Discovery Box2 Kings 9:30--17:41
Context9:30 Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner, 1 fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window. 9:31 When Jehu came through the gate, she said, “Is everything all right, Zimri, murderer of his master?” 2 9:32 He looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three 3 eunuchs looked down at him. 9:33 He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and when she hit the ground, 4 her blood splattered against the wall and the horses, and Jehu drove his chariot over her. 5 9:34 He went inside and had a meal. 6 Then he said, “Dispose of this accursed woman’s corpse. Bury her, for after all, she was a king’s daughter.” 7 9:35 But when they went to bury her, they found nothing left but 8 the skull, feet, and palms of the hands. 9:36 When they went back and told him, he said, “The Lord’s word through his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, has come to pass. He warned, 9 ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. 9:37 Jezebel’s corpse will be like manure on the surface of the ground in the plot of land at Jezreel. People will not be able to even recognize her.’” 10
10:1 Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. 11 So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab’s dynasty. This is what the letters said, 12 10:2 “You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives, 13 10:3 pick the best and most capable 14 of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and defend 15 your master’s dynasty.”
10:4 They were absolutely terrified 16 and said, “Look, two kings could not stop him! 17 How can we?” 18 10:5 So the palace supervisor, 19 the city commissioner, 20 the leaders, 21 and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, “We are your subjects! 22 Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper.” 23
10:6 He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me, 24 then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” 25 Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent 26 men of the city were raising them. 10:7 When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them. 27 They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel. 10:8 The messenger came and told Jehu, 28 “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu 29 said, “Stack them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” 10:9 In the morning he went out and stood there. Then he said to all the people, “You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all of these men? 10:10 Therefore take note that not one of the judgments the Lord announced against Ahab’s dynasty has failed to materialize. The Lord had done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” 30 10:11 Then Jehu killed all who were left of Ahab’s family in Jezreel, and all his nobles, close friends, and priests. He left no survivors.
10:12 Jehu then left there and set out for Samaria. 31 While he was traveling through Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 10:13 Jehu encountered 32 the relatives 33 of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are Ahaziah’s relatives. We have come down to see how 34 the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons are doing.” 10:14 He said, “Capture them alive!” So they captured them alive and then executed all forty-two of them in the cistern at Beth Eked. He left no survivors.
10:15 When he left there, he met 35 Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who had been looking for him. 36 Jehu greeted him and asked, 37 “Are you as committed to me as I am to you?” 38 Jehonadab answered, “I am!” Jehu replied, “If so, give me your hand.” 39 So he offered his hand and Jehu 40 pulled him up into the chariot. 10:16 Jehu 41 said, “Come with me and see how zealous I am for the Lord’s cause.” 42 So he 43 took him along in his chariot. 10:17 He went to Samaria and exterminated all the members of Ahab’s family who were still alive in Samaria, 44 just as the Lord had announced to Elijah. 45
10:18 Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab worshiped 46 Baal a little; Jehu will worship 47 him with great devotion. 48 10:19 So now, bring to me all the prophets of Baal, as well as all his servants and priests. 49 None of them must be absent, for I am offering a great sacrifice to Baal. Any of them who fail to appear will lose their lives.” But Jehu was tricking them 50 so he could destroy the servants of Baal. 10:20 Then Jehu ordered, “Make arrangements for 51 a celebration for Baal.” So they announced it. 10:21 Jehu sent invitations throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one was absent. They arrived at the temple of Baal and filled it up from end to end. 52 10:22 Jehu ordered the one who was in charge of the wardrobe, 53 “Bring out robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them. 10:23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went to the temple of Baal. Jehu 54 said to the servants of Baal, “Make sure there are no servants of the Lord here with you; there must be only servants of Baal.” 55 10:24 They went inside to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside. He had told them, “If any of the men inside get away, you will pay with your lives!” 56
10:25 When he finished offering the burnt sacrifice, Jehu ordered the royal guard 57 and officers, “Come in and strike them down! Don’t let any escape!” So the royal guard and officers struck them down with the sword and left their bodies lying there. 58 Then they entered the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal. 59 10:26 They hauled out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. 10:27 They demolished 60 the sacred pillar of Baal and 61 the temple of Baal; it is used as 62 a latrine 63 to this very day. 10:28 So Jehu eradicated Baal worship 64 from Israel.
10:29 However, Jehu did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam son of Nebat had encouraged Israel to commit; the golden calves remained in Bethel 65 and Dan. 66 10:30 The Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well. You have accomplished my will and carried out my wishes with regard to Ahab’s dynasty. Therefore four generations of your descendants will rule over Israel.” 67 10:31 But Jehu did not carefully and wholeheartedly obey the law of the Lord God of Israel. 68 He did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam had encouraged Israel to commit. 69
10:32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel’s territory. 70 Hazael attacked their eastern border. 71 10:33 He conquered all the land of Gilead, including the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, extending all the way from the Aroer in the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan. 72
10:34 The rest of the events of Jehu’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 73 10:35 Jehu passed away 74 and was buried in Samaria. 75 His son Jehoahaz replaced him as king. 10:36 Jehu reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years in Samaria.
11:1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line. 76 11:2 So Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked 77 him away from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. 78 So he was hidden from Athaliah and escaped execution. 79 11:3 He hid out with his nurse in the Lord’s temple 80 for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
11:4 In the seventh year Jehoiada summoned 81 the officers of the units of hundreds of the Carians 82 and the royal bodyguard. 83 He met with them 84 in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement 85 with them and made them swear an oath of allegiance in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed them the king’s son. 11:5 He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace. 11:6 Another third of you will be stationed at the Foundation 86 Gate. Still another third of you will be stationed at the gate behind the royal guard. 87 You will take turns guarding the palace. 88 11:7 The two units who are off duty on the Sabbath will guard the Lord’s temple and protect the king. 89 11:8 You must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever approaches your ranks must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” 90
11:9 The officers of the units of hundreds did just as 91 Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath, and reported 92 to Jehoiada the priest. 11:10 The priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and the shields that were kept in the Lord’s temple. 11:11 The royal bodyguard 93 took their stations, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 94 11:12 Jehoiada 95 led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. 96 They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. 97 They clapped their hands and cried out, “Long live the king!”
11:13 When Athaliah heard the royal guard 98 shout, she joined the crowd 99 at the Lord’s temple. 11:14 Then she saw 100 the king standing by the pillar, according to custom. The officers stood beside the king with their trumpets and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!” 101 11:15 Jehoiada the priest ordered the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, 102 “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. 103 Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 104 11:16 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. 105 There she was executed.
11:17 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, stipulating that they should be loyal to the Lord. 106 11:18 All the people of the land went and demolished 107 the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols 108 to bits. 109 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. Jehoiada the priest 110 then placed guards at the Lord’s temple. 11:19 He took the officers of the units of hundreds, the Carians, the royal bodyguard, and all the people of land, and together they led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Gate of the Royal Bodyguard, 111 and the king 112 sat down on the royal throne. 11:20 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the royal palace.
