וֶאֱלִישָׁע הַנָּבִיא קָרָא לְאַחַד מִבְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ חֲגֹר מָתְנֶיךָ וְקַח פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן הַזֶּה בְּיָדֶךָ וְלֵךְ   9:1 רָמֹת גִּלְעָד׃

2Kin. 9:1   And Elisha, the prophet, called for one from the sons of the prophets and he said to him, “Gird your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead.”

וּבָאתָ שָׁמָּה וּרְאֵה־שָׁם יֵהוּא בֶן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן־נִמְשִׁי וּבָאתָ וַהֲקֵמֹתוֹ מִתּוֹך אֶחָיו וְהֵבֵיאתָ אֹתוֹ חֶדֶר   9:2 בְּחָדֶר׃

2Kin. 9:2   “And when you come there, then look up Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi there and go in and raise him up from among his brethren and carry him to a chamber within a chamber.”

וְלָקַחְתָּ פַךְ־הַשֶּׁמֶן וְיָצַקְתָּ עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָתַחְתָּ   9:3 הַדֶּלֶת וְנַסְתָּה וְלֹא תְחַכֶּה׃

2Kin. 9:3   “Then you shall take the flask of oil and pour on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord:  ‘I have anointed you to be king over Israel.’  Then you must open the door and flee, and you must not delay.”

וַיֵּלֶךְ הַנַּעַר הַנַּעַר הַנָּבִיא רָמֹת גִּלְעָד׃   9:4

2Kin. 9:4   So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.

וַיָּבֹא וְהִנֵּה שָׂרֵי הַחַיִל יֹשְׁבִים וַיֹּאמֶר דָּבָר לִי אֵלֶיךָ הַשָּׂר וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא אֶל־מִי מִכֻּלָּנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיךָ   9:5 הַשָּׂר׃

2Kin. 9:5   When he arrived, then behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, “A word by me is for you, O captain.”  And Jehu said, “To whom, from all of us?”  And he said, “To you, O captain.”

וַיָּקָם וַיָּבֹא הַבַּיְתָה וַיִּצֹק הַשֶּׁמֶן אֶל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ   9:6 אֶל־עַם יְהוָה אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Kin. 9:6   And he rose and went in to the house and poured the oil on his head and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel:  ‘I have anointed you to be king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.’

וְהִכִּיתָה אֶת־בֵּית אַחְאָב אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְנִקַּמְתִּי דְּמֵי עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים וּדְמֵי כָּל־עַבְדֵי יְהוָה מִיַּד אִיזָבֶל׃   9:7

2Kin. 9:7   ‘And you shall smite the house of Ahab, your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants, the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel.’

וְאָבַד כָּל־בֵּית אַחְאָב וְהִכְרַתִּי לְאַחְאָב מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר וְעָצוּר וְעָזוּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃   9:8

2Kin. 9:8   ‘And the entire house of Ahab shall perish, as I will cut off for Ahab who piss on the wall, thus closing off and leaving destitute in Israel.’

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־בֵּית אַחְאָב כְּבֵית יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט וּכְבֵית בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה׃   9:9

2Kin. 9:9   ‘And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Achijah.’

וְאֶת־אִיזֶבֶל יֹאכְלוּ הַכְּלָבִים בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל וְאֵין קֹבֵר וַיִּפְתַּח הַדֶּלֶת וַיָּנֹס׃   9:10

2Kin. 9:10   ‘And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in part of Jezreel and there shall be no grave.’”  And he opened the door and fled.

וְיֵהוּא יָצָא אֶל־עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הֲשָׁלוֹם מַדּוּעַ בָּא־הַמְשֻׁגָּע הַזֶּה אֵלֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אַתֶּם   9:11 יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת־הָאִישׁ וְאֶת־שִׂיחוֹ׃

2Kin. 9:11   And Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord.  And it was said to him, “Is it well?  Why did this crazy one come to you?”  And he said to them, “You know the man and his babbling.”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ שֶׁקֶר הַגֶּד־נָא לָנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר כָּזֹאת וְכָזֹאת אָמַר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ   9:12 אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Kin. 9:12   And they said, “It is false.  Now tell to us.”  And he said, “He spoke to me like this and like that saying, “Thus says the Lord:  ‘I have anointed you to be king over Israel.’

