl
- ונרד: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,pl
- לשלום: PREP
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- הגבירה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Kgs 10:14 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same episode: this verse records how Jehu caused the men who claimed to be Ahaziah’s kinsmen to be seized and killed (forty-two were thrown down), showing the outcome of the encounter in 10:13.
- 2 Kgs 9:31–33 (verbal): Joram’s greeting “Is it peace?” (הֲשָׁלוֹם) to Jehu and Jehu’s violent reply parallels the formulaic salutations in 10:13 (“ונרד לשלום”) being used immediately prior to lethal action—a recurring motif of salutations preceding execution.
- 2 Kgs 10:7–11 (thematic): Jehu’s written orders to the captains to slaughter Ahab’s offspring in Samaria reflect the wider program of eliminating rival royal kin; thematically connected to Jehu’s treatment of Ahaziah’s relatives in 10:13–14.
- 2 Chron 22:8–9 (allusion): The Chronicler’s summary of Jehu’s purge of Ahab’s house and the killing of Ahaziah’s associates provides a parallel, corroborating account of the same political purge described in 2 Kings 10 (family/kin extermination as a means to secure the throne).
Alternative generated candidates
- Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah. He said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”
- As he was going, he met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. He said to them, ‘Who are you?’ They answered, ‘We are the brothers of Ahaziah; let us go down and salute the king’s sons and the sons of the queen.’
2 K.10.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- תפשום: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ויתפשום: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וישחטום: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- בור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עקד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארבעים: NUM,m,pl
- ושנים: CONJ+NUM,m,pl,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- השאיר: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- 2 Kings 10:11-12 (verbal): Immediate context: the same narrative frame describing Jehu's purge of Ahab's house and his order to seize and kill relatives; these verses continue the same sequence of killings as v.14.
- 2 Kings 10:17-28 (thematic): Broader account of Jehu's wholesale slaughter of Ahab's family and supporters (including the house of Ahab and the priests of Baal); thematically parallels the extermination of rival claimants and consolidation of power.
- 2 Kings 9:30-37 (structural): Earlier part of Jehu's coup (the killing of Jezebel and the death of Joram) that forms the opening phase of the purge; structurally tied to v.14 as part of the same coup narrative.
- 1 Kings 2:28-34 (thematic): Solomon's execution of Joab and supporters to eliminate rivals and secure the throne—a parallel instance of killing political opponents and purge of a predecessor's faction in order to consolidate royal authority.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said, “Seize them alive.” They seized them alive and threw them into the pit of the house of confinement and slaughtered forty‑two men; he left none of them.
- He said, ‘Seize them alive.’ So they seized them alive; and he had them brought to the pit of the house of Aked and put them to the sword— forty‑two men— and left none of them alive.
2 K.10.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וילך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- משם: PREP
- וימצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- יהונדב: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רכב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לקראתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m
- ויברכהו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- היש: PART,exist
- את: PRT,acc
- לבבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ישר: ADJ,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- לבבי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- עם: PREP
- לבבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהונדב: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ויש: CONJ+VERB,qal,pres,3,_,sg
- תנה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ידך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss:2,f,sg
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ויעלהו: VERB,hiphil,impf,3,m,sg+3,m
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- המרכבה: DET+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 10:16 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same episode: Jehonadab accepts Jehu’s pledge, climbs into the chariot, and the two proceed together — directly follows and completes the action in 10:15.
- 2 Kings 10:23–28 (structural): Narrates the consequences of the Jehu–Jehonadab alliance (Jehu’s purge of Baal worship in Samaria); shows the political/religious significance of the alliance inaugurated in 10:15.
- Jeremiah 35:6–19 (allusion): The Rechabites (descendants of Jehonadab/Jehonadab son of Rechab) are held up as models of fidelity to their ancestor’s commands; Jeremiah invokes Jehonadab’s name and tradition, linking the figure in 2 Kgs 10:15 with later prophetic reflection.
- 1 Samuel 18:3 (thematic): David and Jonathan form a binding, heart-level covenant ('the soul of Jonathan was knit to David'), paralleling the mutual pledging of heart-loyalty and the joining of hands in 2 Kgs 10:15 — both scenes express intimate political/religious alliance.
- 1 Kings 8:61 (verbal): Solomon’s charge to Israel to let their 'heart[s] be perfect' with the LORD echoes the language of wholeheartedness (‘is your heart right?’) in 2 Kgs 10:15, connecting the motif of single-minded loyalty across contexts.
