2 Kings 2:1

Elijah Makes a Swift Departure

2:1 Just before ¹  the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.

2 Kings 9:23

9:23 Jehoram turned his chariot around and took off. ²  He said to Ahaziah, “It’s a trap, ³  Ahaziah!”

2 Kings 15:10

15:10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him; he assassinated him in Ibleam ⁴  and took his place as king.

2 Kings 25:14

25:14 They also took the pots, shovels, ⁵  trimming shears, ⁶  pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. ⁷ 

2 Kings 25:20

25:20 Nebuzaradan, captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

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¹ tn Or “when.”

² 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.

³ tn Heb “Deceit, Ahaziah.”

⁴ tc The MT reads, “and he struck him down before the people and killed him” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). However, the reading קָבָל עָם (qaval ’am), “before the people,” is problematic to some because קָבָל is a relatively late Aramaic term. Nevertheless, the Aramaic term qobel certainly antedates the writing of Kings. The bigger problem seems to be the unnecessary intrusion of an Aramaic word at all here. Most interpreters prefer to follow Lucian’s Greek version and read “in Ibleam” (בְיִבְלְעָם, bÿivle’am). Cf. NAB, TEV.

⁵ sn These shovels were used to clean the altar.

⁶ sn These were used to trim the wicks.

⁷ tn Heb “with which they served [or, ‘fulfilled their duty’].”