וַיְמַהֲרוּ וַיִּקְחוּ אִישׁ בִּגְדוֹ וַיָּשִׂימוּ תַחְתָּיו אֶל־גֶּרֶם הַמַּעֲלוֹת וַיִּתְקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיֹּאמְרוּ מָלַךְ יֵהוּא׃   9:13

2Kin. 9:13   Then they hurried and took each his garment and put under him at the bare stairs and blew on horns, and said, “Jehu is king.”

The pile of garments might have been intended as a temporary throne for Jehu.  Another possibility is that the stairs were cold and the captains were concerned for Jehu’s comfort.

וַיִּתְקַשֵּׁר יֵהוּא בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן־נִמְשִׁי אֶל־יוֹרָם וְיוֹרָם הָיָה שֹׁמֵר בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד הוּא וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי   9:14 חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם׃

2Kin. 9:14   So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.  Now Joram had been on guard in Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Aram,

וַיָּשָׁב יְהוֹרָם הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִתְרַפֵּא בִיְזְרְעֶאל מִן־הַמַּכִּים אֲשֶׁר יַכֻּהוּ אֲרַמִּים בְּהִלָּחֲמוֹ אֶת־חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ   9:15 אֲרָם וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא אִם־יֵשׁ נַפְשְׁכֶם אַל־יֵצֵא פָלִיט מִן־הָעִיר לָלֶכֶת (לַגִּיד) [לְהַגִּיד] בְּיִזְרְעֶאל׃

2Kin. 9:15   but Joram, the king, had returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds that the Arameans had given him in his battle with Hazael, king of Aram.  And Jehu said, “If this is your desire, let not any fugitive escape from the city to go to tell in Jezreel.”

The word in parentheses near the end of the verse is missing a heh.  The correct spelling appears in the brackets.

וַיִּרְכַּב יֵהוּא וַיֵּלֶךְ יִזְרְעֶאלָה כִּי יוֹרָם שֹׁכֵב שָׁמָּה וַאֲחַזְיָה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה יָרַד לִרְאוֹת אֶת־יוֹרָם׃   9:16

2Kin. 9:16   Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, was coming down to see Joram.

וְהַצֹּפֶה עֹמֵד עַל־הַמִּגְדָּל בְּיִזְרְעֶאל וַיַּרְא אֶת־שִׁפְעַת יֵהוּא בְּבֹאוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁפְעַת אֲנִי רֹאֶה וַיֹּאמֶר   9:17 יְהוֹרָם קַח רַכָּב וּשְׁלַח לִקְרָאתָם וְיֹאמַר הֲשָׁלוֹם׃

2Kin. 9:17   Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, so he saw the company of Jehu on his approach, and he said, “I am seeing a company.”  And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and have him say, ‘Are you peaceful?’”

וַיֵּלֶךְ רֹכֵב הַסּוּס לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא מַה־לְּךָ וּלְשָׁלוֹם סֹב   9:18 אֶל־אַחֲרָי וַיַּגֵּד הַצֹּפֶה לֵאמֹר בָּא־הַמַּלְאָךְ עַד־הֵם וְלֹא־שָׁב׃

2Kin. 9:18   So a rider of horses went to meet him, and he said, “Thus says the king:  ‘Are you peaceful?’”  And Jehu said, “What is to you that concerns peace?  Come about to be after me.”  And the watchman reported saying, “The messenger went to them, but he did not return.”

וַיִּשְׁלַח רֹכֵב סוּס שֵׁנִי וַיָּבֹא אֲלֵהֶם וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא מַה־לְּךָ וּלְשָׁלוֹם סֹב   9:19 אֶל־אַחֲרָי׃

2Kin. 9:19   So he sent a second horseback rider, and he came to them and said, “Thus says the king: “Peaceful?”  And Jehu said, “What is to you that concerns peace?  Come about to be after me.”

וַיַּגֵּד הַצֹּפֶה לֵאמֹר בָּא עַד־אֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא־שָׁב וְהַמִּנְהָג כְּמִנְהַג יֵהוּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁי כִּי בְשִׁגָּעוֹן יִנְהָג׃   9:20

2Kin. 9:20   And the watchman reported saying, “He went all the way to them, but he did not return.  And the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi that he can drive so furiously.”

