New English Translation
2 Kings 10:6
6He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me, then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent men of the city were raising them.
2 Kings 10:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, "If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time." Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying: If you are for me and will obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them.
Context of 2 Kings 10:6
4They were absolutely terrified and said, “Look, two kings could not stop him! How can we?” 5So the palace supervisor, the city commissioner, the leaders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, “We are your subjects! Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper.” He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me, then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent men of the city were raising them. 7When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel. 8The messenger came and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu said, “Stack them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
Read all of 2 Kings 102 Kings 10:6 word by word
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶם֩ סֵ֨פֶר׀ שֵׁנִ֜ית לֵאמֹ֗ר אִם־לִ֨י אַתֶּ֜ם וּלְקֹלִ֣י׀ אַתֶּ֣ם שֹׁמְעִ֗ים קְחוּ֙ אֶת־רָאשֵׁי֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י בְנֵֽי־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֹ֧אוּ אֵלַ֛י כָּעֵ֥ת מָחָ֖ר יִזְרְעֶ֑אלָה וּבְנֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־גְּדֹלֵ֥י הָעִ֖יר מְגַדְּלִ֥ים אוֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then he wroteכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- a letterסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- the second timeשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
- to them, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- ye will hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
- unto my voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: messageH6963
- takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- ye the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- of the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- your master’sאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to me to Jezreelיִזְרְעֶאלyizre‛ê'l · JezreelH3157
- by to morrowמָחָרmâchâr · tomorrowH4279
- this timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- Now the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- seventyשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
- personsאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- with the great menגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- which brought them upגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
Cross-references for 2 Kings 10:6
- 2 Kings 9:32He looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
- Matthew 12:30Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
- Luke 9:50But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
- Numbers 25:4The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the Lord in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.”
- 1 Kings 21:8She wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.
- Deuteronomy 5:9You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me,
- Joshua 7:24Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.
- Job 21:19You may say, ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his children!’ Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it!
- Isaiah 14:21Prepare to execute his sons for the sins their ancestors have committed. They must not rise up and take possession of the earth, or fill the surface of the world with cities.”
- Revelation 2:20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 10:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Come to me to Jezreel - Therefore the letters were not written to Jezreel, but from Jezreel to Samaria.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The heads of rivals, pretenders, and other obnoxious persons are commonly struck off in the East, and conveyed to the chief ruler, in order that he may be positively certified that his enemies have ceased to live. In the Assyrian sculptures we constantly see soldiers conveying heads from place to place, not, however, in baskets, but in their hands, holding the head by the hair.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. 66. take ye the heads of the men, your master's sons--The barbarous practice of a successful usurper slaughtering all who may have claims to the throne, has been frequently exemplified in the ancient and modern histories of the East.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 10:6
In the dictionaries
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
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