Tanach
Melachim II 10:1-14 מלכים ב י׳:א׳-י״ד
Part of: Chapter 10
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וּלְאַחְאָב שִׁבְעִים בָּנִים בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּכְתֹּב יֵהוּא סְפָרִים וַיִּשְׁלַח שֹׁמְרוֹן אֶל־שָׂרֵי יִזְרְעֶאל הַזְּקֵנִים וְאֶל־הָאֹמְנִים אַחְאָב לֵאמֹֽר׃
And Aĥ᾽av had seventy sons in Shomeron. And Yehu wrote letters, and sent to Shomeron, to the rulers of Yizre῾el, to the elders, and to those who brought up Aĥ᾽av’s children, saying,
And Aĥ᾽av had seventy sons in Shomeron. And Yehu wrote letters, and sent to Shomeron, to the rulers of Yizre῾el, to the elders, and to those who brought up Aĥ᾽av’s children, saying,
Rashi
וְעַתָּה כְּבֹא הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה אֲלֵיכֶם וְאִתְּכֶם בְּנֵי אֲדֹנֵיכֶם וְאִתְּכֶם הָרֶכֶב וְהַסּוּסִים וְעִיר מִבְצָר וְהַנָּֽשֶׁק׃
Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armour;
Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armour;
Rashi
ואתכם הרכב והסוסים. ויש בכם כח להלחם:
And with you are the chariot[s] and the horses. And they have strength to wage war.
וּרְאִיתֶם הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר מִבְּנֵי אֲדֹנֵיכֶם וְשַׂמְתֶּם עַל־כִּסֵּא אָבִיו וְהִֽלָּחֲמוּ עַל־בֵּית אֲדֹנֵיכֶֽם׃
select then the best and fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
select then the best and fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
וַיִּֽרְאוּ מְאֹד מְאֹד וַיֹּאמְרוּ הִנֵּה שְׁנֵי הַמְּלָכִים לֹא עָמְדוּ לְפָנָיו וְאֵיךְ נַעֲמֹד אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃
But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings could not stand before him: how then shall we stand?
But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings could not stand before him: how then shall we stand?
Rashi
שני המלכים. יורם ואחזיהו:
Two kings. Yorom and Achazyohu.
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַבַּיִת וַאֲשֶׁר עַל־הָעִיר וְהַזְּקֵנִים וְהָאֹמְנִים אֶל־יֵהוּא ׀ לֵאמֹר עֲבָדֶיךָֽ אֲנַחְנוּ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמַר אֵלֵינוּ נַעֲשֶׂה לֹא־נַמְלִךְ אִישׁ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ עֲשֵֽׂה׃
And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians, sent to Yehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make anyone king: do thou that which is good in thy eyes.
And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians, sent to Yehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make anyone king: do thou that which is good in thy eyes.
וַיִּכְתֹּב אֲלֵיהֶם סֵפֶר ׀ שֵׁנִית לֵאמֹר אִם־לִי אַתֶּם וּלְקֹלִי ׀ אַתֶּם שֹׁמְעִים קְחוּ אֶת־רָאשֵׁי אַנְשֵׁי בְנֵי־אֲדֹֽנֵיכֶם וּבֹאוּ אֵלַי כָּעֵת מָחָר יִזְרְעֶאלָה וּבְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ אֶת־גְּדֹלֵי הָעִיר מְגַדְּלִים אוֹתָֽם׃
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you are mine, and if you will hearken to my voice, take the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Yizre῾el by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the notables of the city, who brought them up.
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you are mine, and if you will hearken to my voice, take the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Yizre῾el by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the notables of the city, who brought them up.
Rashi
ובני המלך שבעים איש את גדולי העיר וגו'. כל זה כתב בספר, ואני יודע חשבונם, שבעים איש והם עם גדולי העיר המגדלים אותם:
The sons of the king [number] seventy men, and the great men of the city, etc. All this was written in the letter, “And I know their count, seventy men, and they are with the elders of the city who are raising them.2Alternatively, “now the kings sons, etc.” until the end of the verse was not written in the letter. Rather, it is a comment by [Yirmiyahu] the author of the Book of Kings.—Radak
וַיְהִי כְּבֹא הַסֵּפֶר אֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ אֶת־רָֽאשֵׁיהֶם בַּדּוּדִים וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֵלָיו יִזְרְעֶֽאלָה׃
And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Yizre῾el.
And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Yizre῾el.
Rashi
בדודים. סירות:
In pots. [In] pots.3Alternatively, “in baskets” which were loosely woven so the heads would be visible from the outside.—Ralbag
וַיָּבֹא הַמַּלְאָךְ וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ לֵאמֹר הֵבִיאוּ רָאשֵׁי בְנֵֽי־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר שִׂימוּ אֹתָם שְׁנֵי צִבֻּרִים פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר עַד־הַבֹּֽקֶר׃
And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.
