2 Kings 9:14-20

9:14 Then Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.

Jehu the Assassin

Now Joram had been in Ramoth Gilead with the whole Israelite army, ¹  guarding against an invasion by King Hazael of Syria. 9:15 But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians ²  when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. ³  Jehu told his supporters, ⁴  “If you really want me to be king, ⁵  then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go and warn Jezreel.” 9:16 Jehu drove his chariot ⁶  to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating ⁷  there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit ⁸  Joram.)

9:17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching. ⁹  He said, “I see troops!” ¹⁰  Jehoram ordered, ¹¹  “Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’” ¹²  9:18 So the horseman ¹³  went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’” ¹⁴  Jehu replied, “None of your business! ¹⁵  Follow me.” The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but hasn’t started back.” 9:19 So he sent a second horseman out to them ¹⁶  and he said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’” ¹⁷  Jehu replied, “None of your business! Follow me.” 9:20 The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi; ¹⁸  he drives recklessly.”

[9:14]  ¹ tn Heb “he and all Israel.”

[9:15]  ² tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”

[9:15]  ³ sn See 2 Kgs 8:28-29a.

[9:15]  ⁴ tn The words “his supporters” are added for clarification.

[9:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “If this is your desire.” נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) refers here to the seat of the emotions and will. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 660-61 s.v.

[9:16]  ³ tn Heb “rode [or, ‘mounted’] and went.”

[9:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “lying down.”

[9:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “to see.”

[9:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “the quantity [of the men] of Jehu, when he approached.” Elsewhere שִׁפְעַה (shif’ah), “quantity,” is used of a quantity of camels (Isa 60:6) or horses (Ezek 26:10) and of an abundance of water (Job 22:11; 38:34).

[9:17]  ⁵ tn The term שִׁפְעַת (shifat) appears to be a construct form of the noun, but no genitive follows.

[9:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “said.”

[9:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “Get a rider and send [him] to meet him and let him ask, ‘Is there peace?’”

[9:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “the rider of the horse.”

[9:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “Is there peace?”

[9:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “What concerning you and concerning peace?” That is, “What concern is that to you?”

[9:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he came to them.”

[9:19]  ⁷ tc The MT has simply “peace,” omitting the prefixed interrogative particle. It is likely that the particle has been accidentally omitted; several ancient witnesses include it or assume its presence.

[9:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi.”