And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

2 KINGS 10:7KJV
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2 Kings 10:7 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 10:7 mean?

2 Kings 10:7 describes how, after receiving a letter, the officials in Samaria killed all seventy sons of the king, placed their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel. This was done to show obedience to Jehu, who had demanded proof that the king’s family was eliminated.

The verse takes place during Jehu’s violent purge of Ahab’s dynasty. Jehu had sent a letter to the leaders in Samaria, challenging their loyalty and instructing them to kill the king’s sons. The officials complied, carrying out the order in a brutal and public way to prove their allegiance and avoid Jehu’s wrath.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 10:7

  • "Letter" (סֵפֶר, sefer): This word means a written message or document. The use of a formal letter shows Jehu’s authority and the seriousness of his command.
  • "Slew" (שָׁחַט, shachat): This word often refers to slaughtering, especially in a ritual or violent context. It emphasizes the deliberate and ruthless nature of the killings.
  • "Heads" (רֹאשׁ, rosh): The officials sent the heads as physical proof. In the ancient Near East, this was a common way to demonstrate that an enemy or rival had truly been killed.
  • "Baskets" (דּוּד, dud): The word here means a large container or basket, highlighting the gruesome practicality of transporting so many heads at once.

Why 2 Kings 10:7 matters

  • This verse shows the lengths to which local leaders would go to secure their own safety and favor with a new ruler, even at the cost of extreme violence.
  • The detail about sending the heads in baskets underlines the public and political nature of Jehu’s rise to power, not just a private act of vengeance.
  • Understanding this verse helps clarify the larger narrative of 2 Kings 10, where Jehu systematically destroys Ahab’s family to fulfill earlier prophetic warnings and to secure his own throne.

Where else these words appear

“baskets” Hebrew H1731 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Samuel 2:14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
  • 2 Chronicles 35:13 And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.
  • Psalms 81:6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

“Jezreel” Hebrew H3157 · used in 32 verses

  • Joshua 15:56 And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,
  • 1 Kings 18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
  • 2 Kings 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

“slew” Hebrew H7819 · used in 70 verses

  • Genesis 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
  • Leviticus 9:8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
  • 2 Kings 10:14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

“seventy” Hebrew H7657 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
  • Numbers 7:73 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 2 Chronicles 2:2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.