Discovery Box2 Kings 9:14-17 
Context9:14 Then Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.
Now Joram had been in Ramoth Gilead with the whole Israelite army, 1 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 Syrians 2 when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. 3 Jehu told his supporters, 4 “If you really want me to be king, 5 then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go and warn Jezreel.” 9:16 Jehu drove his chariot 6 to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating 7 there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit 8 Joram.)
9:17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching. 9 He said, “I see troops!” 10 Jehoram ordered, 11 “Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’” 12
1 tn Heb “he and all Israel.”
2 tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
3 sn See 2 Kgs 8:28-29a.
4 tn The words “his supporters” are added for clarification.
5 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.
6 tn Heb “rode [or, ‘mounted’] and went.”
7 tn Heb “lying down.”
8 tn Heb “to see.”
9 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).
10 tn The term שִׁפְעַת (shifat) appears to be a construct form of the noun, but no genitive follows.
11 tn Heb “said.”
12 tn Heb “Get a rider and send [him] to meet him and let him ask, ‘Is there peace?’”
