2 Kings 10:5
in 2 Kings 10So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
KJV
And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
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This verse in 2 Kings 10
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The officer who had the charge of the place (1Ki 4:6 note) and the governor of the town (1Ki 22:26 note) seem to correspond to the “rulers” of 2Ki 10:1.
This site's exposition
two kings stood not before him
on 2 Kings 10:4-5
Two kings, Joram and Ahaziah, had already fallen before Jehu in one day, and the palace officers of Samaria reason from that record rather than from any fresh threat. Their surrender is total: they will crown no one, and they hand Jehu their own servitude in his words, do thou that which is good in thine eyes. Ahab's house is undone by the very officers his own line raised to guard it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he that was over the house,.... The king's palace in Samaria, who had the custody, care, and government of it: and he that was over the city; the commander and governor of it, that had the highest post in it under the king; the elders also all other subordinate officers and magistrates: and the bringers up of the children; who had the education of the king's sons committed to them: sent to Jehu, saying, we are thy servants, and will do all that thou shall bid us.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he that was over the house--the governor or chamberlain of the palace. the bringers-up of the children--Anciently, and still also in many Eastern countries, the principal grandees were charged with the support and education of the royal princes.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
He that was over the house, etc. - Thus all the constituted authorities agreed to submit. Will do all that thou shalt bid us - They made no conditions, and stood pledged to commit the horrid murders which this most execrable man afterwards commanded.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | [the one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַבַּ֣יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֪ר | vaasher | and [the one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעִ֟יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וְהַזְּקֵנִים֩ | vehazekenim | and the elders | H2205 → | 178 times |
| וְהָאֹמְנִ֨ים | vehaomenim | and the guardians | H539 → | 106 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יֵה֤וּא׀ | yehu' | Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| לֵאמֹר֙ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ | ʾavadeikha | [are] servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֲנַ֔חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| וְכֹ֛ל | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תֹּאמַ֥ר | tomar | you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֵ֖ינוּ | ʾeleinu | to us | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נַעֲשֶׂ֑ה | naaseh | we will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נַמְלִ֣יךְ | namlikh | we will make king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַטּ֥וֹב | hatov | the good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ | beeineikha | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| עֲשֵֽׂה׃ | ʾaseh | do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
אֲשֶׁר־[the one] who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַבַּ֣יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֪רand [the one] who
vaasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעִ֟ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וְהַזְּקֵנִים֩and the elders
vehazekenimH2205 →178 times
וְהָאֹמְנִ֨יםand the guardians
vehaomenimH539 →106 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יֵה֤וּא׀Jehu
yehu'H3058 →58 times
לֵאמֹר֙<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ[are] servants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
אֲנַ֔חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
וְכֹ֛לand all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תֹּאמַ֥רyou will say
tomarH559 →5305 times
אֵלֵ֖ינוּto us
ʾeleinuH413 →5510 times
נַעֲשֶׂ֑הwe will do
naasehH6213 →2628 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נַמְלִ֣יךְwe will make king
namlikhH4427 →348 times
אִ֔ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הַטּ֥וֹבthe good
hatovH2896 →538 times
בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָin view your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 times
עֲשֵֽׂה׃do
ʾasehH6213 →2628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 9:11So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’
it leads to
- Esther 8:17
In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves…
- Joshua 9:8
“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”
- Esther 8:17
Through
2 Kings 18:14So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 18:7
And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.
- 2 Kings 18:7
Through
Joshua 9:8“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 20:11
If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.
- Joshua 9:11
So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’
- Deuteronomy 20:11
Through
1 Kings 20:32So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 20:3–6
saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
- Obadiah 1:3–4
The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
- Isaiah 2:11–12
The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
- 1 Kings 20:3–6
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.