select the best and most capable of your master’s sons and seat him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
- KJV Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
- BSB select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
- NKJV choose the best qualified of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
- NLT select the best qualified of your master’s sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab’s dynasty.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
He told them to pick the best of Ahab's sons, enthrone him, and fight for the royal house. The dare exposed the hopelessness of their cause.
Overview
Jehu's taunt, urging them to defend Ahab's dynasty, is calculated to provoke a realistic assessment of their odds. By challenging them to fight, he forces them to weigh resistance against submission. The verse highlights how God's purpose advances as human opposition is overcome by fear and the evident futility of standing against His decree.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Deut 17:14–15When you have come to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and possess it, and dwell in it, and say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me”;
- 1 Sam 10:24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” All the people shouted, and said, “Long live the king!”
- 1 Kgs 12:20–21When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only.
- 1 Sam 11:15All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
- John 18:36Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
- 2 Sam 2:12–17Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
- 1 Kgs 1:24–25Nathan said, “My lord, king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne?’
- 2 Sam 2:8–9Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 10:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.