11:21 (12:1) 113 Jehoash 114 was seven years old when he began to reign. 12:1 (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 115 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 12:2 Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the Lord approved, 116 just as 117 Jehoiada the priest taught him. 12:3 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
12:4 Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal 118 all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax, 119 the silver received from those who have made vows, 120 and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple. 121 12:5 The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.” 122
12:6 By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple. 12:7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest along with the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, take no more silver from your treasurers unless you intend to use it to repair the damage.” 123 12:8 The priests agreed 124 not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs. 125
12:9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid. He placed it on the right side of the altar near the entrance of 126 the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple. 12:10 When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary 127 and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up. 128 12:11 They would then hand over 129 the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen 130 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and builders to work on the Lord’s temple, 12:12 as well as masons and stonecutters. They bought wood and chiseled stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple and also paid for all the other expenses. 131 12:13 The silver brought to the Lord’s temple was not used for silver bowls, trimming shears, basins, trumpets, or any kind of gold or silver implements. 12:14 It was handed over 132 to the foremen who used it to repair the Lord’s temple. 12:15 They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed 133 the funds to the foremen, for they were honest. 134 12:16 (The silver collected in conjunction with reparation offerings and sin offerings was not brought to the Lord’s temple; it belonged to the priests.)
12:17 At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked 135 Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. 136 12:18 King Jehoash of Judah collected all the sacred items that his ancestors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had consecrated, as well as his own sacred items and all the gold that could be found in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He sent it all 137 to King Hazael of Syria, who then withdrew 138 from Jerusalem.
12:19 The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 139 12:20 His servants conspired against him 140 and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla. 141 12:21 His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him. 142 He was buried 143 with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
13:1 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 144 for seventeen years. 13:2 He did evil in the sight of 145 the Lord. He continued in 146 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins. 147 13:3 The Lord was furious with 148 Israel and handed them over to 149 King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years. 150
13:4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy 151 and the Lord responded favorably, 152 for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria. 153 13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer 154 for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. 155 The Israelites once more lived in security. 156 13:6 But they did not repudiate 157 the sinful ways of the family 158 of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. 159 There was even an Asherah pole 160 standing in Samaria. 13:7 Jehoahaz had no army left 161 except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops 162 and trampled on them like dust. 163
13:8 The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 164 13:9 Jehoahaz passed away 165 and was buried 166 in Samaria. His son Joash replaced him as king.
13:10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash’s reign over Judah, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 167 for sixteen years. 13:11 He did evil in the sight of 168 the Lord. He did not repudiate 169 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. 170 13:12 The rest of the events of Joash’s 171 reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 172 13:13 Joash passed away 173 and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. 174 Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
13:14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness. 175 King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. 176 He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot 177 and horsemen of Israel!” 178 13:15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 179 13:16 Then Elisha 180 told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” 181 He did so, 182 and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha 183 said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. 184 Elisha said, “Shoot!” and
he did so. 185 Elisha 186 said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. 187 You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 188 13:18 Then Elisha 189 said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. 190 He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet 191 got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! 192 But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
13:20 Elisha died and was buried. 193 Moabite raiding parties invaded 194 the land at the beginning of the year. 195 13:21 One day some men 196 were burying a man when they spotted 197 a raiding party. So they threw the dead man 198 into Elisha’s tomb. When the body 199 touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man 200 came to life and stood on his feet.
13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 201 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. 202 He extended his favor to them 203 because of the promise he had made 204 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 205 13:24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. 13:25 Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from 206 Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.
14:1 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz, 207 Joash’s 208 son Amaziah became king over Judah. 14:2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 209 His mother 210 was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 14:3 He did what the Lord approved, 211 but not like David his father. He followed the example of his father Joash. 212 14:4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
14:5 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 213 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 214 14:6 But he did not execute the sons of the assassins. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 215 “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do, 216 and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do. 217 A man must be put to death only for his own sin.” 218
14:7 He defeated 219 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley; he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, a name it has retained to this very day. 14:8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.” 220 14:9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal 221 of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn. 222 14:10 You thoroughly defeated Edom 223 and it has gone to your head! 224 Gloat over your success, 225 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 226 14:11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning, 227 so King Jehoash of Israel attacked. 228 He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face 229 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 14:12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 230 14:13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He 231 attacked 232 Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. 233 14:14 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages. 234 Then he went back to Samaria. 235
( 14:15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s 236 reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 237 14:16 Jehoash passed away 238 and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam replaced him as king.)
14:17 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 14:18 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 239 14:19 Conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 240 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 241 and they killed him there. 14:20 His body was carried back by horses 242 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David. 14:21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 14:22 Azariah 243 built up Elat and restored it to Judah after the king 244 had passed away. 245
14:23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Amaziah, son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Joash became king over Israel. He reigned for forty-one years in Samaria. 246 14:24 He did evil in the sight of 247 the Lord; he did not repudiate 248 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 14:25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath in the north to the sea of the Arabah in the south, 249 in accordance with the word of the Lord God of Israel announced through 250 his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 14:26 The Lord saw Israel’s intense suffering; 251 everyone was weak and incapacitated and Israel had no deliverer. 252 14:27 The Lord had not decreed that he would blot out Israel’s memory 253 from under heaven, 254 so he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash.
14:28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including all his accomplishments, his military success in restoring Israelite control over Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 255 14:29 Jeroboam passed away 256 and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 257 His son Zechariah replaced him as king.
15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of King Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Amaziah’s son Azariah became king over Judah. 15:2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. 258 His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. 15:3 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done. 259 15:4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. 15:5 The Lord afflicted the king with an illness; he suffered from a skin disease 260 until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters, 261 while his son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.
15:6 The rest of the events of Azariah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 262 15:7 Azariah passed away 263 and was buried 264 with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jotham replaced him as king.
15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 265 for six months. 15:9 He did evil in the sight of 266 the Lord, as his ancestors had done. He did not repudiate 267 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him; he assassinated him in Ibleam 268 and took his place as king. 15:11 The rest of the events of Zechariah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 269 15:12 His assassination brought to fulfillment the Lord’s word to Jehu, 270 “Four generations of your descendants will rule over Israel.” 271 That is exactly what happened. 272
15:13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah’s 273 reign over Judah. He reigned for one month 274 in Samaria. 15:14 Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to 275 Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh. 276 He killed him and took his place as king. 15:15 The rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, including the conspiracy he organized, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 277 15:16 At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He struck down all who lived in the city and the surrounding territory, because they would not surrender. 278 He even ripped open the pregnant women.
15:17 In the thirty-ninth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years in Samaria. 279 15:18 He did evil in the sight of 280 the Lord; he did not repudiate 281 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 282
During his reign, 15:19 Pul 283 king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid 284 him 285 a thousand talents 286 of silver to gain his support 287 and to solidify his control of the kingdom. 288 15:20 Menahem got this silver by taxing all the wealthy men in Israel; he took fifty shekels of silver from each one of them and paid it to the king of Assyria. 289 Then the king of Assyria left; he did not stay there in the land.
