2 Kings 9 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 9:32
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 9
Jehu anointed; the deaths of Joram, Ahaziah, and Jezebel
Verse 9:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:1 Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, ‘Fasten your belt, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:1 Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, ‘Fasten your belt, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Remmoth-gilead.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the prophetic commission, oil flask, and Gilead destination. The differing place-name form is transliterational rather than a demonstrated different site.
Verse 9:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:2 ‘When you come there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. Go in, make him rise from among his fellows, and bring him into an inner chamber.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:2 ‘Go in there and look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. Go in, make him rise from among his brothers, and bring him into a chamber within a chamber.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain Jehu's two-generation genealogy and removal to a private inner room. Hebrew's chamber-within-chamber phrase is smoothed contextually; Greek retains the repetition.
Verse 9:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:3 ‘Take the flask of oil, pour it over his head, and say: Thus says YHWH: I have anointed you king over Israel. Then open the door and flee; do not wait.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:3 ‘Take the flask of oil, pour it over his head, and say: Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel. Then open the door and flee; do not remain.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve anointing, the divine proclamation, and immediate flight.
Verse 9:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:4 The young man—the young prophet—went to Ramoth-gilead.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:4 The young man, the prophet, went to Remmoth-gilead
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew repeats young man; Greek has the apposition prophet without repeating young. Greek continues the sentence into verse five.
Verse 9:5 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:5 He came in, and there the army commanders were sitting. He said, ‘I have a word for you, commander.’ Jehu said, ‘For which one of us?’ He said, ‘For you, commander.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:5 and entered, and there the army commanders were sitting. He said, ‘I have a word for you, commander.’ Jehu said, ‘For which of all of us?’ He said, ‘For you, commander.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both identify Jehu by direct address among the seated commanders. The Greek sentence continues from verse four.
Verse 9:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:6 He rose and went into the house. He poured the oil over his head and said to him, ‘Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel: I have anointed you king over YHWH's people, over Israel.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:6 He rose and entered the house. He poured the oil over his head and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I have anointed you king over the Lord's people, over Israel,
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve the anointing and designation of Israel as the divine Lord's people. The Greek proclamation continues without a full stop.
Verse 9:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:7 ‘You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all YHWH's servants at Jezebel's hand.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:7 and you shall destroy the house of Ahab your master from before Me, and you shall avenge the blood of My slaves the prophets and the blood of all the Lord's slaves at Jezebel's hand
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew assigns vengeance to divine ‘I’; Greek commands ‘you shall avenge,’ adds ‘from before Me,’ and uses destroy rather than strike. Jehu's role is explicit in both, but the grammatical agent of vengeance differs.
Verse 9:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:8 ‘The whole house of Ahab shall perish. I will cut off from Ahab every one who urinates against a wall, both restrained and released in Israel.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:8 and at the hand of the whole house of Ahab. You shall destroy from Ahab's house every one who urinates against a wall, both confined and abandoned in Israel.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek extends responsibility for blood to Ahab's whole house and gives destruction to ‘you’; Hebrew predicts the house's perishing and has divine ‘I will cut off.’ The vivid male designation and difficult paired social terms are preserved without claiming a fixed slave/free equation.
Verse 9:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:9 ‘I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the same two destroyed royal houses as comparisons.
Verse 9:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:10 ‘Dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and there will be no one to bury her.’ He opened the door and fled.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:10 Dogs shall devour Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there will be no one to bury her.’ He opened the door and fled.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both announce Jezebel's fate and the messenger's immediate flight.
Verse 9:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:11 Jehu came out to his master's servants. One said to him, ‘Is there peace? Why did this madman come to you?’ He said to them, ‘You know the man and his talk.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:11 Jehu came out to his master's attendants. They said to him, ‘Is there peace? Why did this deranged man come in to you?’ He said to them, ‘You know the man and his idle chatter.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has one questioner; Greek has plural speakers and characterizes the speech as ἀδολεσχία, idle chatter. Both report the officers' disparaging assessment rather than endorse it as the narrator's judgment.
Verse 9:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:12 They said, ‘False! Please tell us.’ He said, ‘Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying: Thus says YHWH: I have anointed you king over Israel.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:12 They said, ‘That is wrong! Please report it to us.’ Jehu said to them, ‘Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying: Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew answers with ‘falsehood’; Greek with ‘unjust/wrong.’ Both elicit the anointing message.
Verse 9:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:13 They hurried, each took his garment and spread it beneath him on the bare steps, and they blew the horn and said, ‘Jehu is king!’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:13 On hearing it, they hurried, each took his garment and placed it beneath him on the garem of the steps, and they sounded a horn trumpet and said, ‘Jehu has become king!’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek adds ‘on hearing’ and transliterates γαρεμ, corresponding to Hebrew גֶּרֶם, provisionally rendered as the bare structure of the steps. Both acclaim Jehu with garments and a horn.
