2 Kings 9:5-10

9:5 When he arrived, the officers of the army were sitting there. ¹  So he said, “I have a message for you, O officer.” ²  Jehu asked, “For which one of us?” ³  He replied, “For you, O officer.” 9:6 So Jehu ⁴  got up and went inside. Then the prophet ⁵  poured the olive oil on his head and said to him, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I have designated you as king over the Lord’s people Israel. 9:7 You will destroy the family of your master Ahab. ⁶  I will get revenge against Jezebel for the shed blood of my servants the prophets and for the shed blood of all the Lord’s servants. ⁷  9:8 Ahab’s entire family will die. I ⁸  will cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. ⁹  9:9 I will make Ahab’s dynasty ¹⁰  like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. 9:10 Dogs will devour Jezebel on the plot of ground in Jezreel; she will not be buried.’” ¹¹  Then he opened the door and ran away.

¹ tn Heb “and he arrived and look, the officers of the army were sitting.”

² tn Heb “[there is] a word for me to you, O officer.”

³ tn Heb “To whom from all of us?”

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Or “strike down the house of Ahab your master.”

⁸ tn Heb “I will avenge the shed blood of my servants the prophets and the shed blood of all the servants of the Lord from the hand of Jezebel.”

¹⁰ tc The LXX has the second person, “you.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and I will cut off from Ahab those who urinate against a wall, [including both those who are] restrained and let free [or, ‘abandoned’] in Israel.” On the phrase וְעָצוּר וְעָזוּב (vÿ’atsur vÿ’azur, translated here “weak and incapacitated”) see the note at 1 Kgs 14:10.

¹³ tn Heb “house.”

¹⁶ sn Note how the young prophet greatly expands the message Elisha had given to him. In addition to lengthening the introductory formula (by adding “the God of Israel”) and the official declaration that accompanies the act of anointing (by adding “the Lord’s people”), he goes on to tell how Jehu will become king (by a revolt against Ahab’s dynasty), makes it clear that Jehu will be an instrument of divine vengeance, and predicts the utter annihilation of Ahab’s family and the violent death of Jezebel.