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹרָם אֱסֹר וַיֶּאְסֹר רִכְבּוֹ וַיֵּצֵא יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲחַזְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אִישׁ בְּרִכְבּוֹ   9:21

  וַיֵּצְאוּ לִקְרַאת יֵהוּא וַיִּמְצָאֻהוּ בְּחֶלְקַת נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי׃

2Kin. 9:21   And Joram said, “Make ready.”  So they prepared his chariot, and Joram, king of Israel, went forth with Ahaziah, king of Judah, each in his own chariot.  And they went forth to meet Jehu.  And they found him on the parcel of Naboth, the Jezreelite.

וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת יְהוֹרָם אֶת־יֵהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁלוֹם יֵהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הַשָּׁלוֹם עַד־זְנוּנֵי אִיזֶבֶל אִמְּךָ   9:22 וּכְשָׁפֶיהָ הָרַבִּים׃

2Kin. 9:22   And it was with Joram seeing Jehu that he said, “Are you peaceful, Jehu?”  And he said, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatries of Jezebel, your mother, and her witchcrafts, are so many?”

וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יְהוֹרָם יָדָיו וַיָּנֹס וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אֲחַזְיָהוּ מִרְמָה אֲחַזְיָה׃   9:23

2Kin. 9:23   Then Joram wrung his hands and fled.  And he said to Ahaziah, “It is treachery, Ahaziah.”

וְיֵהוּא מִלֵּא יָדוֹ בַקֶּשֶׁת וַיַּךְ אֶת־יְהוֹרָם בֵּין זְרֹעָיו וַיֵּצֵא הַחֵצִי מִלִּבּוֹ וַיִּכְרַע בְּרִכְבּוֹ׃   9:24

2Kin. 9:24   Then Jehu drew back his full strength on the bow and struck Joram between his shoulders, and the arrow came out from his heart and he sank down in his chariot.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־בִּדְקַר (שְׁׁלֹשָׁׁה) [שָׁלִשׁוֹ] שָׂא הַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בְּחֶלְקַת שְׂדֵה נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי כִּי־זְכֹר אֲנִי  9:25 וָאַתָּה אֵת רֹכְבִים צְמָדִים אַחֲרֵי אַחְאָב אָבִיו וַיהוָה נָשָׂא עָלָיו אֶת־הַמַּשָּׂא הַזֶּה׃

2Kin. 9:25   Then he said to Bidkar, his captain, “Lift, cast him in the parcel of the field of Naboth, the Jezreelite, for I and you remember how we were riding together after Ahab, his father, and the Lord lifted up this prophecy against him:

The word in parentheses has two problems with its spelling. First, the heh suffix makes the noun, translated as captain, feminine in gender, which is inappropriate, as Bidkar is a man.  Secondly, the final letter in the word should be the pronoun suffix vav, meaning his.  Then the translation becomes his captain.  The corrections are in the brackets.

אִם־לֹא אֶת־דְּמֵי נָבוֹת וְאֶת־דְּמֵי בָנָיו רָאִיתִי אֶמֶשׁ נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לְךָ בַּחֶלְקָה הַזֹּאת   9:26

  נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְעַתָּה שָׂא הַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בַּחֶלְקָה כִּדְבַר יְהוָה׃

2Kin. 9:26   ‘Surely I did see the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the Lord,’ and ‘I will make amends for you in this parcel, declares the Lord.’  So now lift, and cast him in the parcel as had been the word of the Lord.”

וַאֲחַזְיָה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה רָאָה וַיָּנָס דֶּרֶךְ בֵּית הַגָּן וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרָיו יֵהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר גַּם־אֹתוֹ הַכֻּהוּ   9:27 אֶל־הַמֶּרְכָּבָה בְּמַעֲלֵה־גוּר אֲשֶׁר אֶת־יִבְלְעָם וַיָּנָס מְגִדּוֹ וַיָּמָת שָׁם׃

2Kin. 9:27   When Ahaziah, king of Judah, saw, then he fled through the house of the garden.  But Jehu pursued after him and said, “Smite him also by the chariot on the ascent of Gur, which is at Ibleam.”  And he fled to Megiddo and died there.

