2 Kings 9:7-10

9:7 You will destroy the family of your master Ahab. ¹  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. ²  9:8 Ahab’s entire family will die. I ³  will cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. ⁴  9:9 I will make Ahab’s dynasty ⁵  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.’” ⁶  Then he opened the door and ran away.

2 Kings 9:1

Jehu Becomes King

9:1 Now Elisha the prophet summoned a member of the prophetic guild ⁷  and told him, “Tuck your robes into your belt, take this container ⁸  of olive oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.

2 Kings 21:19

Amon’s Reign over Judah

21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. ⁹  His mother ¹⁰  was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah.

2 Kings 21:21-24

21:21 He followed in the footsteps of his father ¹¹  and worshiped and bowed down to the disgusting idols ¹²  which his father had worshiped. ¹³  21:22 He abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors and did not follow the Lord’s instructions. ¹⁴  21:23 Amon’s servants conspired against him and killed the king in his palace. 21:24 The people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they ¹⁵  made his son Josiah king in his place.

2 Kings 21:1

Manasseh’s Reign over Judah

21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ¹⁶  His mother ¹⁷  was Hephzibah.

¹ tn Or “strike down the house of Ahab your master.”

² 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.”

³ tc The LXX has the second person, “you.”

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Heb “house.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ tn Heb “one of the sons of the prophets.”

⁸ tn Or “flask.”

⁹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁰ tn Heb “the name of his mother.”

¹¹ tn Heb “walked in all the way which his father walked.”

¹² sn See the note at 1 Kgs 15:12.

¹³ tn Heb “and he served the disgusting idols which his father served and he bowed down to them.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “and did not walk in the way of the Lord.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “the people of the land.” The pronoun “they” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid the repetition of the phrase “the people of the land” from the beginning of the verse.

¹⁶ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁷ tn Heb “the name of his mother.”