Discovery Box2 Kings 9:15-17 
Context9:15 But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians 1 when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. 2 Jehu told his supporters, 3 “If you really want me to be king, 4 then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go and warn Jezreel.” 9:16 Jehu drove his chariot 5 to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating 6 there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit 7 Joram.)
9:17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching. 8 He said, “I see troops!” 9 Jehoram ordered, 10 “Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’” 11
1 tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
2 sn See 2 Kgs 8:28-29a.
3 tn The words “his supporters” are added for clarification.
4 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.
5 tn Heb “rode [or, ‘mounted’] and went.”
6 tn Heb “lying down.”
7 tn Heb “to see.”
8 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).
9 tn The term שִׁפְעַת (shifat) appears to be a construct form of the noun, but no genitive follows.
10 tn Heb “said.”
11 tn Heb “Get a rider and send [him] to meet him and let him ask, ‘Is there peace?’”
