Discovery Box2 Kings 10:1-7 
Context10:1 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 capable 4 of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and defend 5 your master’s dynasty.”
10:4 They were absolutely terrified 6 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 prominent 16 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.
2 Kings 10:11-14
Context10:11 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. 18 While he was traveling through Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 10:13 Jehu encountered 19 the relatives 20 of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are Ahaziah’s relatives. We have come down to see how 21 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.
2 Kings 10:17
Context10:17 He went to Samaria and exterminated all the members of Ahab’s family who were still alive in Samaria, 22 just as the Lord had announced to Elijah. 23
2 Kings 10:30
Context10:30 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.” 24
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
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 “and he arose and went and came to Samaria.”
19 tn Heb “found.”
20 tn Or “brothers.”
21 tn Heb “for the peace of.”
22 tn Heb “and he struck down all the remaining ones to Ahab in Samaria until he destroyed him.”
23 tn Heb “according to the word of the
24 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
