2 Kings 9:14–10:36

9:14 Then Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.

Jehu the Assassin

Now Joram had been in Ramoth Gilead with the whole Israelite army,27 guarding against an invasion by King Hazael of Syria. 9:15 But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians28 when he fought against King Hazael of Syria.29 Jehu told his supporters,30 “If you really want me to be king,31 then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go and warn Jezreel.” 9:16 Jehu drove his chariot32 to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating33 there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit34 Joram.)

9:17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching.35 He said, “I see troops!”36 Jehoram ordered,37 “Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”38 9:18 So the horseman39 went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”40 Jehu replied, “None of your business!41 Follow me.” The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but hasn’t started back.” 9:19 So he sent a second horseman out to them42 and he said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”43 Jehu replied, “None of your business! Follow me.” 9:20 The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi;44 he drives recklessly.” 9:21 Jehoram ordered, “Hitch up my chariot.”45 When his chariot had been hitched up,46 King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah went out in their respective chariots47 to meet Jehu. They met up with him48 in the plot of land that had once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel.

9:22 When Jehoram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is everything all right, Jehu?” He replied, “How can everything be all right as long as your mother Jezebel promotes idolatry and pagan practices?”49 9:23 Jehoram turned his chariot around and took off.50 He said to Ahaziah, “It’s a trap,51 Ahaziah!” 9:24 Jehu aimed his bow and shot an arrow right between Jehoram’s shoulders.52 The arrow went through53 his heart and he fell to his knees in his chariot. 9:25 Jehu ordered54 his officer Bidkar, “Pick him up and throw him into the part of the field that once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. Remember, you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, when the Lord pronounced this judgment on him, 9:26 ‘ “Know for sure that I saw the shed blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday,” says the Lord, “and that I will give you what you deserve right here in this plot of land,”55 says the Lord.’ So now pick him up and throw him into this plot of land, just as the Lord said.”56

9:27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what happened, he took off57 up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him and ordered, “Shoot him too.” They shot him while he was driving his chariot up the ascent of Gur near Ibleam.58 He fled to Megiddo59 and died there. 9:28 His servants took his body60 back to Jerusalem61 and buried him in his tomb with his ancestors in the city of David. 9:29 Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab.

9:30 Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner,62 fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window. 9:31 When Jehu came through the gate, she said, “Is everything all right, Zimri, murderer of his master?”63 9:32 He looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three64 eunuchs looked down at him. 9:33 He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and when she hit the ground,65 her blood splattered against the wall and the horses, and Jehu drove his chariot over her.66 9:34 He went inside and had a meal.67 Then he said, “Dispose of this accursed woman’s corpse. Bury her, for after all, she was a king’s daughter.”68 9:35 But when they went to bury her, they found nothing left but69 the skull, feet, and palms of the hands. 9:36 When they went back and told him, he said, “The Lord’s word through his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, has come to pass. He warned,70 ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. 9:37 Jezebel’s corpse will be like manure on the surface of the ground in the plot of land at Jezreel. People will not be able to even recognize her.’ ”71

Jehu Wipes Out Ahab’s Family

10:1 Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria.1 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,2 10:2 “You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives,3 10:3 pick the best and most capable4 of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and defend5 your master’s dynasty.”

10:4 They were absolutely terrified6 and said, “Look, two kings could not stop him!7 How can we?”8 10:5 So the palace supervisor,9 the city commissioner,10 the leaders,11 and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, “We are your subjects!12 Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper.”13

10:6 He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me,14 then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.”15 Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent16 men of the city were raising them. 10:7 When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them.17 They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel. 10:8 The messenger came and told Jehu,18 “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu19 said, “Stack them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” 10:9 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? 10:10 Therefore take note that not one of the judgments the Lord announced against Ahab’s dynasty has failed to materialize. The Lord had done what he announced through his servant Elijah.”20 10:11 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.

10:12 Jehu then left there and set out for Samaria.21 While he was traveling through Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 10:13 Jehu encountered22 the relatives23 of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are Ahaziah’s relatives. We have come down to see how24 the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons are doing.” 10:14 He said, “Capture them alive!” So they captured them alive and then executed all forty-two of them in the cistern at Beth Eked. He left no survivors.

