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2 Kings 10:8

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 10:8 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king`s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king`s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.
2 Kings 10:8 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 10

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
5And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought up [the children], sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
6Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be on my side, 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, who brought them up.
7And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king`s sons, and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.
8And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king`s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.
9And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who smote all these?
10Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of Jehovah, which Jehovah spake concerning the house of Ahab: for Jehovah hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
11So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, they have brought the heads of the king’s sons, etc.] Perhaps this messenger to Jehu came from the great men of Samaria themselves, to let him know that they had obeyed his orders: and he said, lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning; very probably it was towards or at the evening they were brought; and he ordered them to be taken out of the baskets, and laid in two heaps at the entering of the gate of the city, that they might be taken notice of, and publicly viewed by the people that passed and repassed the gate; and where they met in great numbers, either on account of the market there, or court of…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate, &c.--The exhibition of the heads of enemies is always considered a glorious trophy. Sometimes a pile of heads is erected at the gate of the palace; and a head of peculiarly striking appearance selected to grace the summit of the pyramid.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Two heaps - Probably placed one on either side of the gateway, to strike terror into the partisans of the late dynasty as they passed in and out of the town. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“there came: Sa2 11:18-21; Kg1 21:14; Mar 6:28 Lay ye them: Such barbarities are by no means uncommon in the East. "It has been know to occur," says Mr. Morier, "after the combat was over, that prisoners have been put to death in cold blood, in order that the heads, which are immediately despatched to the king, and deposited in heaps at the place gates, might make a more considerable show." until the morning: Deu 21:23 4 Kings (2 Kings) 10:9”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“When the heads were brought, Jehu had them piled up in two heaps before the city-gate, and spoke the next morning to the assembled people in front of them: "Ye are righteous. Behold I have conspired against my lord, and have slain him, but who has slain all these?" Jehu did not tell the people that the king's sons had been slain by his command, but spake as if this had been done without his interfering by a higher decree, that he might thereby justify his conspiracy in the eyes of the people, and make them believe what he says still further in Kg2 10:10 : "See then that of the word of the Lord nothing falls to the ground (i.e., remains unfulfilled) which Jehovah has spoken concerning the…”
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