Alternative generated candidates
- He went from there and met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and said, “Is your heart right with my heart?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” “Give me your hand,” he said. He gave him his hand, and Jehu brought him up into the chariot.
- From there he went and met Jehonadab son of Rechab. He greeted him and said to him, ‘Is your heart right as my heart is with your heart?’ Jehonadab answered, ‘It is.’ Jehu said, ‘Give me your hand.’ He gave him his hand, and he took him up into the chariot.
2 K.10.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לכה: VERB,qal,imp,2,f,sg
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- וראה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- בקנאתי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- וירכבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- ברכבו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- 1 Kgs.19:10 (verbal): Elijah: “I have been very jealous for the LORD” (Heb. קנ־א root) — a direct verbal/thematic parallel to Jehu’s declaration of zeal for Yahweh.
- Ps.69:9 (verbal): “For zeal for your house consumes me” — the same motif/terminology of zeal for the Lord’s honor found in Jehu’s claim.
- John 2:17 (quotation): NT citation of Ps.69:9 (“Zeal for your house will consume me”) applying the same zeal-motif to Jesus’ action — shows continuity of the ‘zeal for the LORD’ theme.
- 2 Sam.6:14 (thematic): David’s exuberant worship (“David danced before the LORD with all his might”) parallels the outward, zealous demonstration of devotion that Jehu announces.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So he rode with him in his chariot.
- He said, ‘Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.’ So they rode together in his chariot.
2 K.10.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- הנשארים: PART,m,pl,def
- לאחאב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,prop
- בשמרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- השמידו: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,pl
- כדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אליהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kings 19:16 (structural): God commands Elijah to anoint Jehu as king over Israel (to execute judgment on the house of Ahab), providing the prophetic commission that 2 Kgs 10:17 describes being carried out.
- 1 Kings 21:19-24 (quotation): Elijah's prophecy predicting the destruction of Ahab's house (including the fate of Ahab and Jezebel); 2 Kgs 10:17 explicitly presents Jehu's slaughter as fulfillment of that prophetic word.
- 2 Kings 9:33-36 (verbal): A parallel narrative of Jezebel's death and the subsequent report to Jehu; the account repeats the action of destroying Ahab's remaining house and echoes the formula 'according to the word of the LORD.'
- 2 Kings 10:11-14 (thematic): Description of Jehu's systematic slaughter of Ahab's relatives and supporters in Jezreel and elsewhere—part of the same campaign whose completion in Samaria is summarized in 2 Kgs 10:17.
Alternative generated candidates
- He came to Samaria and struck all that remained of Ahab in Samaria until he destroyed them, as the word of the LORD spoken by his servant Elijah had declared.
- He came to Samaria and struck down all that remained of Ahab in Samaria until he had destroyed him, as the word of the LORD, which he spoke to Elijah, had said.
Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them from Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders and to the trusted officers of Ahab, saying,
“And now, when this letter comes to you, you and the sons of your lord, you the charioteers and the horsemen, the garrison and the armory,
see what is good and right concerning the sons of your lord, and set one of his sons on his father’s throne, and fight for the house of your lord.”
They were very much afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings did not stand before him; how then shall we stand?” So they sent the officer of the household, the officer of the city, the elders and the trusted men to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants; whatever you command us we will do. We will not forsake you. Do what is good in your sight.”
He wrote them a second letter: “If you are for me and for my cause, then listen. Take the heads of the sons of your lord, and come to me this day at Jezreel.” Meanwhile the king’s seventy sons were being kept on the ramparts of the city.
When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and struck down seventy men, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel.
The messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” He said, “Place them, two by two, at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
In the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “Are you innocent? Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him; who struck all these?”
Then know that no word of the LORD shall fall to the ground; for the LORD has done what he spoke by Elijah the Tishbite against the house of Ahab.
Jehu struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel; he struck down his princes, his companions, and his priests, so that he left him no survivor.
He rose and went to Samaria—Samaria was the stronghold of the conspirators.
Jehu met the kin of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are the kin of Ahaziah; we have come down to salute the king’s sons and the sons of the queen mother.”
He said, “Take them alive.” So they seized them alive, and he put them to death at the pit of Beth‑eked—forty‑two men; he left none of them.
From there he went and met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?”
Jehonadab answered, “It is—yes. Give me your hand.” He gave him his hand, and took him up into the chariot.
He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So they rode together in his chariot, and he came to Samaria and struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Samaria, until he destroyed them, as the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah had declared.