10:15 When he left there, he met25 Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who had been looking for him.26 Jehu greeted him and asked,27 “Are you as committed to me as I am to you?”28 Jehonadab answered, “I am!” Jehu replied, “If so, give me your hand.”29 So he offered his hand and Jehu30 pulled him up into the chariot. 10:16 Jehu31 said, “Come with me and see how zealous I am for the Lord’s cause.”32 So he33 took him along in his chariot. 10:17 He went to Samaria and exterminated all the members of Ahab’s family who were still alive in Samaria,34 just as the Lord had announced to Elijah.35

Jehu Executes the Prophets and Priests of Baal

10:18 Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab worshiped36 Baal a little; Jehu will worship37 him with great devotion.38 10:19 So now, bring to me all the prophets of Baal, as well as all his servants and priests.39 None of them must be absent, for I am offering a great sacrifice to Baal. Any of them who fail to appear will lose their lives.” But Jehu was tricking them40 so he could destroy the servants of Baal. 10:20 Then Jehu ordered, “Make arrangements for41 a celebration for Baal.” So they announced it. 10:21 Jehu sent invitations throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one was absent. They arrived at the temple of Baal and filled it up from end to end.42 10:22 Jehu ordered the one who was in charge of the wardrobe,43 “Bring out robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them. 10:23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went to the temple of Baal. Jehu44 said to the servants of Baal, “Make sure there are no servants of the Lord here with you; there must be only servants of Baal.”45 10:24 They went inside to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside. He had told them, “If any of the men inside get away, you will pay with your lives!”46

10:25 When he finished offering the burnt sacrifice, Jehu ordered the royal guard47 and officers, “Come in and strike them down! Don’t let any escape!” So the royal guard and officers struck them down with the sword and left their bodies lying there.48 Then they entered the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal.49 10:26 They hauled out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. 10:27 They demolished50 the sacred pillar of Baal and51 the temple of Baal; it is used as52 a latrine53 to this very day. 10:28 So Jehu eradicated Baal worship54 from Israel.

A Summary of Jehu’s Reign

10:29 However, Jehu did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam son of Nebat had encouraged Israel to commit; the golden calves remained in Bethel55 and Dan.56 10:30 The Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well. You have accomplished my will and carried out my wishes with regard to Ahab’s dynasty. Therefore four generations of your descendants will rule over Israel.”57 10:31 But Jehu did not carefully and wholeheartedly obey the law of the Lord God of Israel.58 He did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam had encouraged Israel to commit.59

10:32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel’s territory.60 Hazael attacked their eastern border.61 10:33 He conquered all the land of Gilead, including the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, extending all the way …

