Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

2 KINGS 10:6KJV
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2 Kings 10:6 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 10:6 mean?

2 Kings 10:6 describes Jehu sending a second letter to the leaders in Samaria, telling them that if they truly support him and will obey his command, they must kill all seventy sons of their former master, the king, and bring their heads to Jehu in Jezreel by the next day. This verse shows Jehu demanding a violent and decisive act to prove the loyalty of these leaders.

Jehu is speaking to the officials and influential men who are responsible for the king’s sons, who are being raised in Samaria. The situation is tense: Jehu has just taken power and is eliminating the family of Ahab to secure his rule, following what he believes is God’s command. The verse highlights the pressure Jehu puts on these leaders to choose sides quickly and publicly.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 10:6

  • "hearken" (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ): This word means to listen or obey. Jehu is not just asking for their attention but for their active obedience to his authority.
  • "heads" (רֹאשׁ, rosh): The word refers literally to the heads of the king’s sons, emphasizing the brutal nature of Jehu’s demand and the seriousness of the test of loyalty.
  • "come" (בּוֹא, boʾ): This word means to come or arrive. Jehu instructs them to physically bring the heads to him in Jezreel, making their allegiance visible and undeniable.
  • "up" (גָּדַל, gadal): Used here for the men who "brought them up," this word means to raise or bring up, indicating these officials were responsible for the upbringing and protection of the king’s sons, making Jehu’s order even more difficult for them.

Why 2 Kings 10:6 matters

  • This verse clarifies the extreme measures Jehu took to secure his position and eliminate any threat from the previous royal family, showing the harsh realities of ancient power struggles.
  • The demand for the heads of the king’s sons puts the city leaders in a moral and political crisis, forcing them to choose between loyalty to the old regime and survival under the new.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain the rapid and violent changes in leadership described in 2 Kings, and it sets the stage for the complete destruction of Ahab’s house as part of Jehu’s rise.