2 Kings 10:14
New International Version
“Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.

New Living Translation
“Take them alive!” Jehu shouted to his men. And they captured all forty-two of them and killed them at the well of Beth-eked. None of them escaped.

English Standard Version
He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He spared none of them.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And he said, “Take them alive!” So they took them alive, and killed them at the well of Beth Eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

New American Standard Bible
Then he said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

NASB 1995
He said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

NASB 1977
And he said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive, and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

Amplified Bible
Then Jehu said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and [later] slaughtered them at the well by the place of the sand heaps, forty-two men; he left none of them [alive].

Christian Standard Bible
Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He didn’t spare any of them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked—42 men. He didn’t spare any of them.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said: “Take them alive!” And they seized them and they killed them, and they cast them into a pit, fortytwo men, and he did not leave a man of them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Take them alive. And they slew them at the shearing-house, forty and two men: he left not a man of them.

Contemporary English Version
"Take them alive!" Jehu said to his officers. So they grabbed them and led them to the well near the shepherds' meeting place, where they killed all 42 of them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Take them alive. And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit by the cabin, two and forty men, and he left not any of them.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jehu ordered, "Capture them!" [ Jehu's men] captured and slaughtered 42 of them at a cistern near Beth Eked. They didn't leave any survivors.

Good News Translation
Jehu ordered his men, "Take them alive!" They seized them, and he put them to death near a pit there. There were forty-two people in all, and not one of them was left alive.

International Standard Version
Jehu ordered, "Take them alive!" So Jehu's soldiers captured them and executed all 42 of them near the pit at the shearing house. He left none of them alive.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Catch them alive”; and they catch them alive, and slaughter them at the pit of the shearing-house, forty-two men, and he has not left [even one] man of them.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He spared none of them.

New American Bible
“Take them alive,” Jehu ordered. They were taken alive, forty-two in number, then slain at the pit of Beth-eked. Not one of them survived.

NET Bible
He said, "Capture them alive!" So they captured them alive and then executed all forty-two of them in the cistern at Beth Eked. He left no survivors.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “Take them alive.” They took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two in all; he spared none of them.

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Take them alive." They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He did not leave any of them.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
He said, “Take them alive!” They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn’t leave any of them.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'Catch them alive;' and they catch them alive, and slaughter them at the pit of the shearing-house, forty and two men, and he hath not left a man of them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Family
13Jehu 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.” 14Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked— forty-two men. He spared none of them. 15When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot,…

Cross References
2 Kings 10:12
Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

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."

2 Kings 10:15
When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, "Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?" "It is!" Jehonadab replied. "If it is," said Jehu, "give me your hand." So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot,

Jeremiah 41:5
eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the house of the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Take them alive

2 Kings 10:6,10,11
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…

1 Kings 20:18
And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

neither left

2 Kings 8:18
And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

2 Kings 11:1
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

2 Chronicles 22:8,10
And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them…

Jump to Previous
Alive Beth Beth-Eked Catch Death Eked Forty Forty-Two House Killed Meeting-Place Ordered Persons Pit Remaining Shearing Shearing-House Slaughter Slaughtered Slew Spared Survivor Water-Hole
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Alive Beth Beth-Eked Catch Death Eked Forty Forty-Two House Killed Meeting-Place Ordered Persons Pit Remaining Shearing Shearing-House Slaughter Slaughtered Slew Spared Survivor Water-Hole
2 Kings 10
1. Jehu, by his letters, causes seventy of Ahab's sons to be beheaded
8. He excuses the fact by the prophecy of Elijah
12. At the shearing house he slays forty-two of Ahaziah's brothers
15. He takes Jehonadab into his company
18. By subtilty he destroys all the worshippers of Baal
29. Jehu follows Jeroboam's sins
32. Hazael oppresses Israel
34. Jehoahaz succeeds Jehu














(14) Take them alive.--Perhaps they made some show of resistance. Jehu slew them because of their connection with the doomed house of Ahab. Keil thinks he dreaded their conspiring with the partisans of the fallen dynasty in Samaria.

Slew them at the pit of the shearing house.--Literally, slaughtered them into the cistern of Betheked. Either they cut their throats over the cistern, or threw the corpses into it.

Two and forty.--Curiously parallel with 2Kings 2:24; and perhaps a definite for an indefinite number.

Verse 14. - And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them. The Brevity of the narrative leaves many points of it obscure. It is impossible to say why the order was given, "Take them alive," when, immediately afterwards, they were massacred. Perhaps Jehu at first intended to spare their lives, but afterwards thought that it would be safer to have them put out of his way. It must be borne in mind that they were descendants of Ahab. At the pit of the shearing-house; rather, at the well of Beth-Eked. Probably the bodies were thrown into the well (comp. Jeremiah 41:7). Even two and forty men. It is this number which makes the idea of a visit of compliment incredible. Neither left he any of them. The Greeks said, Νήπιος ο}ς πατέρα κτείτας παῖδας καταλείπει; and the general Hebrew practice was to give effect to the teaching conveyed by the maxim (see Joshua 7:24, 25; 2 Kings 9:26; 2 Kings 14:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Jehu ordered,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Take
תִּפְשׂ֣וּם (tip̄·śūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

them alive.”
חַיִּ֔ים (ḥay·yîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

So [his men] took
וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֖וּם (way·yiṯ·pə·śūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

them alive,
חַיִּ֑ים (ḥay·yîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

then slaughtered them
וַֽיִּשְׁחָט֞וּם (way·yiš·ḥā·ṭūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7819: To slaughter, beat

at
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the well
בּ֣וֹר (bō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 953: A pit, cistern, well

of
בֵּֽית־ (bêṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew

Beth-eked—
עֵ֗קֶד (‘ê·qeḏ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1044: Beth-eked -- 'house of binding', a place in Palestine

forty-two
אַרְבָּעִ֤ים (’ar·bā·‘îm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 705: Forty

men.
אִ֔ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

He
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

spared
הִשְׁאִ֥יר (hiš·’îr)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7604: To swell up, be, redundant

none
אִ֖ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of them.
מֵהֶֽם׃ (mê·hem)
Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They


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OT History: 2 Kings 10:14 He said Take them alive (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 10:13
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