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27	tn Heb “he and all Israel.”
28	tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
29	* 2 Ki 8:28–29a
30	tn The words “his supporters” are added for clarification.
31	tn Heb “If this is your desire.” נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) refers here to the seat of the emotions and will. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 660–61 s.v.
32	tn Heb “rode [or, ‘mounted’] and went.”
33	tn Heb “lying down.”
34	tn Heb “to see.”
35	tn Heb “the quantity [of the men] of Jehu, when he approached.” Elsewhere שִׁפְעַה (shif’ah), “quantity,” is used of a quantity of camels (Isa 60:6) or horses (Ezek 26:10) and of an abundance of water (Job 22:11; 38:34).
36	tn The term שִׁפְעַת (shifat) appears to be a construct form of the noun, but no genitive follows.
37	tn Heb “said.”
38	tn Heb “Get a rider and send [him] to meet him and let him ask, ‘Is there peace?’ ”
39	tn Heb “the rider of the horse.”
40	tn Heb “Is there peace?”
41	tn Heb “What concerning you and concerning peace?” That is, “What concern is that to you?”
42	tn Heb “and he came to them.”
43	tc The MT has simply “peace,” omitting the prefixed interrogative particle. It is likely that the particle has been accidentally omitted; several ancient witnesses include it or assume its presence.
44	tn Heb “and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi.”
45	tn The words “my chariot” are added for clarification.
46	tn Heb “and he hitched up his chariot.”
47	tn Heb “each in his chariot and they went out.”
48	tn Heb “they found him.”
49	tn Heb “How [can there be] peace as long as the adulterous acts of Jezebel your mother and her many acts of sorcery [continue]?” In this instance “adulterous acts” is employed metaphorically for idolatry. As elsewhere in the OT, worshiping other gods is viewed as spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness to the one true God. The phrase “many acts of sorcery” could be taken literally, for Jezebel undoubtedly utilized pagan divination practices, but the phrase may be metaphorical, pointing to her devotion to pagan customs in general.
50	tn Heb “and Jehoram turned his hands and fled.” The phrase “turned his hands” refers to how he would have pulled on the reins in order to make his horses turn around.
51	tn Heb “Deceit, Ahaziah.”
52	tn Heb “and Jehu filled his hand with the bow and he struck Jehoram between his shoulders.”
53	tn Heb “went out from.”
54	tn Heb “said to.”
55	tn Heb “and I will repay you in this plot of land.”
56	tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord.”
57	tn Heb “and Ahaziah king of Judah saw and fled.”
58	tn After Jehu’s order (“kill him too”), the MT has simply, “to the chariot in the ascent of Gur which is near Ibleam.” The main verb in the clause, “they shot him” (וַיִּכְהוּ, vayyikhhu), has been accidentally omitted by virtual haplography/homoioteleuton. Note that the immediately preceding form הַכֻּהוּ (hakkuhu), “shoot him,” ends with the same suffix.
59	map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.
60	tn Heb “drove him.”
61	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
62	tn Heb “she fixed her eyes with antimony.” Antimony (פּוּךְ, pukh) was used as a cosmetic. The narrator portrays her as a prostitute (see Jer 4:30), a role she has played in the spiritual realm (see the note at v. 22).
63	sn Jezebel associates Jehu with another assassin, Zimri, who approximately 44 years before had murdered King Elah, only to meet a violent death just a few days later (1 Kgs 16:9–20). On the surface Jezebel’s actions seem contradictory. On the one hand, she beautifies herself as if to seduce Jehu, but on the other hand, she insults and indirectly threatens him with this comparison to Zimri. Upon further reflection, however, her actions reveal a clear underlying motive. She wants to retain her power, not to mention her life. By beautifying herself, she appeals to Jehu’s sexual impulses; by threatening him, she reminds him that he is in the same precarious position as Zimri. But, if he makes Jezebel his queen, he can consolidate his power. In other words through her actions and words Jezebel is saying to Jehu, “You desire me, don’t you? And you need me!”
64	tn Heb “two, three.” The narrator may be intentionally vague or uncertain here, or the two numbers may represent alternate traditions.
65	tn The words “when she hit the ground” are added for stylistic reasons.
66	tn Heb “and he trampled her.”
67	tn Heb “and he went and ate and drank.”
68	tn Heb “Attend to this accursed woman and bury her for she was the daughter of a king.”
69	tn Heb “they did not find her, except for.”
70	tn Heb “It is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by the hand of his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, saying.”
71	tn Heb “so that they will not say, ‘This is Jezebel.’ ”
1	map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
2	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.
3	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.”
4	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.
5	tn Or “fight for.”
6	tn Heb “they were very, very afraid.” The term מְאֹד (me’od) “very,” is repeated for emphasis.
7	tn Heb “did not stand before him.”
8	tn Heb “How can we stand?”
9	tn Heb “the one who was over the house.”
10	tn Heb “the one who was over the city.”
11	tn Or “elders.”
12	tn Heb “servants.”
13	tn Heb “Do what is good in your eyes.”
14	tn Heb “If you are mine and you are listening to my voice.”
15	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 LXX, 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).
