And when he came, behold, the captains of the host [were] sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.
Complete Jewish Bible:
When he arrived, he found the senior army officers sitting there. He said, "I have a message for you, commander." Yehu asked, "For which one of us?" "For you, commander," he said.
Berean Standard Bible:
and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.
American Standard Version:
And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of us all? And he said, To thee, O captain.
But he himself turned again from the quarries that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
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Commentary for 2 Kings 9:5
2 Kings 9:5 is a part of a narrative that unfolds in the latter part of the 9th century BCE, during a period of political instability and violence in the history of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The verse is set within the broader context of a divine mandate to bring about a transfer of power and enact judgment upon the house of Ahab, the king of Israel, and his queen, Jezebel, for their idolatry and wickedness.
In this particular verse, the prophet Elisha has just anointed Jehu, a commander in the Israelite army, as the new king of Israel, following God's command to eliminate Ahab's dynasty. The theme here is one of divine intervention in the political and military affairs of the nation. The text reflects the clandestine and precise nature of the mission, as Jehu is singled out among the captains for a private message, which is in fact the announcement of his anointing as king and the charge to carry out God's justice.
The historical context is significant as it marks a pivotal moment in the history of Israel, where the prophetic word from Elisha, the successor of Elijah, directly intersects with the political power structures of the time. Jehu's anointing and the subsequent events illustrate the biblical theme of God's sovereignty over human kings and kingdoms, and the execution of divine judgment through human agents. This verse sets the stage for Jehu's rapid and ruthless ascent to the throne, as he will go on to carry out the prophecy with a swift and bloody coup, ending the dynasty of Omri and Ahab.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
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.
Strong's Number: H8269 There are 368 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שַׂר Transliteration: sar Pronunciation: sar Description: from שָׂרַר; a head person (of any rank or class); captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.
Strong's Number: H2428 There are 228 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: חַיִל Transliteration: chayil Pronunciation: khah'-yil Description: from חוּל; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength; able, activity, ([phrase]) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ([phrase]) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).
Strong's Number: H3427 There are 980 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יָשַׁב Transliteration: yâshab Pronunciation: yaw-shab' Description: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
Strong's Number: H559 There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָמַר Transliteration: ʼâmar Pronunciation: aw-mar' Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
Strong's Number: H1697 There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: דָּבָר Transliteration: dâbâr Pronunciation: daw-baw' Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.
Strong's Number: H3058 There are 54 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יֵהוּא Transliteration: Yêhûwʼ Pronunciation: yay-hoo' Description: from יְהֹוָה and הוּא; Jehovah (is) He; Jehu, the name of five Israelites; Jehu.