15:21 The rest of the events of Menahem’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 290 15:22 Menahem passed away 291 and his son Pekahiah replaced him as king.
15:23 In the fiftieth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem’s son Pekahiah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 292 for two years. 15:24 He did evil in the sight of 293 the Lord; he did not repudiate 294 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:25 His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. He and fifty Gileadites assassinated Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in Samaria in the fortress of the royal palace. 295 Pekah then took his place as king.
15:26 The rest of the events of Pekahiah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 296
15:27 In the fifty-second year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 297 for twenty years. 15:28 He did evil in the sight of 298 the Lord; he did not repudiate 299 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:29 During Pekah’s reign over Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, 300 Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He deported the people 301 to Assyria. 15:30 Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He assassinated him 302 and took his place as king, in the twentieth year of the reign of Jotham son of Uzziah.
15:31 The rest of the events of Pekah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 303
15:32 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah, Uzziah’s son Jotham became king over Judah. 15:33 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 304 His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 15:34 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done. 305 15:35 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple.
15:36 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 306 15:37 In those days the Lord prompted King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah to attack Judah. 307 15:38 Jotham passed away 308 and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz replaced him as king.
16:1 In the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham’s son Ahaz became king over Judah. 16:2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 309 He did not do what pleased the Lord his God, in contrast to his ancestor David. 310 16:3 He followed in the footsteps of 311 the kings of Israel. He passed his son through the fire, 312 a horrible sin practiced by the nations 313 whom the Lord drove out from before the Israelites. 16:4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
16:5 At that time King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem. 314 They besieged Ahaz, 315 but were unable to conquer him. 316 16:6 (At that time King Rezin of Syria 317 recovered Elat for Syria; he drove the Judahites from there. 318 Syrians 319 arrived in Elat and live there to this very day.) 16:7 Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your dependent. 320 March up and rescue me from the power 321 of the king of Syria and the king of Israel, who have attacked 322 me.” 16:8 Then Ahaz took the silver and gold that were 323 in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as tribute 324 to the king of Assyria. 16:9 The king of Assyria responded favorably to his request; 325 he 326 attacked Damascus and captured it. He deported the people 327 to Kir and executed Rezin.
16:10 When King Ahaz went to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria in Damascus, he saw the altar there. 328 King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a drawing of the altar and a blueprint for its design. 329 16:11 Uriah the priest built an altar in conformity to the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. 330 Uriah the priest finished it before King Ahaz arrived back from Damascus. 331 16:12 When the king arrived back from Damascus and 332 saw the altar, he approached it 333 and offered a sacrifice on it. 334 16:13 He offered his burnt sacrifice and his grain offering. He poured out his libation and sprinkled the blood from his peace offerings on the altar. 16:14 He moved the bronze altar that stood in the Lord’s presence from the front of the temple (between the altar and the Lord’s temple) and put it on the north side of the new 335 altar. 16:15 King Ahaz ordered Uriah the priest, “On the large altar 336 offer the morning burnt sacrifice, the evening grain offering, the royal burnt sacrifices and grain offering, the burnt sacrifice for all the people of Israel, their grain offering, and their libations. Sprinkle all the blood of the burnt sacrifice and other sacrifices on it. The bronze altar will be for my personal use.” 337 16:16 So Uriah the priest did exactly as 338 King Ahaz ordered.
16:17 King Ahaz took off the frames of the movable stands, and removed the basins from them. He took “The Sea” 339 down from the bronze bulls that supported it 340 and put it on the pavement. 16:18 He also removed the Sabbath awning 341 that had been built 342 in the temple and the king’s outer entranceway, on account of the king of Assyria. 343
16:19 The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 344 16:20 Ahaz passed away 345 and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king.
17:1 In the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 346 for nine years. 17:2 He did evil in the sight of 347 the Lord, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him. 17:3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened 348 him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute. 17:4 The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was planning a revolt. 349 Hoshea had sent messengers to King So 350 of Egypt and had not sent his annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and imprisoned him. 351 17:5 The king of Assyria marched through 352 the whole land. He attacked Samaria and besieged it for three years. 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel 353 to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes.
17:7 This happened because the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of 354 Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped 355 other gods; 17:8 they observed the practices 356 of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before Israel, and followed the example of the kings of Israel. 357 17:9 The Israelites said things about the Lord their God that were not right. 358 They built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress. 359 17:10 They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 17:11 They burned incense on all the high places just like the nations whom the Lord had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the Lord angry. 360 17:12 They worshiped 361 the disgusting idols 362 in blatant disregard of the Lord’s command. 363
17:13 The Lord solemnly warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and all the seers, “Turn back from your evil ways; obey my commandments and rules that are recorded in the law. I ordered your ancestors to keep this law and sent my servants the prophets to remind you of its demands.” 364 17:14 But they did not pay attention and were as stubborn as their ancestors, 365 who had not trusted the Lord their God. 17:15 They rejected his rules, the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the laws he had commanded them to obey. 366 They paid allegiance to 367 worthless idols, and so became worthless to the Lord. 368 They copied the practices of the surrounding nations in blatant disregard of the Lord’s command. 369 17:16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, 370 and worshiped 371 Baal. 17:17 They passed their sons and daughters through the fire, 372 and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the Lord and made him angry. 373
17:18 So the Lord was furious 374 with Israel and rejected them; 375 only the tribe of Judah was left. 17:19 Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the Lord their God; they followed Israel’s example. 376 17:20 So the Lord rejected all of Israel’s descendants; he humiliated 377 them and handed them over to robbers, until he had thrown them from his presence. 17:21 He tore Israel away from David’s dynasty, and Jeroboam son of Nebat became their king. 378 Jeroboam drove Israel away 379 from the Lord and encouraged them to commit a serious sin. 380 17:22 The Israelites followed in the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and did not repudiate 381 them. 17:23 Finally 382 the Lord rejected Israel 383 just as he had warned he would do 384 through all his servants the prophets. Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very day.
17:24 The king of Assyria brought foreigners 385 from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria 386 in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 17:25 When they first moved in, 387 they did not worship 388 the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them and the lions were killing them. 17:26 The king of Assyria was told, 389 “The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people 390 because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land.” 17:27 So the king of Assyria ordered, “Take back one of the priests whom you 391 deported from there. He must settle there and teach them the requirements of the God of the land.” 392 17:28 So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel. 393 He taught them how to worship 394 the Lord.
17:29 But each of these nations made 395 its own gods and put them in the shrines on the high places that the people of Samaria 396 had made. Each nation did this in the cities where they lived. 17:30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, 397 the people from Cuth made Nergal, 398 the people from Hamath made Ashima, 399 17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, 400 and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, 401 the gods of Sepharvaim. 17:32 At the same time they worshiped 402 the Lord. They appointed some of their own people to serve as priests in the shrines on the high places. 403 17:33 They were worshiping 404 the Lord and at the same time serving their own gods in accordance with the practices of the nations from which they had been deported.
17:34 To this very day they observe their earlier practices. They do not worship 405 the Lord; they do not obey the rules, regulations, law, and commandments that the Lord gave 406 the descendants of Jacob, whom he renamed Israel. 17:35 The Lord made an agreement 407 with them 408 and instructed them, “You must not worship other gods. Do not bow down to them, serve them, or offer sacrifices to them. 17:36 Instead you must worship the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt by his great power and military ability; 409 bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. 17:37 You must carefully obey at all times the rules, regulations, law, and commandments he wrote down for you. You must not worship other gods. 17:38 You must never forget the agreement I made with you, and you must not worship other gods. 17:39 Instead you must worship the Lord your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies.” 17:40 But they 410 pay no attention; instead they observe their earlier practices. 17:41 These nations are worshiping the Lord and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done, to this very day.
[9:30] 1 tn Heb “she fixed her eyes with antimony.” Antimony (פּוּךְ, pukh) was used as a cosmetic. The narrator portrays her as a prostitute (see Jer 4:30), a role she has played in the spiritual realm (see the note at v. 22).
[9:31] 2 sn Jezebel associates Jehu with another assassin, Zimri, who approximately 44 years before had murdered King Elah, only to meet a violent death just a few days later (1 Kgs 16:9-20). On the surface Jezebel’s actions seem contradictory. On the one hand, she beautifies herself as if to seduce Jehu, but on the other hand, she insults and indirectly threatens him with this comparison to Zimri. Upon further reflection, however, her actions reveal a clear underlying motive. She wants to retain her power, not to mention her life. By beautifying herself, she appeals to Jehu’s sexual impulses; by threatening him, she reminds him that he is in the same precarious position as Zimri. But, if he makes Jezebel his queen, he can consolidate his power. In other words through her actions and words Jezebel is saying to Jehu, “You desire me, don’t you? And you need me!”
[9:32] 3 tn Heb “two, three.” The narrator may be intentionally vague or uncertain here, or the two numbers may represent alternate traditions.
[9:33] 4 tn The words “when she hit the ground” are added for stylistic reasons.
[9:33] 5 tn Heb “and he trampled her.”
[9:34] 6 tn Heb “and he went and ate and drank.”
[9:34] 7 tn Heb “Attend to this accursed woman and bury her for she was the daughter of a king.”
[9:35] 8 tn Heb “they did not find her, except for.”
[9:36] 9 tn Heb “It is the word of the
[9:37] 10 tn Heb “so that they will not say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”
[10:1] 11 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[10:1] 12 tn Heb “to the officers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab, saying.” It is not certain why the officials of Jezreel would be in Samaria. They may have fled there after they heard what happened to Joram and before Jehu entered the city. They would have had time to flee while Jehu was pursuing Ahaziah.
[10:2] 13 tn Heb “And now when this letter comes to you – with you are the sons of your master and with you are chariots and horses and a fortified city and weapons.”
[10:3] 14 tn Hebrew יָשָׁר (yashar) does not have its normal moral/ethical nuance here (“upright”), but a more neutral sense of “proper, right, suitable.” For the gloss “capable,” see HALOT 450 s.v. יָשָׁר.
[10:4] 16 tn Heb “they were very, very afraid.” The term מְאֹד (me’od) “very,” is repeated for emphasis.
[10:4] 17 tn Heb “did not stand before him.”
[10:4] 18 tn Heb “How can we stand?”
[10:5] 19 tn Heb “the one who was over the house.”
[10:5] 20 tn Heb “the one who was over the city.”
[10:5] 23 tn Heb “Do what is good in your eyes.”
[10:6] 24 tn Heb “If you are mine and you are listening to my voice.”
[10:6] 25 sn Jehu’s command is intentionally vague. Does he mean that they should bring the guardians (those who are “heads” over Ahab’s sons) for a meeting, or does he mean that they should bring the literal heads of Ahab’s sons with them? (So LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and some
[10:6] 26 tn Heb “great,” probably in wealth, position, and prestige.
[10:7] 27 tn Heb “and when the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered seventy men.”
[10:8] 28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:8] 29 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:10] 30 tn Heb “Know then that there has not fallen from the word of the
[10:12] 31 tn Heb “and he arose and went and came to Samaria.”
[10:13] 34 tn Heb “for the peace of.”
[10:15] 36 tn Heb “and he went from there and found Jehonadab son of Rekab [who was coming] to meet him.”
[10:15] 37 tn Heb “and he blessed him and said to him.”
[10:15] 38 tn Heb “Is there with your heart [what is] right, as my heart [is] with your heart?”
[10:15] 39 tc Heb “Jehonadab said, ‘There is and there is. Give your hand.’” If the text is allowed to stand, there are two possible ways to understand the syntax of וָיֵשׁ (vayesh), “and there is”: (1) The repetition of יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is and there is”) could be taken as emphatic, “indeed I am.” In this case, the entire statement could be taken as Jehonadab’s words or one could understand the words “give your hand” as Jehu’s. In the latter case the change in speakers is unmarked. (2) וָיֵשׁ begins Jehu’s response and has a conditional force, “if you are.” In this case, the transition in speakers is unmarked. However, it is possible that וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer), “and he said,” or וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא (vayyo’mer yehu), “and Jehu said,” originally appeared between יֵשׁ and וָיֵשׁ and has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note that both the proposed וַיֹּאמֶר and וָיֵשׁ begin with vav, ו). The present translation assumes such a textual reconstruction; it is supported by the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate.
[10:15] 40 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:16] 41 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:16] 42 tn Heb “and see my zeal for the
[10:16] 43 tc The MT has a plural form, but this is most likely an error. The LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate all have the singular.
[10:17] 44 tn Heb “and he struck down all the remaining ones to Ahab in Samaria until he destroyed him.”
[10:17] 45 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[10:18] 48 tn Heb “much” or “greatly.”
[10:19] 49 tn Heb “and now, all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests summon to me.”
[10:19] 50 tn Heb “acted with deception [or, ‘trickery’].”
[10:20] 51 tn Heb “set apart”; or “observe as holy.”
[10:21] 52 tn Heb “and the house of Baal was filled mouth to mouth.”
[10:22] 53 tn Heb “and he said to the one who was over the wardrobe.”
[10:23] 54 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehu) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:23] 55 tn Heb “Search carefully and observe so that there are not here with you any servants of the
[10:24] 56 tn Heb “The man who escapes from the men whom I am bringing into your hands, [it will be] his life in place of his life.”
[10:25] 58 tn Heb “and they threw.” No object appears. According to M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 116), this is an idiom for leaving a corpse unburied.
[10:25] 59 tn Heb “and they came to the city of the house of Baal.” It seems unlikely that a literal city is meant. Some emend עִיר (’ir), “city,” to דְּבִיר (dÿvir) “holy place,” or suggest that עִיר is due to dittography of the immediately preceding עַד (’ad) “to.” Perhaps עִיר is here a technical term meaning “fortress” or, more likely, “inner room.”
[10:27] 60 tn Or “pulled down.”
[10:27] 61 tn The verb “they demolished” is repeated in the Hebrew text.
[10:27] 62 tn Heb “and they made it into.”
[10:27] 63 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has the hapax legomenon מַחֲרָאוֹת (makhara’ot), “places to defecate” or “dung houses” (note the related noun חרא (khr’)/חרי (khri), “dung,” HALOT 348-49 s.v. *חֲרָאִים). The marginal reading (Qere) glosses this, perhaps euphemistically, מוֹצָאוֹת (motsa’ot), “outhouses.”
[10:28] 64 tn Heb “destroyed Baal.”
[10:29] 65 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[10:29] 66 tn Heb “Except the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat which he caused Israel to commit, Jehu did not turn aside from after them – the golden calves which [were in] Bethel and which [were] in Dan.”
[10:30] 67 tn Heb “Because you have done well by doing what is proper in my eyes – according to all which was in my heart you have done to the house of Ahab – sons of four generations will sit for you on the throne of Israel.” In the Hebrew text the Lord’s statement is one long sentence (with a parenthesis). The translation above divides it into shorter sentences for stylistic reasons.
[10:31] 68 tn Heb “But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the
[10:31] 69 tn Heb “He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam which he caused Israel to commit.”
[10:32] 70 tn Heb “began to cut off Israel.”
[10:32] 71 tn Heb “Hazael struck them down in all the territory of Israel, from the Jordan on the east.” In the Hebrew text the phrase “from the Jordan on the east” begins v. 33.
[10:33] 72 tn Heb “all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassehites, from Aroer which is near the Arnon Valley, and Gilead, and Bashan.”
[10:34] 73 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehu, and all which he did and all his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[10:35] 74 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[10:35] 75 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[11:1] 76 tn Heb “she arose and she destroyed all the royal offspring.” The verb קוּם (qum) “arise,” is here used in an auxiliary sense to indicate that she embarked on a campaign to destroy the royal offspring. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 125.
[11:2] 78 tn Heb “him and his nurse in an inner room of beds.” The verb is missing in the Hebrew text. The parallel passage in 2 Chr 22:11 has “and she put” at the beginning of the clause. M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 126) regard the Chronicles passage as an editorial attempt to clarify the difficulty of the original text. They prefer to take “him and his nurse” as objects of the verb “stole” and understand “in the bedroom” as the place where the royal descendants were executed. The phrase בַּחֲדַר הַמִּטּוֹת (bakhadar hammittot), “an inner room of beds,” is sometimes understood as referring to a bedroom (HALOT 293 s.v. חֶדֶר), though some prefer to see here a “room where the covers and cloths were kept for the beds (HALOT 573 s.v. מִטָּת). In either case, it may have been a temporary hideout, for v. 3 indicates that the child hid in the temple for six years.
[11:2] 79 tn Heb “and they hid him from Athaliah and he was not put to death.” The subject of the plural verb (“they hid”) is probably indefinite.
[11:3] 80 tn Heb “and he was with her [in] the house of the
[11:4] 81 tn Heb “Jehoiada sent and took.”
[11:4] 82 sn The Carians were apparently a bodyguard, probably comprised of foreigners. See HALOT 497 s.v. כָּרִי and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 126.
[11:4] 83 tn Heb “the runners.”
[11:4] 84 tn Heb “he brought them to himself.”
[11:6] 86 tn Heb “the gate of Sur” (followed by many English versions) but no such gate is mentioned elsewhere in the OT. The parallel account in 2 Chr 23:5 has “Foundation Gate.” סוּר (sur), “Sur,” may be a corruption of יְסוֹד (yÿsod) “foundation,” involving in part dalet-resh confusion.
[11:6] 87 tn Heb “the runners.”
[11:6] 88 tn The meaning of מַסָּח (massakh) is not certain. The translation above, rather than understanding it as a genitive modifying “house,” takes it as an adverb describing how the groups will guard the palace. See HALOT 605 s.v. מַסָּח for the proposed meaning “alternating” (i.e., “in turns”).
[11:7] 89 tn Verses 5b-7 read literally, “the third of you, the ones entering [on] the Sabbath and the ones guarding the guard of the house of the king, and the third in the gate of Sur, and the third in the gate behind the runners, and you will guard the guard of the house, alternating. And the two units of you, all the ones going out [on] the Sabbath, and they will guard the guard of the house of the
[11:8] 90 tn Heb “and be with the king in his going out and in his coming in.”
[11:9] 91 tn Heb “according to all that.”
[11:11] 93 tn Heb “the runners” (also in v. 19).
[11:11] 94 tn Heb “and the runners stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the south shoulder of the house to the north shoulder of the house, at the altar and at the house, near the king all around.”
[11:12] 95 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:12] 96 tn The Hebrew term עֵדוּת (’edut) normally means “witness” or “testimony.” Here it probably refers to some tangible symbol of kingship, perhaps a piece of jewelry such as an amulet or neck chain. See the discussion in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 128. Some suggest that a document is in view, perhaps a copy of the royal protocol or of the stipulations of the Davidic covenant. See HALOT 790-91 s.v. עֵדוּת.
[11:12] 97 tn Or “they made him king and anointed him.”
[11:13] 98 tc The MT reads, “and Athaliah heard the sound of the runners, the people.” The term הָעָם (ha’am), “the people,” is probably a scribal addition anticipating the reference to the people later in the verse and in v. 14.
[11:13] 99 tn Heb “she came to the people.”
[11:14] 100 tn Heb “and she saw, and look.”
[11:14] 101 tn Or “conspiracy, conspiracy.”
[11:15] 102 tn The Hebrew text also has, “and said to them.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[11:15] 104 tn Heb “for the priest had said, ‘Let her not be put to death in the house of the
[11:16] 105 tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went the way of the entrance of the horses [into] the house of the king.”
[11:17] 106 tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between the
[11:18] 107 tn Or “tore down.”
[11:18] 109 tn The Hebrew construction translated “smashed…to bits” is emphatic. The adverbial infinitive absolute (הֵיטֵב [hetev], “well”) accompanying the Piel form of the verb שָׁבַר (shavar), “break,” suggests thorough demolition.
[11:18] 110 tn Heb “the priest.” Jehoiada’s name is added for clarification.
[11:19] 111 tn Heb “the Gate of the Runners of the House of the King.”
[11:19] 112 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:21] 113 sn Beginning with 11:21, the verse numbers through 12:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 11:21 ET = 12:1 HT, 12:1 ET = 12:2 HT, 12:2 ET = 12:3 HT, etc., through 12:21 ET = 12:22 HT. With 13:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[11:21] 114 tn Jehoash is an alternate name for Joash (see 11:2).
[12:1] 115 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:2] 116 tn Heb “and Jehoash did what was proper in the eyes of the
[12:2] 117 tn Heb “that which.” Jehoiada taught the king the Lord’s will.
[12:4] 118 tn The words “I place at your disposal” are added in the translation for clarification.
[12:4] 119 tn Heb “the silver of passing over a man.” The precise meaning of the phrase is debated, but עָבַר (’avar), “pass over,” probably refers here to counting, suggesting the reference is to a census conducted for taxation purposes. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 137.
[12:4] 120 tn Heb “the silver of persons, his valuation.” The precise meaning of the phrase is uncertain, but parallels in Lev 27 suggest that personal vows are referred to here. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 137.
[12:4] 121 tn Heb “all the silver which goes up on the heart of a man to bring to the house of the
[12:5] 122 tn Heb “Let the priests take for themselves, each from his treasurer, and let them repair the damage of the temple, with respect to all the damage that is found there.” The word מַכָּר (makar), translated here “treasurer,” occurs only in this passage. Some suggest it means “merchant” or “benefactor.” Its usage in Ugaritic texts, where it appears in a list of temple officials, suggests that it refers in this context to individuals who were in charge of disbursing temple funds.
[12:7] 123 tn Heb “Now, do not take silver from your treasurers, because for the damages to the temple you must give it.”
[12:8] 124 tn Outside of this passage the verb אוּת (’ut) appears only in Gen 34:15-22.
[12:8] 125 tn Heb “and not to repair the damages to the temple.” This does not mean that the priests were no longer interested in repairing the temple. As the following context makes clear, the priests decided to hire skilled workers to repair the damage to the temple, rather than trying to make the repairs themselves.
[12:9] 126 tn Heb “on the right side of the altar as a man enters.”
[12:10] 127 tn Heb “the king’s scribe.”
[12:10] 128 tn Heb “went up and tied [it] and counted the silver that was found in the house of the
[12:11] 129 tn Heb “would give.”
[12:11] 130 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
[12:12] 131 tn Heb “and for all that which was going out concerning the house for repair.”
[12:14] 132 tn Heb “was given.”
[12:15] 134 tn Heb “and they did not conduct a reckoning of the men who gave the silver into their hand to give to the doers of the work, for in honesty they were working.”
[12:17] 135 tn Heb “went up and fought against.”
[12:17] 136 tn Heb “Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.”
[12:18] 137 tn The object (“it all”) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:19] 139 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Joash, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[12:20] 140 tn Heb “rose up and conspired [with] a conspiracy.”
[12:20] 141 tn Heb “Beth Millo which goes down [toward] Silla.”
[12:21] 142 tn Heb “struck him down and he died.”
[12:21] 143 tn Heb “they buried him.”
[13:1] 144 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[13:2] 145 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[13:2] 146 tn Heb “walked after.”
[13:2] 147 tn Heb “he did not turn aside from it.”
[13:3] 148 tn Heb “and the anger of the
[13:3] 149 tn Heb “he gave them into the hand of.”
[13:3] 150 tn Heb “all the days.”
[13:4] 151 tn Heb “appeased the face of the
[13:4] 152 tn Heb “and the
[13:4] 153 tn Heb “for he saw the oppression of Israel, for the king of Syria oppressed them.”
[13:5] 154 sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.
[13:5] 155 tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”
[13:5] 156 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”
[13:6] 157 tn Heb “they did not turn away from.”
[13:6] 159 tc Heb “in it he walked.” The singular verb (הָלַךְ, halakh) is probably due to an error of haplography and should be emended to the plural (הָלְכּוּ, halÿku). Note that a vav immediately follows (on the form וְגַם, vÿgam).
[13:6] 160 tn Or “an image of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “the Asherah”; NCV “the Asherah idol.”
[13:7] 161 tn Heb “Indeed he did not leave to Jehoahaz people.” The identity of the subject is uncertain, but the king of Syria, mentioned later in the verse, is a likely candidate.
[13:7] 162 tn Heb “them,” i.e., the remainder of this troops.
[13:7] 163 tn Heb “and made them like dust for trampling.”
[13:8] 164 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoahaz, and all which he did and his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[13:9] 165 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[13:9] 166 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:10] 167 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[13:11] 168 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[13:11] 169 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
[13:11] 170 tn Heb “in it he walked.”
[13:12] 171 sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
[13:12] 172 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Joash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[13:13] 173 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[13:13] 174 tn Heb “sat on his throne.”
[13:14] 175 tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”
[13:14] 176 tn Heb “went down to him.”
[13:14] 177 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
[13:14] 178 sn By comparing Elisha to a one-man army, the king emphasizes the power of the prophetic word. See the note at 2:12.
[13:15] 179 tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”
[13:16] 180 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:16] 181 tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”
[13:16] 182 tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”
[13:17] 183 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 184 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
[13:17] 185 tn Heb “and he shot.”
[13:17] 186 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:17] 187 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the
[13:17] 188 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
[13:18] 189 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:18] 190 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
[13:19] 191 tn Heb “man of God.”
[13:19] 192 tn Heb “[It was necessary] to strike five or six times, then you would strike down Syria until destruction.” On the syntax of the infinitive construct, see GKC 349 §114.k.
[13:20] 193 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[13:20] 195 tc The MT reading בָּא שָׁנָה (ba’ shanah), “it came, year,” should probably be emended to בְּבָּא הַשָּׁנָה (bÿba’ hashanah), “at the coming [i.e., ‘beginning’] of the year.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 148.
[13:21] 196 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
[13:21] 197 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
[13:21] 198 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:21] 200 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the dead man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Otherwise the reader might think it was Elisha rather than the unnamed dead man who came back to life.
[13:22] 201 tn Heb “all the days of Jehoahaz.”
[13:23] 202 tn Or “showed them compassion.”
[13:23] 203 tn Heb “he turned to them.”
[13:23] 204 tn Heb “because of his covenant with.”
[13:23] 205 tn Heb “until now.”
[13:25] 206 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
[14:1] 207 sn The name Joahaz is an alternate form of Jehoahaz.
[14:1] 208 sn The referent here is Joash of Judah (see 12:21), not Joash of Israel, mentioned earlier in the verse.
[14:2] 209 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[14:2] 210 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
[14:3] 211 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[14:3] 212 tn Heb “according to all which Joash his father had done, he did.”
[14:5] 213 tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure in his hand.”
[14:5] 214 tn Heb “he struck down his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”
[14:6] 215 tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the
[14:6] 216 tn Heb “on account of sons.”
[14:6] 217 tn Heb “on account of fathers.”
[14:6] 218 sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.
[14:7] 219 tn Or “struck down.”
[14:8] 220 tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here to meeting in battle. See v. 11.
[14:9] 221 tn Heb “the animal of the field.”
[14:9] 222 sn Judah is the thorn in the allegory. Amaziah’s success has deceived him into thinking he is on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he is not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).
[14:10] 223 tn Or “you have indeed defeated Edom.”
[14:10] 224 tn Heb “and your heart has lifted you up.”
[14:10] 225 tn Heb “be glorified.”
[14:10] 226 tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”
[14:11] 227 tn Heb “did not listen.”
[14:11] 229 tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.”
[14:12] 230 tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”
[14:13] 231 tc The MT has the plural form of the verb, but the final vav (ו) is virtually dittographic. The word that immediately follows in the Hebrew text begins with a yod (י). The form should be emended to the singular, which is consistent in number with the verb (“he broke down”) that follows.
[14:13] 233 tn Heb “four hundred cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long.
[14:14] 234 tn Heb “the sons of the pledges.”
[14:14] 235 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[14:15] 236 sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
[14:15] 237 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[14:16] 238 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[14:18] 239 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[14:19] 240 tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.”
[14:19] 241 tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.”
[14:20] 242 tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.”
[14:22] 243 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Azariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:22] 244 sn This must refer to Amaziah.
[14:22] 245 tn Heb “lay with his fathers.”
[14:23] 246 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[14:24] 247 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[14:24] 248 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
[14:25] 249 tn The phrases “in the north” and “in the south” are added in the translation for clarification.
[14:25] 250 tn Heb “which he spoke by the hand of.”
[14:26] 251 tc Heb “for the
[14:26] 252 tn Heb “[there was] none but the restrained, and [there was] none but the abandoned, and there was no deliverer for Israel.” On the meaning of the terms עָצוּר (’atsur) and עָזוּב (’azur), see the note at 1 Kgs 14:10.
[14:27] 254 tn The phrase “from under heaven” adds emphasis to the verb “blot out” and suggest total annihilation. For other examples of the verb מָחָה (makhah), “blot out,” combined with “from under heaven,” see Exod 17:14; Deut 9:14; 25:19; 29:20.
[14:28] 255 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jeroboam, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?” The phrase “to Judah” is probably not original; it may be a scribal addition by a Judahite scribe who was trying to link Jeroboam’s conquests with the earlier achievements of David and Solomon, who ruled in Judah. The Syriac Peshitta has simply “to Israel.” M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 162) offer this proposal, but acknowledge that it is “highly speculative.”
[14:29] 256 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[14:29] 257 tn The MT has simply “with the kings of Israel,” which appears to stand in apposition to the immediately preceding “with his fathers.” But it is likely that the words “and he was buried in Samaria” have been accidentally omitted from the text. See 13:13 and 14:16.
[15:2] 258 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:3] 259 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[15:5] 260 tn Traditionally, “he was a leper.” But see the note at 5:1.
[15:5] 261 tn The precise meaning of בֵית הַחָפְשִׁית (bet hakhofÿshit), “house of […?],” is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 166-67.
[15:6] 262 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Azariah, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[15:7] 263 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[15:7] 264 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
[15:8] 265 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[15:9] 266 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[15:9] 267 tn Heb “turn away from.”
[15:10] 268 tc The MT reads, “and he struck him down before the people and killed him” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). However, the reading קָבָל עָם (qaval ’am), “before the people,” is problematic to some because קָבָל is a relatively late Aramaic term. Nevertheless, the Aramaic term qobel certainly antedates the writing of Kings. The bigger problem seems to be the unnecessary intrusion of an Aramaic word at all here. Most interpreters prefer to follow Lucian’s Greek version and read “in Ibleam” (בְיִבְלְעָם, bÿivle’am). Cf. NAB, TEV.
[15:11] 269 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jeroboam, look, they are written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel.”
[15:12] 270 tn Heb “It was the word of the
[15:12] 271 tn “sons of four generations will sit for you on the throne of Israel.”
[15:12] 272 tn Heb “and it was so.”
[15:13] 273 sn Azariah was also known by the name Uzziah.
[15:13] 274 tn Heb “a month of days.”
[15:14] 275 tn Heb “and came to.”
[15:14] 276 tn Heb “went up from Tirzah and arrived in Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria.”
[15:15] 277 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he conspired, look, they are written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel.”
[15:16] 278 tn Heb “then Menahem attacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its borders from Tirzah, for it would not open, and he attacked.”
[15:17] 279 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[15:18] 280 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[15:18] 281 tn Heb “turn away from.”
[15:18] 282 tc The MT of v. 18 ends with the words, “all his days.” If this phrase is taken with what precedes, then one should translate, “[who encouraged Israel to sin] throughout his reign.” However, it may be preferable to emend the text to בְיֹמָיו (bÿyomav), “in his days,” and join the phrase to what follows. The translation assumes this change.
[15:19] 283 sn Pul was a nickname of Tiglath-pileser III (cf. 15:29). See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 171-72.
[15:19] 285 tn Heb “Pul.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:19] 286 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75,000 pounds of silver (cf. NCV “about seventy-four thousand pounds”); NLT “thirty-seven tons”; CEV “over thirty tons”; TEV “34,000 kilogrammes.”
[15:19] 287 tn Heb “so his hands would be with him.”
[15:19] 288 tn Heb “to keep hold of the kingdom in his hand.”
[15:20] 289 tn Heb “and Menahem brought out the silver over Israel, over the prominent men of means, to give to the king of Assyria, fifty shekels of silver for each man.”
[15:21] 290 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Menahem, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[15:22] 291 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[15:23] 292 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[15:24] 293 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[15:24] 294 tn Heb “turn away from.”
[15:25] 295 tn Heb “and he struck him down in Samaria in the fortress of the house of the king, Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men from the sons of the Gileadites, and they killed him.”
[15:26] 296 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Pekahiah, and all which he did, look, they are written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel.”
[15:27] 297 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[15:28] 298 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[15:28] 299 tn Heb “turn away from.”
[15:29] 300 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
[15:30] 302 tn Heb “and struck him down and killed him.”
[15:31] 303 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Pekah, and all which he did, look, they are written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel.”
[15:33] 304 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:34] 305 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[15:36] 306 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jotham, and that which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[15:37] 307 tn Heb “the
[15:38] 308 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[16:2] 309 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:2] 310 tn Heb “and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the
[16:3] 311 tn Heb “he walked in the way of.”
[16:3] 312 sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice. For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
[16:3] 313 tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
[16:5] 314 tn Heb “went up to Jerusalem for battle.”
[16:5] 315 tn That is, Jerusalem, Ahaz’s capital city.
[16:5] 316 tn Heb “they were unable to fight.” The object must be supplied from the preceding sentence. Elsewhere when the Niphal infinitive of לָחָם (lakham) follows the verb יָכֹל (yakhol), the infinitive appears to have the force of “prevail against.” See Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9; and the parallel passage in Isa 7:1.
[16:6] 317 tc Some prefer to read “the king of Edom” and “for Edom” here. The names Syria (Heb “Aram,” אֲרָם, ’aram) and Edom (אֱדֹם, ’edom) are easily confused in the Hebrew consonantal script.
[16:6] 318 tn Heb “from Elat.”
[16:6] 319 tc The consonantal text (Kethib), supported by many medieval Hebrew
[16:7] 320 tn Heb “son.” Both terms (“servant” and “son”) reflect Ahaz’s subordinate position as Tiglath-pileser’s subject.
[16:7] 321 tn Heb “hand, palm.”
[16:7] 322 tn Heb “who have arisen against.”