16	tn Heb “great,” probably in wealth, position, and prestige.
17	tn Heb “and when the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered seventy men.”
18	tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19	tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20	tn Heb “Know then that there has not fallen from the word of the Lord to the ground that which the Lord spoke against the house of Ahab. The Lord has done that which he spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah.”
21	tn Heb “and he arose and went and came to Samaria.”
22	tn Heb “found.”
23	tn Or “brothers.”
24	tn Heb “for the peace of.”
25	tn Heb “found.”
26	tn Heb “and he went from there and found Jehonadab son of Rekab [who was coming] to meet him.”
27	tn Heb “and he blessed him and said to him.”
28	tn Heb “Is there with your heart [what is] right, as my heart [is] with your heart?”
29	tc Heb “Jehonadab said, ‘There is and there is. Give your hand.’ ” If the text is allowed to stand, there are two possible ways to understand the syntax of וָיֵשׁ (vayesh), “and there is”: (1) The repetition of יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is and there is”) could be taken as emphatic, “indeed I am.” In this case, the entire statement could be taken as Jehonadab’s words or one could understand the words “give your hand” as Jehu’s. In the latter case the change in speakers is unmarked. (2) וָיֵשׁ begins Jehu’s response and has a conditional force, “if you are.” In this case, the transition in speakers is unmarked. However, it is possible that וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer), “and he said,” or וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא (vayyo’mer yehu), “and Jehu said,” originally appeared between יֵשׁ and וָיֵשׁ and has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note that both the proposed וַיֹּאמֶר and וָיֵשׁ begin with vav, ו). The present translation assumes such a textual reconstruction; it is supported by the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate.
30	tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31	tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32	tn Heb “and see my zeal for the Lord.”
33	tc The MT has a plural form, but this is most likely an error. The LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate all have the singular.
34	tn Heb “and he struck down all the remaining ones to Ahab in Samaria until he destroyed him.”
35	tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to Elijah.”
36	tn Or “served.
37	tn Or “serve.”
38	tn Heb “much” or “greatly.”
39	tn Heb “and now, all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests summon to me.”
40	tn Heb “acted with deception [or, ‘trickery’].”
41	tn Heb “set apart”; or “observe as holy.”
42	tn Heb “and the house of Baal was filled mouth to mouth.”
43	tn Heb “and he said to the one who was over the wardrobe.”
44	tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45	tn Heb “Search carefully and observe so that there are not here with you any servants of the Lord, only the servants of Baal.”
46	tn Heb “The man who escapes from the men whom I am bringing into your hands, [it will be] his life in place of his life.”
47	tn Heb “runners.”
48	tn Heb “and they threw.” No object appears. According to M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 116), this is an idiom for leaving a corpse unburied.
49	tn Heb “and they came to the city of the house of Baal.” It seems unlikely that a literal city is meant. Some emend עִיר (’ir), “city,” to דְּבִיר (dévir) “holy place,” or suggest that עִיר is due to dittography of the immediately preceding עַד (’ad) “to.” Perhaps עִיר is here a technical term meaning “fortress” or, more likely, “inner room.”
50	tn Or “pulled down.”
51	tn The verb “they demolished” is repeated in the Hebrew text.
52	tn Heb “and they made it into.”
53	tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has the hapax legomenon מַחֲרָאוֹת (makhara’ot), “places to defecate” or “dung houses” (note the related noun חרא (khr’)/חרי (khri), “dung,” HALOT 348–49 s.v. חֲרָאִים). The marginal reading (Qere) glosses this, perhaps euphemistically, מוֹצָאוֹת (motsa’ot*), “outhouses.”
54	tn Heb “destroyed Baal.”
55	map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
56	tn Heb “Except the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat which he caused Israel to commit, Jehu did not turn aside from after them—the golden calves which [were in] Bethel and which [were] in Dan.”
57	tn Heb “Because you have done well by doing what is proper in my eyes—according to all which was in my heart you have done to the house of Ahab—sons of four generations will sit for you on the throne of Israel.” In the Hebrew text the Lord’s statement is one long sentence (with a parenthesis). The translation above divides it into shorter sentences for stylistic reasons. sn Jehu ruled over Israel from approximately 841–814 b.c. Four of his descendants (Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, and Zechariah) ruled from approximately 814–753 b.c. The dynasty came to an end when Shallum assassinated Zechariah in 753 b.c. See 2 Kgs 15:8–12.
58	tn Heb “But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart.”
59	tn Heb “He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam which he caused Israel to commit.”
60	tn Heb “began to cut off Israel.”
61	tn Heb “Hazael struck them down in all the territory of Israel, from the Jordan on the east.” In the Hebrew text the phrase “from the Jordan on the east” begins v. 33.

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