Bible Strands
2 Kings 10:13
Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” “We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jehu encounters travelers at Beth-eked of the Shepherds and demands their identity. They respond that they are relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah, traveling to greet the sons of the king and the queen mother of Israel.
The words — The Hebrew אֲחֵי֙ (a.Chei) translates literally to “brothers” or “kinsmen,” and מָצָא֙ (ma.Tza') means “he found” or “he met.” These terms mark the encounter as a chance interception rather than a prearranged strike.
The thread — The royal connection points back to 2 Kings 8:24 and 2 Kings 8:29, which establish Ahaziah’s succession to Jehoram, and forward to 2 Chronicles 21:17, which outlines the covenant judgment against Judah’s dynasty.
Why it lands — The text records that familial allegiance to the Omride house provided no shield against Jehu’s purge. It requires the reader to acknowledge that political ties cannot override the execution of divine judgment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 8:29 So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
- 2 Kings 8:24 And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
- 2 Chronicles 21:17 So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.
- 2 Kings 9:21 “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
- 2 Chronicles 22:1 Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, the youngest son of Jehoram, king in his place, since the raiders who had come into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah.