2 Kings 10:7

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him [them] to Jezreel.

Complete Jewish Bible:

When the letter reached them, they seized the king's sons and killed them, all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets and sent them to Yehu in Yizre'el.

Berean Standard Bible:

And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

American Standard Version:

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And it came to pass, when the letter^{H5612} came^{H935} to them, that they took^{H3947} the king's^{H4428} sons^{H1121}, and slew^{H7819} seventy^{H7657} persons^{H376}, and put^{H7760} their heads^{H7218} in baskets^{H1731}, and sent^{H7971} him them to Jezreel^{H3157}.

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Commentary for 2 Kings 10:7

2 Kings 10:7 is a verse set within the broader narrative of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, during the reign of King Jehu. This verse specifically recounts an event following Jehu's bloody coup, where he had already executed King Joram and the extended family of the previous dynasty, along with the prophets and priests of Baal, as part of a divine mandate to eradicate the worship of Baal from Israel.

In the historical context, Jehu's actions were part of a larger political and religious purge. The verse describes the aftermath of Jehu's command to the rulers and elders of Samaria, as well as the guardians of Ahab's descendants, to kill the remaining sons of the former king, Ahab, who had been ruling in Samaria. The number seventy may be symbolic of completeness, signifying the total eradication of Ahab's lineage. The gruesome act of beheading the princes and sending their heads to Jezreel in baskets was both a demonstration of loyalty to Jehu and a fulfillment of the prophecy found in 2 Kings 9:26, which echoed the judgment against Ahab's house as pronounced by the prophet Elijah.

The themes present in this verse include divine retribution, the severity of God's judgment against idolatry, and the political intrigue and violence that characterized the period of the divided monarchy. It also highlights the extreme measures taken to secure a new ruler's reign and the brutal enforcement of religious reforms. The text underscores the cyclical nature of violence in the struggle for power, as well as the theological assertion that those who stray from the worship of Yahweh and lead others into idolatry will face dire consequences. This event is a stark reminder of the intertwining of religious and political power in ancient Israel and the often-violent means by which leadership transitions occurred.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5612
   There are 174 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: סֵפֶר
   Transliteration: çêpher
   Pronunciation: say'-fer
   Description: or (feminine) סִפְרָה; (Psalm 56:8 (אֲבֵדָה)), from סָפַר; properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book; bill, book, evidence, [idiom] learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll.
   
2. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
3. Strong's Number: H3947
   There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לָקַח
   Transliteration: lâqach
   Pronunciation: law-kakh'
   Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
   
4. Strong's Number: H4428
   There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
   Transliteration: melek
   Pronunciation: meh'-lek
   Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1121
   There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֵּן
   Transliteration: bên
   Pronunciation: bane
   Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
   
6. Strong's Number: H7819
   There are 70 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁחַט
   Transliteration: shâchaṭ
   Pronunciation: shaw-khat'
   Description: a primitive root; to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre); kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.
   
7. Strong's Number: H7657
   There are 90 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שִׁבְעִים
   Transliteration: shibʻîym
   Pronunciation: shib-eem'
   Description: multiple of שֶׁבַע; seventy; seventy, threescore and ten ([phrase] -teen).
   
8. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
9. Strong's Number: H7760
   There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שׂוּם
   Transliteration: sûwm
   Pronunciation: soom
   Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work.
   
10. Strong's Number: H7218
    There are 548 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רֹאשׁ
    Transliteration: rôʼsh
    Pronunciation: roshe
    Description: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.); band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.
    
11. Strong's Number: H1731
    There are 6 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: דּוּד
    Transliteration: dûwd
    Pronunciation: dood
    Description: from the same as דּוֹד; a pot (for boiling); also (by resemblance of shape) a basket; basket, caldron, kettle, (seething) pot.
    
12. Strong's Number: H7971
    There are 790 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁלַח
    Transliteration: shâlach
    Pronunciation: shaw-lakh'
    Description: a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
    
13. Strong's Number: H3157
    There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יִזְרְעֵאל
    Transliteration: Yizrᵉʻêʼl
    Pronunciation: yiz-reh-ale'
    Description: from זָרַע and אֵל; God will sow; Jizreel, the name of two places in Palestine and of two Israelites; Jezreel.