2 Kings 10:7

2 Kings 10:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons and slaughtered seventy persons, put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.

Context of 2 Kings 10:7

5So these people sent a message to Jehu: the officer who took care of the king's palace, the man who ruled the city of Samaria, the city's leaders, and the men who took care of Ahab's children. The message said, ‘We are your servants. We will do anything that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. You must do what you think is right.’ 6So Jehu wrote a second letter to them. It said, ‘If you are ready to help me and you will obey me, do this: Bring the heads of your master's sons here to me in Jezreel. Bring them by this time tomorrow.’ At that time, important leaders of the city were taking care of the king's 70 sons. When the letter arrived, these men took hold of the king's sons. They killed all 70 of them. They put their heads in baskets. Then they sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8Someone told Jehu, ‘They have brought the heads of the king's sons.’ Then Jehu said, ‘Put them in two heaps at the gate of the city. Leave them there until the morning.’ 9The next morning, Jehu went out to the city's gate. He stood there in front of all the people. He said to them, ‘You are not guilty of any murder. I was the one who decided to kill my master, the king. But who killed these descendants of Ahab? It was not my decision!

2 Kings 10:7 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י כְּבֹ֤א הַסֵּ֙פֶר֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֑ישׁ וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ אֶת־רָֽאשֵׁיהֶם֙ בַּדּוּדִ֔ים וַיִּשְׁלְח֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו יִזְרְעֶֽאלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, when the letterסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to them, that they tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and slewשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819
• seventyשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• personsאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• their headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• in basketsדּוּדdûd · potH1731
• and sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• to Jezreelיִזְרְעֶאלyizre‛ê'l · JezreelH3157

Cross-references for 2 Kings 10:7

• 2 Kings 10:9The next morning, Jehu went out to the city's gate. He stood there in front of all the people. He said to them, ‘You are not guilty of any murder. I was the one who decided to kill my master, the king. But who killed these descendants of Ahab? It was not my decision!
• 2 Kings 11:1Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, heard the news that her son was dead. So she started to kill all the royal family.
• Judges 9:5He went to his father's home in Ophrah. He killed his 70 brothers, the sons of Gideon. He killed them all on one rock. But Jotham, Gideon's youngest son, hid himself and he escaped.
• 1 Kings 21:21So the Lord says, “Now I will bring great trouble on you. I will destroy you and your family. I will kill every male among Ahab's descendants in Israel, whoever they are.
• 2 Chronicles 21:4Jehoram made himself a strong king to rule over his father's kingdom. Then he killed all his brothers, as well as some of the Israelite leaders.
• Matthew 14:8Herodias suggested to her daughter, ‘Ask Herod to give you John's head.’ So the girl said to Herod, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist on a plate.’

Commentaries on 2 Kings 10:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Put their heads in baskets - What cold-blooded wretches were the whole of these people!Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7In the ancient Near East, people often beheaded their enemies (2 Kings 6:31–32; 1 Samuel 17:46, 51; see also Matthew 14:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-172Ki 10:1-17. Jehu Causes Seventy of Ahab's Children to Be Beheaded. 1-4. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria--As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab. Their being all assembled in that capital might arise from their being left there on the king's departure for Ramoth-gilead, or from their taking refuge in some of the strongholds of that city on the news of Jehu's…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 10:7

• Ahab
• Basket
• Children
• Enthusiasm
• Government
• Homicide
• Jehu
• Massacre

In the dictionaries

• Jezreel
• Jezreel, Jezreelite
• Basket
• Behead
• Writing
• Elijah
• Elisha
• Epistle
• Fact
• Hazael

Commentaries on 2 Kings 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings