2 Kings 9:19
in 2 Kings 9So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.
KJV
Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.
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This verse in 2 Kings 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
A report was made to Joram in his palace below. A messenger on horseback was quickly despatched down into the plain to meet the ambiguous host and to question the object of their approach. "Is it peace?" We may safely assume that this messenger would meet Jehu at the distance of three miles or more.
This site's exposition
the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel
on 2 Kings 9:17-20
Jehu asks each what he knows about peace and orders him to fall in behind, folding the king's own messengers into his company. The watchman's last report turns on one detail, the charioteer driving like Jehu son of Nimshi, which Clarke calls almost proverbial for the man.
This site's exposition
the king sent out a second horseman
Joram sends a second rider with the same question. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown place the king in his palace below the watchtower, receiving each report as the watchman called it down. Jehu turns the second man with the same words.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
So he went out with a group of select men. But he met Joram, king of Israel, in the course of his journey, and little later Ahaziah, king of Judah. He was able to defeat them after the first attack and killed them both.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He had scarcely recovered from the fright he was put into in the battle, and his guilty conscience put him into a continual terror. Each messenger asked the same question: " Is it peace? are you for us or for our adversaries?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said,.... The same as the first messenger did, and had the same answer, and was bid to do the same as in the preceding verse.
But it is not much for any man's reputation to be known by his fury. He that has rule over his own spirit is better than the mighty. The Chaldee paraphrase gives this a contrary sense: The leading is like that of Jehu, for he leads quietly.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| רֹכֵ֣ב | rokhev | a rider of | H7392 → | 78 times |
| סוּס֮ | sus | a horse | H5483 → | 140 times |
| שֵׁנִי֒ | sheni | second | H8145 → | 156 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֔ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַיֹּ֛אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֥ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שָׁל֑וֹם | shalom | peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
| וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יֵה֛וּא | yehu' | Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לְּךָ֥ | lekha | [is] to you | ||
| וּלְשָׁל֖וֹם | uleshalom | and to peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
| סֹ֥ב | so | go around | H5437 → | 161 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַחֲרָֽי׃ | ʾacharai | after me | H310 → | 715 times |
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
רֹכֵ֣בa rider of
rokhevH7392 →78 times
סוּס֮a horse
susH5483 →140 times
שֵׁנִי֒second
sheniH8145 →156 times
וַיָּבֹ֣אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֲלֵהֶ֔םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
וַיֹּ֛אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֥רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שָׁל֑וֹםpeace
shalomH7965 →236 times
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יֵה֛וּאJehu
yehu'H3058 →58 times
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
לְּךָ֥[is] to you
lekha
וּלְשָׁל֖וֹםand to peace
uleshalomH7965 →236 times
סֹ֥בgo around
soH5437 →161 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַחֲרָֽי׃after me
ʾacharaiH310 →715 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 9:1-24; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.