And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
Read it in contextAhab’s Seventy Sons Killed
Start reading at 2 Kings 10:1 (2 Kings 10:1 to 2 Kings 10:17).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
This opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. The accounts of the kings culminate in Assyria's conquest of Israel and an extended explanation of the disaster.
10:1And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying,
10:2Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;
10:3Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
10:4But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
10:5And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
10:6Then 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.
10:7And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
10:8And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
10:9And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
10:10Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
10:11So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
10:12And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
10:13Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
10:14And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
10:15And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
10:16And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
10:17And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
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Who
Who wrote the book? Jeremiah is the traditional Jewish attribution to Kings. The completed work incorporates records of Israel and Judah and events during exile; its final compiler is uncertain. Biblical references: 2 Kings 15:11; 2 Kings 25:27. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). traditionally held
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (2 Kings 9:1–10:36): Jehu, Israel's commanders, the royal houses of Ahab and Judah, Jezebel, and the worshippers of Baal are involved in the overthrow and purge. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? The Israelite and Judean community in and after the exile, reflecting on why both kingdoms fell and what remained of the Davidic line. Biblical references: 2 Kings 17:7; 2 Kings 23:27; 2 Kings 25:27. book background
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? Ahab’s Seventy Sons Killed. Read 2 Kings 10:1 through 2 Kings 10:17 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? This opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. The accounts of the kings culminate in Assyria's conquest of Israel and an extended explanation of the disaster. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? The book continues the divided-kingdom histories through Assyria's conquest of Israel and Babylon's conquest of Judah, ending with a notice concerning Jehoiachin. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? The narrative ranges through Israel and Judah, including Samaria and Jerusalem, and ends with exile in Babylon. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in Ahab’s Seventy Sons Killed (2 Kings 10:1 to 2 Kings 10:17).
Start reading at 2 Kings 10:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? Jesus cites the cleansing of Naaman in His discourse at Nazareth. This supplies a specific connection to the book's prophetic narratives and challenges assumptions about privilege. See 2 Kings 5:14, Luke 4:27. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Hear warnings before repeated refusal hardens into habit. Reform, repentance, and faithfulness should be assessed from the narrated response to God's word, not merely a ruler's reputation. interpretation
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of 2 Kings 10
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Second Kings continues the histories of Israel and Judah through conquest and exile. Its account connects the kingdoms' destruction with persistent covenant unfaithfulness, while ending with a limited sign of favor toward Jehoiachin. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Connection to the wholeThis opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. The accounts of the kings culminate in Assyria's conquest of Israel and an extended explanation of the disaster.
Connection to the wholeThis unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. The accounts of the kings culminate in Assyria's conquest of Israel and an extended explanation of the disaster.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of 2 Kings
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Second Kings continues the histories of Israel and Judah through conquest and exile. Its account connects the kingdoms' destruction with persistent covenant unfaithfulness, while ending with a limited sign of favor toward Jehoiachin.
Connection to the wholeBabylon's conquest ends the kingdom's rule in Jerusalem; the closing notice concerning Jehoiachin leaves the reader beyond the destruction itself.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.