Verse 9:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:14 Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Joram and all Israel had been guarding Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:14 Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Joram himself and all Israel had been guarding Remmoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria,
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both introduce the conspiracy and the military background; the Greek background continues into verse fifteen.
Verse 9:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:15 King Jehoram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. Jehu said, ‘If this is your will, let no fugitive leave the city to go and report in Jezreel.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:15 and King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be treated for the wounds the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Syria. Jehu said, ‘If your life is with me, let no one escape from the city to go and report in Jezreel.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both explain the king's absence and require secrecy. Greek explicitly says ‘with me’; Hebrew's idiom refers to their willingness. The Jehoram/Joram forms follow the displayed sources here.
Verse 9:16 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:16 Jehu mounted and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see Joram.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:16 Jehu rode on horseback, went on, and came down to Jezreel, for Joram king of Israel was being treated in Jezreel for the arrow wounds with which the Aramim had shot him at Rammath in the war against Hazael king of Syria, for he was powerful and a man of might. Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see Joram.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek expands the wound account with arrows, Aramim, Rammath, and a strength description. Its final ‘he’ before Ahaziah has an uncertain antecedent and is not assigned to a named king without argument. Hebrew simply says Joram was lying there.
Verse 9:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:17 The lookout was standing on the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu's company approaching and said, ‘I see a company.’ Jehoram said, ‘Take a rider and send him to meet them. Let him say, Is there peace?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:17 The lookout went up onto the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu's dust as he approached and said, ‘I see dust.’ Joram said, ‘Take a rider and send him before them, and let him say, Is there peace?’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has a standing lookout who sees a company; Greek has ascent and dust. Both send a rider with the peace question.
Verse 9:18 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:18 The horseman went to meet him and said, ‘Thus says the king: Is there peace?’ Jehu said, ‘What have you to do with peace? Turn around behind me.’ The lookout reported, ‘The messenger has reached them but has not returned.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:18 The horse rider went to meet them and said, ‘Thus says the king: Is there peace?’ Jehu said, ‘What have you to do with peace? Turn back behind me.’ The lookout reported, ‘The messenger has reached them but has not returned.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain the messenger's question, Jehu's command, and the lookout's report.
Verse 9:19 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:19 He sent a second horseman. He came to them and said, ‘Thus says the king: Peace?’ Jehu said, ‘What have you to do with peace? Turn around behind me.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:19 He sent a second horse rider. He came to him and said, ‘Thus says the king: Is there peace?’ Jehu said, ‘What have you to do with peace? Turn back behind me.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both repeat the exchange with a second rider. Hebrew's bare ‘peace’ is left as a short question; Greek explicitly has the interrogative form.
Verse 9:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:20 The lookout reported, ‘He has reached them but has not returned. The driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for he drives madly.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:20 The lookout reported, ‘He has reached them but has not returned.’ The driver was driving Jehu son of Nimshi, for he was in a deranged state.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew identifies Jehu by his own manner of driving. Greek describes a driver conveying Jehu and then an ambiguous ‘he’ in derangement. The Greek grammatical roles are retained rather than recast as the Hebrew comparison.
Verse 9:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:21 Jehoram said, ‘Harness up!’ His chariot was harnessed. Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu. They found him on the plot of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:21 Joram said, ‘Yoke up!’ A chariot was yoked. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu. They found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both bring the two kings separately in chariots to Naboth's property. Passive English for the unnamed harnessing agent avoids inventing a particular attendant.
Verse 9:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:22 When Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, ‘Is there peace, Jehu?’ He said, ‘What peace, so long as the prostitutions of Jezebel your mother and her many sorceries continue?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:22 When Joram saw Jehu, he said, ‘Is there peace, Jehu?’ Jehu said, ‘What peace? The prostitutions of Jezebel your mother and her many sorceries still remain.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both deny peace on account of Jezebel's prostitutions and sorceries. The accusation's literal imagery remains without reducing it to one unargued spiritual or sexual meaning.
Verse 9:23 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:23 Jehoram turned his hands and fled, saying to Ahaziah, ‘Treachery, Ahaziah!’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:23 Joram turned his hands to flee and said to Ahaziah, ‘Deceit, Ahaziah!’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain the turning-hands driving image and warning to Ahaziah.
Verse 9:24 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:24 Jehu drew his bow with full strength and struck Jehoram between his arms. The arrow came out through his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:24 Jehu filled his hand with the bow and struck Joram between his arms. The arrow came out through his heart, and he bent down onto his knees.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew gives collapse in the chariot; Greek gives bending onto the knees. Both retain the arrow's path through the heart. Hebrew's bow idiom is smoothed; Greek's hand image is retained.
Verse 9:25 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:25 He said to Bidkar his officer, ‘Pick him up and throw him onto the plot of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I rode together behind Ahab his father, when YHWH pronounced this oracle against him:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:25 Jehu said to Badekar his officer, ‘Throw him into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For I remember you and me riding on paired teams behind Ahab his father, when the Lord took up this oracle against him, saying:
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew commands ‘remember’; Greek says ‘I remember.’ Bidkar/Badekar and the paired-riding wording remain source-specific. Hebrew includes the initial lifting command, which Greek places in verse twenty-six.
Verse 9:26 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:26 “Surely I saw Naboth's blood and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares YHWH, and I will repay you on this plot, declares YHWH.” Now pick him up and throw him onto the plot, according to the word of YHWH.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:26 “Surely, alongside Naboth's blood, I saw the blood of his sons yesterday, says the Lord, and I will repay him in this portion, says the Lord.” Now lift him up and throw him into the portion, according to the word of the Lord.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew threatens ‘you’; Greek has ‘him.’ Greek's unusual μετὰ τῶν αἱμάτων is provisionally ‘alongside Naboth's blood,’ preserving the preposition and the following direct object. Both explicitly include Naboth's sons' blood.
Verse 9:27 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:27 Ahaziah king of Judah saw this and fled by the road of Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him and said, ‘Strike him too in the chariot, at the ascent of Gur near Ibleam.’ He fled to Megiddo and died there.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:27 Ahaziah king of Judah saw this and fled by the road of Baithaggan. Jehu pursued him and said, ‘Him too!’ He struck him in the chariot on the ascent of Gai, which is Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo and died there.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew gives a striking command and Gur near Ibleam; Greek explicitly narrates a singular striking action and gives Gai identified with Ibleam. Both end with flight and death at Megiddo.
Verse 9:28 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:28 His servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:28 His attendants placed him on the chariot, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb in the city of David.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Hebrew includes ‘with his fathers’; Greek does not. Both retain the chariot transport and David-city burial.
Verse 9:29 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:29 In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:29 In the eleventh year of Joram king of Israel, Ahaziah became king over Judah.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew identifies Joram by father, Greek by office. Both give eleven here, distinct from the twelfth-year notice in 8:25; neither is silently corrected.
Verse 9:30 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:30 Jehu came to Jezreel. Jezebel heard, painted her eyes with kohl, dressed her hair, and looked out through the window.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:30 Jehu came to Jezreel. Jezebel heard, painted her eyes with antimony, adorned her head, and looked out through the window.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain eye pigment, head adornment, and the window. Kohl/antimony gives the ancient cosmetic terms without importing a modern product formulation.
Verse 9:31 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:31 As Jehu entered the gate, she said, ‘Is there peace, Zimri, murderer of his master?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:31 As Jehu entered the city, she said, ‘Is there peace, Zimri, murderer of his master?’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew places Jehu at the gate; Greek says the city. Both preserve Jezebel's pointed address as Zimri, not a renaming by the narrator.
Verse 9:32 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:32 He lifted his face toward the window and said, ‘Who is with me? Who?’ Two or three court officials looked down toward him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:32 He lifted his face toward the window, saw her, and said, ‘Who are you? Come down with me.’ Two eunuchs leaned down toward him.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Hebrew has a call for allies, ‘Who is with me?’ and two or three officials. Greek has a direct challenge and command, ‘Who are you? Come down with me,’ and exactly two eunuchs. The immediate speech act and participants differ materially.
Verse 9:33 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:33 He said, ‘Throw her down!’ They threw her down. Some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses, and he trampled her.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:33 He said, ‘Roll her down!’ They rolled her down. Some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses, and they trampled her.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew ends with singular ‘he trampled’; Greek has plural ‘they trampled.’ Greek also uses the rolling verb where Hebrew has letting fall or throwing down.
Verse 9:34 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:34 He went in, ate and drank, and said, ‘Please attend to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:34 Jehu went in, ate and drank, and said, ‘Please attend to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the meal, burial order, and royal-daughter explanation; Greek names Jehu.
Verse 9:35 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:35 They went to bury her, but found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of the hands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:35 They went to bury her, but found nothing else of her except the skull, the feet, and the traces of the hands.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew specifies palms; Greek τὰ ἴχνη, ‘traces,’ is the unusual hand-remains term and remains provisional rather than silently equated with palms.
Verse 9:36 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:36 They returned and told him. He said, ‘It is the word of YHWH that He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying: In the territory of Jezreel dogs will eat Jezebel's flesh,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:36 They returned and reported to him. He said, ‘It is the word of the Lord that He spoke through His slave Elijah the Tishbite, saying: In the portion of Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel's flesh,
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both identify the remains with fulfillment of Elijah's oracle; the quotation continues into the next verse.
Verse 9:37 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
9:37 and Jezebel's corpse will be like dung on the surface of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that they will not say, This is Jezebel.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
9:37 and Jezebel's carcass will be like dung on the surface of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they cannot say, Jezebel.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew includes the identifying ‘This is Jezebel’; Greek ends simply with the name. Both preserve the corpse-as-dung image and loss of identifiable burial remains.