2 Kings 10 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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 10
Ahab’s house destroyed; Baal’s sanctuary overthrown
Verse 10:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:1 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and Ahab's guardians, saying:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:1 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote a letter and sent it to Samaria, to the rulers of Samaria, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab's sons, saying:
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew gives plural letters and rulers of Jezreel; Greek gives a letter and rulers of Samaria. Greek explicitly identifies the sons as those under guardianship.
Verse 10:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:2 ‘Now, when this letter reaches you, your master's sons are with you, and the chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons are with you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:2 ‘Now, when this letter reaches you, your master's sons are with you, and the chariot force, horses, fortified cities, and weapons are with you.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has one fortified city; Greek has plural fortified cities. Both list the available royal heirs and military resources.
Verse 10:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:3 Choose the best and most upright of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:3 Look for the good and upright one among your master's sons, place him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both challenge the recipients to select an heir and defend the dynasty. English superlatives express the Hebrew selection's contextual force without changing the criteria.
Verse 10:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:4 They were very, very afraid and said, ‘Look, the two kings could not stand before him. How can we stand?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:4 They were greatly afraid and said, ‘Look, the two kings did not stand before him. How shall we stand?’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew doubles ‘very’; Greek has one strong adverb. Both reason from the two dead kings to their own inability to resist.
Verse 10:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:5 The one over the palace, the one over the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu, saying, ‘We are your servants. Everything you tell us, we will do. We will make no man king. Do what is good in your eyes.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:5 Those over the palace, those over the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu, saying, ‘We are your attendants. Everything you tell us, we will do. We will make no man king. We will do what is good in your eyes.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew gives singular palace and city supervisors and closes with ‘you do’; Greek has plural supervisors and ‘we will do.’ Both surrender the choice of a rival king.
Verse 10:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:6 He wrote them a second letter, saying, ‘If you are for me and obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me at Jezreel about this time tomorrow.’ The king's sons were seventy men, with the city's great men who were bringing them up.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:6 He wrote them a second letter, saying, ‘If you are for me and obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and bring them to me at Jezreel about this hour tomorrow.’ The king's sons were seventy men; these prominent men of the city were bringing them up.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both preserve seventy sons and the order for heads by tomorrow. Hebrew tells the addressees to come; Greek says to bring the heads. Greek's prominent-men clause is compressed and its relation to the sons is rendered contextually.
Verse 10:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:7 When the letter reached them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered seventy men. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:7 When the letter reached them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy men. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both explicitly narrate the killing of seventy and delivery of their heads in baskets.
Verse 10:8 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:8 The messenger came and told him, saying, ‘They have brought the heads of the king's sons.’ He said, ‘Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:8 The messenger came and reported, saying, ‘They have brought the heads of the king's sons.’ He said, ‘Put them in two mounds beside the doorway of the gate until morning.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both order a public display in two heaps at the gate until morning.
Verse 10:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:9 In the morning he went out, stood, and said to all the people, ‘You are righteous. Look, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck all these?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:9 In the morning he went out, stood in the city's gateway, and said to all the people, ‘You are righteous. Look, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck all these?’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek specifies the city's gateway, absent from the Hebrew clause. Both preserve Jehu's claim and rhetorical question as his speech rather than the narrator's moral conclusion.
Verse 10:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:10 ‘Know, then, that nothing of YHWH's word that YHWH spoke against Ahab's house will fall to the ground. YHWH has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:10 ‘See—Appho—that nothing of the Lord's word that the Lord spoke against Ahab's house will fall to the ground. The Lord has done all that He spoke through His slave Elijah.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek preserves αφφω as an unexplained transliteration corresponding here to Hebrew אֵפוֹא, ‘then.’ It is not silently omitted. Both claim fulfillment through Elijah's word.
Verse 10:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:11 Jehu struck all who remained of Ahab's house in Jezreel, all his great men, his close associates, and his priests, until he left him no survivor.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:11 Jehu struck all who remained in Ahab's house in Jezreel, all his prominent men, his acquaintances, and his priests, so that he left him no remnant.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both describe the destruction of the remaining dynasty and associated leadership, including priests.
Verse 10:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:12 He rose, set out, and went toward Samaria. On the road he was at Beth-eked of the shepherds,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:12 He rose and went toward Samaria. He was at Baithakad of the shepherds on the road,
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both locate the next encounter at the shepherds' Beth-eked/Baithakad. The place is retained rather than replaced by a speculative functional building name.
Verse 10:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:13 where Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. He said, ‘Who are you?’ They said, ‘We are Ahaziah's brothers, and we have come down to inquire about the welfare of the king's sons and the queen mother's sons.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:13 and Jehu found the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. He said, ‘Who are you?’ They said, ‘We are Ahaziah's brothers, and we have come down for the peace of the king's sons and the ruling lady's sons.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both retain brothers and the royal visit. Hebrew גְּבִירָה is rendered queen mother in the royal context; Greek's δυναστεύουσα is the ruling lady. The shared welfare/peace idiom is handled independently.
Verse 10:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:14 He said, ‘Take them alive.’ They took them alive and slaughtered them at the cistern of Beth-eked, forty-two men. He left none of them alive.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:14 He said, ‘Seize them alive.’ They seized them alive and slaughtered them at Baithakad, forty-two men. He left not one of them.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew specifies a cistern; Greek names only Baithakad. Both preserve forty-two victims and no survivors.
Verse 10:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:15 He went from there and met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He blessed him and said to him, ‘Is your heart upright, as my heart is with your heart?’ Jehonadab said, ‘It is.’ ‘If it is, give me your hand.’ He gave his hand, and he brought him up to himself into the chariot.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:15 He went from there and found Jonadab son of Rechab on the road coming to meet him, and blessed him. Jehu said to him, ‘Is your heart upright with my heart, as my heart is with your heart?’ Jonadab said, ‘It is.’ Jehu said, ‘If it is, give me your hand.’ He gave his hand, and he brought him up to himself onto the chariot.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Greek explicitly identifies Jehu as speaker and repeats ‘with my heart.’ Both preserve the pledge, hand, and chariot. Jehonadab/Jonadab reflects the name forms rather than different persons.
Verse 10:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:16 He said, ‘Come with me and see my zeal for YHWH.’ They made him ride in his chariot.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:16 He said to him, ‘Come with me and see me being zealous for the Lord Sabaoth.’ He seated him in his chariot.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek adds Sabaoth, the transliterated hosts title. Hebrew ends with plural ‘they made him ride’; Greek has singular ‘he seated him.’
Verse 10:17 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:17 He came to Samaria and struck all who remained of Ahab in Samaria until he destroyed him, according to the word of YHWH that He had spoken to Elijah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:17 He entered Samaria and struck all who remained of Ahab in Samaria until he made him disappear, according to the word of the Lord that He had spoken to Elijah.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both describe the destruction of the remaining Ahab dynasty in Samaria and link it with the divine word to Elijah.
Verse 10:18 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:18 Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, ‘Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:18 Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, ‘Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu indeed will serve him much.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve Jehu's deliberately misleading announcement; its deceptive purpose is supplied by the next verse's narrator.
Verse 10:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:19 ‘Now call to me all Baal's prophets, all his worshippers, and all his priests. Let no man be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.’ Jehu acted deceitfully, in order to destroy Baal's worshippers.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:19 ‘Now, all Baal's prophets, summon to me all his slaves and his priests. Let no man be absent, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is absent will not live.’ Jehu acted with trickery, so that he might destroy Baal's slaves.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew includes prophets among those called; Greek's initial nominative prophets can address those ordered to call the others, as rendered here. Greek repeatedly uses slaves for the cult's servants; Hebrew is rendered worshippers in context. Both expose the deception.
Verse 10:20 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:20 Jehu said, ‘Consecrate a solemn assembly for Baal.’ They proclaimed it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:20 Jehu said, ‘Consecrate a sacrificial festival for Baal.’ They proclaimed it.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew עֲצָרָה is an assembly; Greek ἱερεία is sacrifice or festival, verified in the Perseus headword entry [LX1]. The Greek word is not the differently accented noun for priestess.
Verse 10:21 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:21 Jehu sent throughout Israel, and all Baal's worshippers came. Not one man remained who did not come. They entered Baal's house, and Baal's house was filled from end to end.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:21 Jehu sent throughout Israel, saying, ‘Now, all Baal's slaves, all his priests, and all his prophets, let no one stay away, for I am making a great sacrifice. Whoever stays away will not live.’ All Baal's slaves, all his priests, and all his prophets came; not one man remained who did not arrive. They entered Baal's house, and Baal's house was filled from mouth to mouth.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek supplies an additional full summons and threat and repeats priests and prophets in the attendance report. Hebrew simply reports the message and gathering. Both retain the house's complete filling; Greek's mouth-to-mouth idiom is left visible.
Verse 10:22 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:22 He said to the one in charge of the wardrobe, ‘Bring out clothing for all Baal's worshippers.’ He brought out the clothing for them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:22 Jehu said to the one over the house of Mesthaal, ‘Bring out garments for all Baal's slaves.’ The dresser brought them out for them.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew names the wardrobe; Greek preserves μεσθααλ in a house designation and explicitly names a dresser. Mesthaal is a transliteration, not a newly identified building or deity.