[16:8] 323 tn Heb “that was found.”
[16:8] 324 tn Or “bribe money.”
[16:9] 325 tn Heb “listened to him.”
[16:9] 326 tn Heb “the king of Assyria.”
[16:10] 328 tn Heb “in Damascus.”
[16:10] 329 tn Heb “the likeness of the altar and its pattern for all its work.”
[16:11] 330 tn Heb “according to all that King Ahaz sent from Damascus.”
[16:11] 331 tn Heb “so Uriah the priest did, until the arrival of King Ahaz from Damascus.”
[16:12] 332 tn Heb “and the king.”
[16:12] 333 tn Heb “the altar.”
[16:12] 334 tn Or “ascended it.”
[16:14] 335 tn The word “new” is added in the translation for clarification.
[16:15] 336 tn That is, the newly constructed altar.
[16:15] 337 tn Heb “for me to seek.” The precise meaning of בָּקַר (baqar), “seek,” is uncertain in this context. For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189.
[16:16] 338 tn Heb “according to all which.”
[16:17] 339 sn See the note at 1 Kgs 7:23.
[16:17] 340 tn Heb “that [were] under it.”
[16:18] 341 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מוּסַךְ (musakh; Qere) / מִיסַךְ (misakh; Kethib) is uncertain. For discussion see HALOT 557 s.v. מוּסַךְ and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 189-90.
[16:18] 342 tn Heb “that they built.”
[16:18] 343 sn It is doubtful that Tiglath-pileser ordered these architectural changes. Ahaz probably made these changes so he could send some of the items and materials to the Assyrian king as tribute. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 190, 193.
[16:19] 344 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Ahaz, and that which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
[16:20] 345 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[17:1] 346 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[17:2] 347 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[17:3] 348 tn Heb “went up against.”
[17:4] 349 tn Heb “and the king of Assyria found in Hoshea conspiracy.”
[17:4] 350 sn For discussion of this name, see HALOT 744 s.v. סוֹא and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 196.
[17:4] 351 tn Heb “and bound him in the house of confinement.”
[17:5] 352 tn Heb “went up against.”
[17:6] 353 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” as the object of the verb.
[17:7] 354 tn Heb “and from under the hand of.” The words “freed them” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:8] 356 tn Heb “walked in the customs.”
[17:8] 357 tn Heb “and [the practices of] the kings of Israel which they did.”
[17:9] 358 tn The meaning of the verb וַיְחַפְּאוּ (vayÿkhappÿ’u), translated here “said,” is uncertain. Some relate it to the verbal root חָפַה (khafah), “to cover,” and translate “they did it in secret” (see BDB 341 s.v. חָפָא). However, the pagan practices specified in the following sentences were hardly done in secret. Others propose a meaning “ascribe, impute,” which makes good contextual sense but has little etymological support (see HALOT 339 s.v. חפא). In this case Israel claimed that the
[17:9] 359 sn That is, from the city’s perimeter to the central citadel.
[17:11] 360 tn Heb “and they did evil things, angering the
[17:12] 362 sn See the note at 1 Kgs 15:12.
[17:12] 363 tn Heb “about which the
[17:13] 364 tn Heb “obey my commandments and rules according to all the law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by the hand of my servants the prophets.”
[17:14] 365 tn Heb and they stiffened their neck like the neck of their fathers.”
[17:15] 366 tn Or “and his warnings he had given them.”
[17:15] 367 tn Heb “They went [or, ‘followed’] after.” This idiom probably does not mean much if translated literally. It is found most often in Deuteronomy or in literature related to the covenant. It refers in the first instance to loyalty to God and to His covenant or His commandments (1 Kgs 14:8; 2 Chr 34:31) with the metaphor of a path or way underlying it (Deut 11:28; 28:14). To “follow other gods” was to abandon this way and this loyalty (to “abandon” or “forget” God, Judg 2:12; Hos 2:13) and to follow the customs or religious traditions of the pagan nations (2 Kgs 17:15). The classic text on “following” God or another god is 1 Kgs 18:18, 21 where Elijah taunts the people with “halting between two opinions” whether the
[17:15] 368 tn Heb “they followed after the worthless thing/things and became worthless.” The words “to the
[17:15] 369 tn Heb “and [they walked] after the nations which were around them, concerning which the
[17:16] 370 tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsÿva’ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.
[17:17] 372 sn See the note at 2 Kgs 16:3.
[17:17] 373 tn Heb “they sold themselves to doing what was evil in the eyes of the
[17:18] 374 tn Heb “very angry.”
[17:18] 375 tn Heb “turned them away from his face.”
[17:19] 376 tn Heb “they walked in the practices of Israel which they did.”
[17:20] 377 tn Or “afflicted.”
[17:21] 378 tn Heb “and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king.”
[17:21] 379 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) assumes the verb is נָדָא (nada’), an alternate form of נָדָה (nadah), “push away.” The marginal reading (Qere) assumes the verb נָדָח (nadakh), “drive away.”
[17:21] 380 tn Heb “a great sin.”
[17:22] 381 tn Heb “turn away from.”
[17:23] 383 tn Heb “the
[17:23] 384 tn Heb “just as he said.”
[17:24] 385 tn The object is supplied in the translation.
[17:24] 386 sn In vv. 24-29 Samaria stands for the entire northern kingdom of Israel.
[17:25] 387 tn Heb “in the beginning of their living there.”
[17:26] 389 tn Heb “and they said to the king of Assyria, saying.” The plural subject of the verb is indefinite.
[17:26] 390 tn Heb “Look they are killing them.”
[17:27] 391 tc The second plural subject may refer to the leaders of the Assyrian army. However, some prefer to read “whom I deported,” changing the verb to a first person singular form with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix. This reading has some support from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic witnesses.
[17:27] 392 tc Heb “and let them go and let them live there, and let him teach them the requirements of the God of the land.” The two plural verbs seem inconsistent with the preceding and following contexts, where only one priest is sent back to Samaria. The singular has the support of Greek, Syriac, and Latin witnesses.
[17:28] 393 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[17:29] 395 sn The verb “make” refers to the production of idols. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 210-11.
[17:29] 396 tn Heb “Samaritans.” This refers to the Israelites who had been deported from the land.
[17:30] 397 sn No deity is known by the name Succoth Benoth in extant Mesopotamian literature. For speculation as to the identity of this deity, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211.
[17:30] 398 sn Nergal was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld.
[17:30] 399 sn This deity is unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211-12.
[17:31] 400 sn Nibhaz and Tartak were two Elamite deities. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.
[17:31] 401 sn Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim are unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.
[17:32] 403 tn Heb “and they appointed for themselves from their whole people priests for the high places and they were serving for them in the house[s] of the high places.”
[17:34] 406 tn Heb “commanded.”
[17:35] 408 sn That is, the descendants of Jacob/Israel (see v. 35b).
[17:36] 409 tn Heb “and outstretched arm.”
[17:40] 410 sn This refers to the foreigners whom the king of Assyria settled in the land (see v. 35a).
