Bible Strands
2 Kings 9:7
And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The young prophet speaks this command to Jehu immediately after pouring oil on his head and declaring him king over Israel.
The words — The verse hinges on הִכִּיתָה (Hi.ki.Tah), literally "you will strike down," and נִקַּמְתִּי (ni.kam.Ti), literally "I will avenge."
The thread — The command addresses the bloodshed detailed in 1 Kings 18:4 and 1 Kings 21:15, while the declaration of divine retribution parallels the theme in Deuteronomy 32:43.
Why it lands — The text states that God will use a chosen agent to destroy Ahab’s dynasty in direct response to the murders committed by Jezebel. It requires the reader to acknowledge that divine judgment follows a specific, commanded sequence rather than human initiative.
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
And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy 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.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 32:43 Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.
- 1 Kings 18:4 for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
- 1 Kings 21:15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
- Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
- 1 Kings 21:21 This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.
- 1 Kings 21:25 (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
- 2 Kings 9:32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
- Psalms 94:1 O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth.
- Matthew 23:35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
- Luke 18:7 Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?