Verse 10:23 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:23 Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered Baal's house. He said to Baal's worshippers, ‘Search and see that none of YHWH's servants is here with you, but only Baal's worshippers.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:23 Jehu and Jonadab son of Rechab entered Baal's house. He said to Baal's slaves, ‘Search and see whether any of the Lord's slaves are with you, for there must be only Baal's slaves alone.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both require exclusion of the divine Lord's servants from the assembled Baal devotees. Greek's checking question and Hebrew's precaution have the same purpose.
Verse 10:24 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:24 They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu stationed eighty men outside and said, ‘If any man escapes from the men I place in your hands, his life shall be for his life.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:24 He went in to perform the sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. Jehu stationed eighty men outside for himself and said, ‘If any man is saved from the men I bring into your hands, his life shall be in place of his life.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has plural entrants offering sacrifices; Greek has a singular entrant. Both station eighty guards and give a life-for-life sanction; the repeated pronouns are preserved, with responsibility falling contextually on the guard for the escapee.
Verse 10:25 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:25 When he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the runners and officers, ‘Go in and strike them. Let no man come out.’ They struck them with the edge of the sword. The runners and officers threw them out and went as far as the citadel of Baal's house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:25 When he finished performing the whole burnt offering, Jehu said to the runners and officers, ‘Go in and strike them. Let no man come out from them.’ They struck them with the edge of the sword. The runners and officers threw them out and went as far as the city of Baal's house.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Both retain the slaughter and disposal. Hebrew עִיר and Greek πόλις literally mean city; Hebrew is provisionally construed as the temple citadel in this setting, while Greek's city wording is retained. The precise architectural location remains uncertain.
Verse 10:26 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:26 They brought out the pillars of Baal's house and burned it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:26 They brought out Baal's pillar and burned it.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has plural pillars followed by a singular feminine object ‘it’; Greek has one pillar throughout. The Hebrew grammatical mismatch is retained for textual review rather than silently regularized.
Verse 10:27 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:27 They demolished Baal's pillar and demolished Baal's house, making it a latrine to this day.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:27 They pulled down Baal's pillars and tore down Baal's house, making it latrines to this day.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has a singular pillar here, Greek plural pillars, reversing the preceding verse's distribution. Both end with the temple made into a latrine site.
Verse 10:28 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:28 Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:28 Jehu made Baal disappear from Israel.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both summarize the elimination of Baal from Israel, within the narrative's cultic context.
Verse 10:29 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:29 Yet Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin: the golden calves at Bethel and at Dan.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:29 Yet Jehu did not turn away from following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin: the golden heifers in Bethel and in Dan.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew עגלי is masculine calves; Greek δαμάλεις is female young cattle, heifers. Both identify the remaining cultic fault at Bethel and Dan.
Verse 10:30 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:30 YHWH said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in doing what is upright in My eyes, and have done to Ahab's house everything that was in My heart, sons of yours to the fourth generation will sit on Israel's throne.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:30 The Lord said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in doing what is upright in My eyes, and have done to Ahab's house everything that was in My heart, sons of yours to the fourth generation will sit on Israel's throne.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the same bounded dynastic promise in response to the treatment of Ahab's house. This approval is not expanded to every action or to the sins condemned next.
Verse 10:31 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:31 But Jehu did not take care to walk in the Torah of YHWH, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:31 But Jehu did not take care to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with his whole heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek adds Nebat's name. Both deny wholehearted obedience and repeat the continuing Jeroboam sins; Torah/law preserves the source terms without separating them into different institutions.
Verse 10:32 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:32 In those days YHWH began cutting Israel short, and Hazael struck them throughout Israel's territory,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:32 In those days the Lord began cutting down within Israel, and Hazael struck them throughout Israel's territory,
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both assign the beginning of Israel's losses to the divine Lord and the military blows to Hazael; the geographical scope continues in verse thirty-three.
Verse 10:33 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead—the Gadites, Reubenites, and Manassites—from Aroer by the Arnon wadi, both Gilead and Bashan.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:33 from the Jordan toward sunrise, all the land of Gilead belonging to Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer on the bank of the Arnon torrent, both Gilead and Bashan.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain the eastern territory, three tribal groups, Aroer, Arnon, Gilead, and Bashan.
Verse 10:34 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:34 The rest of the acts of Jehu, everything he did, and all his might—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:34 The rest of the acts of Jehu, everything he did, all his power, and the engagements he fought—are these not written in the book of the daily records for the kings of Israel?
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek adds ‘the engagements he fought’ with συνάψεις/συνῆψεν. Both retain the royal record-book formula.
Verse 10:35 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:35 Jehu lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son became king in his place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:35 Jehu lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son became king in his place.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give Jehu's death, Samaria burial, and succession by Jehoahaz.
Verse 10:36 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
10:36 The time Jehu reigned over Israel was twenty-eight years in Samaria.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
10:36 The days Jehu reigned over Israel were twenty-eight years in Samaria.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the same twenty-eight-year reign in Samaria.