2 Kings 10:24
in 2 Kings 10And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
KJV
And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
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This verse in 2 Kings 10
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Bring forth vestments for all
on 2 Kings 10:22-24
Jehu orders vestments brought out for every worshipper, a detail that lets Baal's own priests be told apart from any stray servant of the Lord who might slip in among them. The distinction he demands for their safety is the same distinction that will condemn them, since no one wearing that robe leaves the building alive. Eighty men are posted outside on pain of their own lives, so the trap depends on human fear as much as on the crowd's misplaced confidence.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, 'Ahab offered Baal small service; but Jehu will offer much more.' " We need to examine the purpose of words and actions. And this must be done here too. In fact, since he did not …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), then the guards were sent in to put them all to the sword and to mingle their blood with their sacrifices, in a way of just revenge, as they themselves had sometimes done, when, in their blind devotion, they cut themselves with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out, 1 Kings xviii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings,.... To Baal, all things being ready for them: Jehu appointed eighty men without; without the temple of Baal, at the several doors and avenues of it: and said, if any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him; should be put to death for it in his room; the life of a watchman set to guard should go for the life of one that escaped.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ | vaiyavou | and they went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת | laasot | to offer | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| זְבָחִ֣ים | zevachim | sacrifices | H2077 → | 162 times |
| וְעֹל֑וֹת | veolot | and burnt offerings | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְיֵה֞וּא | veyehu' | and Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| שָׂם־ | som- | he had stationed | H7760 → | 584 times |
| ל֤וֹ | lo | <for> himself | ||
| בַחוּץ֙ | vachutz | on the outside | H2351 → | 164 times |
| שְׁמֹנִ֣ים | shemonim | eighty | H8084 → | 38 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he had said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָאִ֤ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִמָּלֵט֙ | yimalet | he will escape | H4422 → | 95 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֲנִי֙ | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| מֵבִ֣יא | mevi' | [am] bringing | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְדֵיכֶ֔ם | yedeikhem | hands your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| נַפְשׁ֖וֹ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
וַיָּבֹ֕אוּand they went
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto offer
laasotH6213 →2628 times
זְבָחִ֣יםsacrifices
zevachimH2077 →162 times
וְעֹל֑וֹתand burnt offerings
veolotH5930 →287 times
וְיֵה֞וּאand Jehu
veyehu'H3058 →58 times
שָׂם־he had stationed
som-H7760 →584 times
ל֤וֹ<for> himself
lo
בַחוּץ֙on the outside
vachutzH2351 →164 times
שְׁמֹנִ֣יםeighty
shemonimH8084 →38 times
אִ֔ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he had said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הָאִ֤ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִמָּלֵט֙he will escape
yimaletH4422 →95 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֲנִי֙I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
מֵבִ֣יא[am] bringing
mevi'H935 →2568 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְדֵיכֶ֔םhands your
yedeikhemH3027 →1618 times
נַפְשׁ֖וֹlife his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
תַּ֥חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃life his
nafshoH5315 →754 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, QUESTION 34, ON 2 KINGS.