2 Kings 10:1

Contextual Overview

¹Since Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s sons, saying:¹ Now Ach'av had seventy sons in Shomron. Yehu wrote letters, and sent to Shomron, to the rulers of Yizre`el, even the Zakenim, and to those who brought up [the sons of] Ach'av, saying, ¹ And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying, ¹ Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, ¹ Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officers and elders of Jezreel and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab. Jehu said, ¹ Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. 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, ¹Ahab had seventy sons [and grandsons] in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying,¹ Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying,¹ Ahab had nowe seuentie sonnes in Samaria. And Iehu wrote letters, & sent to Samaria vnto the rulers of Izreel, and to the Elders, and to ye bringers vp of Ahabs children, to this effect, ¹Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

seventy sons: Judges 8:30, Judges 10:4, Judges 12:14

in Samaria: 2 Kings 5:3, 1 Kings 13:32, 1 Kings 16:28, 2 Chronicles 22:9

the rulers: Deuteronomy 16:18, 1 Kings 21:8-14

them: Heb. nourishers

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 21:21 - Behold 1 Kings 21:29 - in his son's days Ecclesiastes 6:3 - a man Jeremiah 29:25 - Because Galatians 4:1 - That

Cross-References

Genesis 2:4
This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the eretz when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made eretz and the heavens.

Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heaven—

Genesis 2:4
This is the story of the creation of the sky and the earth. When the Lord God first made the earth and the sky,

Genesis 2:4
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created—when the Lord God made the earth and heavens.

Genesis 2:4
This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—

Genesis 2:4
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.

Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens,

Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heaven.

Genesis 2:4
That's how God created the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the heavens and the earth,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria,.... These might not be all his immediate sons, but some of them his grandsons, as such are sometimes called in Scripture:

and Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel; who fled thither, perhaps on Jehu's coming to Jezreel, having slain Joram, being the metropolis of the kingdom, to consult about a successor, or how to oppose Jehu, and to frustrate his designs: but the Septuagint version is, "to the rulers of Samaria", which seems most likely to be the true reading:

to the elders; the civil magistrates of the city of Samaria:

and to them that brought up Ahab's children: who had the care of their education; who either always dwelt at Samaria, being the royal city, or were sent with their charge thither, when Joram went to Ramothgilead, for safety, supposing he should be worsted by the Syrians; or they fled thither with them upon the death of Joram:

saying; as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Seventy sons - i. e., descendants; there were included among them children of Jehoram (2 Kings 10:2-3, etc.).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER X

Jehu sends an ironical letter to the elders of Samaria, telling

them to choose one of the best of their master's sons, and put

him on the throne; to which they return a submissive answer,

1-6.

He writes a second letter, and orders them to send him the

heads of Ahab's seventy sons; they do so, and they are laid in

two heaps at the gate of Jezreel, 7, 8.

Jehu shows them to the people, and excuses himself, and states

that all is done according to the word of the Lord, 9, 10.

He destroys all the kindred of Ahab that remained in Jezreel,

11.

He also destroys forty-two men, the brethren of Ahaziah, king

of Judah, 12-14.

He meets with Jehonadab, and takes him with him in his chariot,

15, 16.

He comes to Samaria, and destroys all that were of the kindred

of Ahab there, 17.

He pretends a great zeal for the worship of Baal, and gathers

all his priests together, under the pretense of a grand

sacrifice, and slays them all, 18-25.

He burns Baal's images, and makes his temple a draught house,

26-28.

But he does not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, and does not

prosper, 29-31.

Hazael vexes Israel, 32, 33.

Jehu dies, having reigned over Israel, in Samaria, twenty-eight

years, 34-36.

NOTES ON CHAP. X

Verse 2 Kings 10:1. Ahab had seventy sons — As he had several wives, he might have many children. The Israelites, from the earliest part of their history, were remarkably fruitful. How amazingly did they multiply in Egypt, even under the hand of the severest oppression! And as to the individuals of whose families we have an account, they are quite remarkable: Rehoboam had thirty-eight sons; Abdon had forty; Tola had thirty; Ahab, seventy; and Gideon, seventy-one.

Unto the rulers of Jezreel — It certainly should be, unto the rulers of Samaria; for to them and to that city the whole context shows us the letters were sent. See 2 Kings 10:6.

To them that brought up Ahab's children] It appears that the royal children of Israel and Judah were intrusted to the care of the nobles, and were brought up by them, (see 2 Kings 10:6;) and to these, therefore, Jehu's letters are directed. It is supposed Isaiah (Isaiah 49:23) alludes to this custom: Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nursing mothers.