2 Kings 10:6
4 But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”
5 So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”
Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city.
7 And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.” And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city.
- KJV
- Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
- WEB
- Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time.” Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.
- ASV
- Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be on my side, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master`s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time. Now the king`s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.
- DARBY
- And he wrote a letter the second time to them saying, If ye are mine, and will hearken to my voice, take the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jizreel to-morrow at this time. Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.
- BLB
- And he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you⁺ [are] for me, and my voice you⁺ will obey, take the heads of the men, the sons of your⁺ master, and come to me by this time tomorrow to Jezreel.” The sons of the king, seventy men, [were] with the great ones of the city, those bringing them up.
- ÅB
- Da skrev han igjen et brev til dem, og i det sto det: Dersom dere holder med meg og vil lyde mitt bud, så hugg hodet av deres herres sønner og kom til meg i Jisre'el imorgen ved denne tid! Men kongens sønner, sytti i tallet, bodde hos de store i byen, som oppfostret dem.
- OTB
- Så skrev han et brev til dem en gang til og sa, “Hvis dere er på min side, og vil lytte til min røst, ta hodene av mennene, deres herres sønner, og kom til meg i Jisre’el i morgen på denne tiden.” Nå var kongens sønner, sytti personer, hos lederne av byen, som oppdro dem.
- B1930
- Da skrev han atter et brev til dem, og i det stod det: Dersom I holder med mig og vil lyde mitt bud, så hugg hodet av eders herres sønner og kom til mig i Jisre'el imorgen ved denne tid! Men kongens sønner, sytti i tallet, bodde hos de store i byen, som opfostret dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Revelation 2:20–23
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Read in contextNumbers 25:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”
Read in context2 Kings 9:32
He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
Read in context1 Kings 21:8–11
Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
Read in contextMatthew 12:30
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
Read in contextIsaiah 14:21–22
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.
Read in contextJoshua 7:24–25
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
Read in contextLuke 9:50
“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Read in context