He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”
Parallel Translations
-
He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”
-
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.
-
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.'
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to 2 Kings 10:5 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Joshua 9:11 Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.” ’
- 1 Kings 20:4 The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”
- 1 Kings 20:32 So they put sackcloth on their bodies and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
- Joshua 9:8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”
- 2 Kings 18:14 Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Return from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
- Joshua 9:24-25 They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.”
- Jeremiah 27:7-8 All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant. “ ‘ “ ‘It will happen that I will punish the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,’ says Yahweh, ‘with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
- Jeremiah 27:17 Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
- John 12:26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Ki 10:5 And he that [was] over the house,…
2Ki 10:5 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.
Ver. 5. We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us, &c.] Surely it is meet to be said thus unto God, and to him alone. "Be not ye the servants of men" in St Paul’s sense. {1Co 7:23}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He that was over the house; the chief governor…
He that was over the house; the chief governor of the king’s palace or castle there.
He that was over the city; the chief magistrate or military governor.
Read full note →
We will do all that thou shalt bid us; they make no delays or conditions, but submit all to his mercy.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he that was over the house,.... The king's…
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;
Read full note →
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. They were ready to do homage, and swear allegiance to him as their king, and obey all his commands as faithful subjects:
we will not make any king; or set up any on the throne, no, not any of the sons or grandsons of Ahab:
do thou that which is good in thine eyes, we will never oppose thee.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The house - The chief governor of the kings…
The house - The chief governor of the kings palace. City - The chief magistrate or military governor.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 5. He that was over the house, &c.]…
Verse 5. He that was over the house, &c.] 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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 2Ki 10:5. He that was over the house —…
2Ki 10:5. He that was over the house — The chief governor of the king’s palace. He that was over the city — The chief magistrate, or military governor. We will do all that thou shalt bid us — They propose no conditions or delays, but submit all to his mercy.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The officer who had the charge of the place…
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.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain he that was over the house--the governor or chamberlain…
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. This involved a heavy expense which they were forced to bear, but for which they endeavored to find some compensation in the advantages of their connection with the court.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 5. He that was over the house — That…
5. He that was over the house — That one of the supreme princes or rulers who, like Ahishar in Solomon’s time, (1Ki_4:6,) was the king’s chamberlain.
He that was over the city — The marshal, or, like Amon in the time of Ahab, (1Ki_22:26,) the chief military governor of the city.
Read full note →
We will not make any king — They at once acknowledge Jehu as king, and pledged submission to his will.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 5. And he that was over the house] R.V.…
5. And he that was over the house] R.V. household. This was an official personage, the chief of the royal personal officers. So it appears from the enumeration in this verse that all the authorities yielded at once. The LXX. gives the phrase in the plural ‘they that were over the household &c.’ With the singular it is not necessary to think of one officer merely. ‘Every one of the king’s personal servants’ is implied.
the bringers up of [R.V. they that brought up] the children] Thus the word is translated in the same manner in both verses.
Read full note →
and will do all that thou shalt bid us] As the extermination of every person who might hereafter put forward a claim to the throne was the general rule in Eastern revolutions, we shall hardly be wrong in supposing that these men knew, when they tendered their service to Jehu, the sort of work he would wish them to undertake.
we will not make any king] R.V. any man king. The noun is expressed in the original, and makes the profession of submission somewhat more emphatic. There should be no opposition either on behalf of Ahab’s family or anybody else.
do thou that which is good] The LXX. has ‘we will do &c.’ But this they had already said.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (5) He that was over the house.—The prefect of…
(5) He that was over the house.—The prefect of the palace, or major-domo. A similar official is mentioned on the Egyptian monuments. His position and influence would resemble that of the great chamberlain of the Byzantine court.
He that was over the city.—The prefect or governor of the city, called in 1Ki_22:26 “the prince (sar) of the city.” These two are the “rulers” (sârîm) of 2Ki_10:1.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he that was ever the housei.e. the officer…
And he that was ever the housei.e. the officer in charge of the royal palace. (1Ki_4:6) and he that was over the city. There would be a single "governor of the city net the commandant of the garrison, but the chief civil ruler nearly corresponding to a modern "mayor". (see 1Ki_22:26) The elders also (comp. ver. 1). The "governor" of a town was assisted by a council of elders. And the bringers up of the children (see the comment on ver. 1). Sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do sit that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king. Jehu"s letter had the effect which he intended, of making the authorities of Samaria declare themselves. They might, perhaps, have temporized, have sent an ambiguous answer, or have sent no answer at all, and have let their action be guided by the course of events. But, taken aback by Jehu"s directness and plainness of speech, it did not occur to them to be diplomatic; they felt driven into a corner, and compelled to make their choice at once. Either they must resist Jehu in arms or they must submit to him. If they submitted, they had best (they thought) do it with a good grace. Accordingly, his letter produced a reply, more favorable than he can possibly have expected were his servants," or "his slaves," ready to do all his pleasure; they would not set up a king, or in any way dispute his succession; they submitted themselves wholly to his will. Do thou they said that which is good in thine eyes; i.e. "take what steps thou pleasest to confirm thyself in the kingdom."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.