וַיַּרְכִּבוּ אֹתוֹ עֲבָדָיו יְרוּשָׁלְָמָה וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בִקְבֻרָתוֹ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד׃   9:28

2Kin. 9:28   And his servants took him in the chariot, his burial being with his fathers in the city of David.

וּבִשְׁנַת אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מָלַךְ אֲחַזְיָה עַל־יְהוּדָה׃   9:29

2Kin. 9:29   And in the year of the eleventh year for Joram son of Ahab Ahaziah had become king over Judah.

וַיָּבוֹא יֵהוּא יִזְרְעֶאלָה וְאִיזֶבֶל שָׁמְעָה וַתָּשֶׂם בַּפּוּךְ עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּיטֶב אֶת־רֹאשָׁהּ וַתַּשְׁקֵף בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן׃   9:30

2Kin. 9:30   And Jehu came to Jezreel and Jezebel heard.  So she painted her eyes with coloring and dressed her head and looked down from the window.

וְיֵהוּא בָּא בַשָּׁעַר וַתֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁלוֹם זִמְרִי הֹרֵג אֲדֹנָיו׃   9:31

2Kin. 9:31   When Jehu came in the gate, then she said, “The peace of Zimri, murderer of his master!”

Remember King Zimri from 1Kings?  He assassinated Elah son of Baasa, and usurped the crown.  But he reigned for only seven days, and committed suicide when Omri, the declared king, laid seige on his city, Tirzah, and took it (1Ki. 16:9 to 16:19).  Jezebel either mistook Jehu for Zimri (highly unlikely) or she was comparing Jehu’s evil to Zimri’s, and hopefully, snidely hinting at his short reign.

וַיִּשָּׂא פָנָיו אֶל־הַחַלּוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אִתִּי מִי וַיַּשְׁקִיפוּ אֵלָיו שְׁנַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה סָרִיסִים׃   9:32

2Kin. 9:32   And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is with me?  Who?”  And two, three officers looked down to him.

וַיֹּאמֶר (שִׁמְטֻהוּ) [שִׁמְטוּהָ] וַיִּשְׁמְטוּהָ וַיִּז מִדָּמָהּ אֶל־הַקִּיר וְאֶל־הַסּוּסִים 19)וַיִּרְמְסֶנָּה׃   9:33

2Kin. 9:33   And he said, “Throw her down.”  And they threw her down.  And blood splattered from her on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled her.

The heh and vav in the word in parentheses are interchanged, making the word (translated as Throw her down) difficult to translate in context.  The correction appears in the brackets.

וַיָּבֹא וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיֹּאמֶר פִּקְדוּ־נָא אֶת־הָאֲרוּרָה הַזֹּאת וְקִבְרוּהָ כִּי בַת־מֶלֶךְ הִיא׃   9:34

2Kin. 9:34   Then he came in, and he ate and drank.  Then he said, “Now see to this accursed woman and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”

וַיֵּלְכוּ לְקָבְרָהּ וְלֹא־מָצְאוּ בָהּ כִּי אִם־הַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת וְהָרַגְלַיִם וְכַפּוֹת הַיָּדָיִם׃   9:35

2Kin. 9:35   So they went to bury her, but they could not find any of her but only the skull and the feet and the palms of the hands.

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיַּגִּידוּ לוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר דְּבַר־יְהוָה הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד־עַבְדּוֹ אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי לֵאמֹר בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל   9:36 יֹאכְלוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת־בְּשַׂר אִיזָבֶל׃

2Kin. 9:36   So they returned and reported to him and said, “It is the word of the Lord that He spoke by the hand of His servant, Elijah, the Tishbite saying, ‘The dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel in a part of Jezreel,

וְהָיָת) [וְהָיְתָה] נִבְלַת אִיזֶבֶל כְּדֹמֶן עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ זֹאת אִיזָבֶל׃   9:37

2Kin. 9:37   and the carcass of Jezebel shall be like dung on the surface of the field in a part of Jezreel that they will not say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

The first word in the verse (before the left parenthesis) is missing a final heh, making the appropriate feminine form of the verb to be incorrectly masculine.  The correct spelling appears in the brackets.

 

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