And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.
Rashi
צבורים. חמרין, דגורין, מונטי"ס בלע"ז:
Piles. Mounds. [And Targum Yonoson rendered] דְּגוּרִין [=mounds],4See Targum in Shemos 8:10 who renders דְּגוֹרִין for חֳמָרִים [=piles]. moncels, in O.F.
וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וַיֵּצֵא וַֽיַּעֲמֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָם צַדִּקִים אַתֶּם הִנֵּה אֲנִי קָשַׁרְתִּי עַל־אֲדֹנִי וָאֶהְרְגֵהוּ וּמִי הִכָּה אֶת־כׇּל־אֵֽלֶּה׃
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are just men: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are just men: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
Rashi
צדיקים אתם. כולכם בעיניכם צדיקים, ומחזיקים אותי בחזקת רשע, על שהרגתי את המלך, ועתה ראו, הנה אני קשרתי על אדוני ואהרגהו, את כל אלה מי הכה, אני לא הרגתים, אך מאלה תדעו אפוא, כי גזרת המלך היא עליהם, וההורגם צדיק הוא, ומקיים את מצות המקום:
“You are righteous.” In your eyes you are all righteous, and you consider me as being wicked because I killed the king. But look, now I revolted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? I did not kill them. But from these you will know then that it is a decree of the King upon them, and whoever kills them is righteous and fulfills the commandment of the Omnipresent.
דְּעוּ אֵפוֹא כִּי לֹא יִפֹּל מִדְּבַר יְהֹוָה אַרְצָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה עַל־בֵּית אַחְאָב וַיהֹוָה עָשָׂה אֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד עַבְדּוֹ אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
Know now that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Aĥ᾽av: for the Lord has done that which he spoke by his servant Eliyyahu.
Know now that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Aĥ᾽av: for the Lord has done that which he spoke by his servant Eliyyahu.
וַיַּךְ יֵהוּא אֵת כׇּל־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים לְבֵית־אַחְאָב בְּיִזְרְעֶאל וְכׇל־גְּדֹלָיו וּמְיֻדָּעָיו וְכֹהֲנָיו עַד־בִּלְתִּי הִשְׁאִֽיר־לוֹ שָׂרִֽיד׃
So Yehu slew all that remained of the house of Aĥ᾽av in Yizre῾el, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
So Yehu slew all that remained of the house of Aĥ᾽av in Yizre῾el, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
וַיָּקׇם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּלֶךְ שֹׁמְרוֹן הוּא בֵּֽית־עֵקֶד הָרֹעִים בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃
And he arose and departed, and came to Shomeron. And as he was at the shepherds’ meeting house in the way,
And he arose and departed, and came to Shomeron. And as he was at the shepherds’ meeting house in the way,
Rashi
בית עקד הרועים. (תרגום:) בית כנישת רעיא:
The gathering place of the shepherds. [Targum Yonoson] renders בֵּית כְּנִישַׁת רָעֲיָא [=the house where shepherds gather].
עקד. לשון קשר, מקום אסיפת רועים:
Gathering. An expression of binding, the place where shepherds gather.5I.e., the shepherds come together at one place. Alternatively, בֵּית עֶקֶד is the shearing place for sheep, because shepherds tie [=עוֹקֵד] the sheep prior to shearing them.—Radak
וְיֵהוּא מָצָא אֶת־אֲחֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אַתֶּם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲחֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ אֲנַחְנוּ וַנֵּרֶד לִשְׁלוֹם בְּנֵֽי־הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבְנֵי הַגְּבִירָֽה׃
Yehu met with the brothers of Aĥazyahu king of Yehuda, and said, Who are you? And they answered, We are the brothers of Aĥazyahu: and we are going down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.
Yehu met with the brothers of Aĥazyahu king of Yehuda, and said, Who are you? And they answered, We are the brothers of Aĥazyahu: and we are going down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.
Rashi
ובני הגבירה. איזבל:
And the queen’s sons. Ezevel.6They were unaware that Yeihu killed Yehorom, otherwise they would have fled.—Radak
וַיֹּאמֶר תִּפְשׂוּם חַיִּים וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂוּם חַיִּים וַיִּשְׁחָטוּם אֶל־בּוֹר בֵּֽית־עֵקֶד אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִם אִישׁ וְלֹא־הִשְׁאִיר אִישׁ מֵהֶֽם׃ {ס}
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the meeting house, forty two men; neither left he any of them.
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the meeting house, forty two men; neither left he any of them.
ואל האומנים אחאב. אומנים את בניו:
And to the custodian of Achov’s children. Those who brought up his children.1The literal translation is, “and to those who raised Achov.”