2 Kings 10:3
New International Version
choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

New Living Translation
select the best qualified of your master’s sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab’s dynasty.”

English Standard Version
select the best and fittest of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne and fight for your master’s house.”

Berean Standard Bible
select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

King James Bible
Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

New King James Version
choose the best qualified of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

New American Standard Bible
select the best and most capable of your master’s sons and seat him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

NASB 1995
select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

NASB 1977
select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

Legacy Standard Bible
look for the best and fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

Amplified Bible
select the best and most capable of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s [royal] house.”

Christian Standard Bible
select the most qualified of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
select the most qualified of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

American Standard Version
look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

Contemporary English Version
choose the best person for the job and make him the next king. Then be prepared to defend Ahab's family.

English Revised Version
look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
choose the best and most honest of your master's heirs, and put him on Ahab's throne. Fight for your master's family."

Good News Translation
you are to choose the best qualified of the king's descendants, make him king, and fight to defend him."

International Standard Version
select the best and most qualified of your master's sons, set him in place on his father's throne, and fight for your master's dynasty!"

Majority Standard Bible
select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

NET Bible
pick the best and most capable of your master's sons, place him on his father's throne, and defend your master's dynasty."

New Heart English Bible
Select the best and fittest of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

Webster's Bible Translation
Look out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

World English Bible
select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
that you have seen the best and the most upright of the sons of your lord, and have set [him] on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your lord.”

Young's Literal Translation
and ye have seen the best and the uprightest of the sons of your lord, and have set him on the throne of his father, and fight ye for the house of your lord.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And see the good and the straight of your lord's sons, and set upon the throne of his father, and war for the house of your lord.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Choose the best, and him that shall please you most of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for the house of your master.

Catholic Public Domain Version
choose him who is better and who pleases you from among the sons of your lord, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your lord.”

New American Bible
decide which is the best and the fittest of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

New Revised Standard Version
select the son of your master who is the best qualified, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Whichever seems to you good and best of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And whomever you see who is good and beautiful of the sons of your Master, seat on the throne of his father and fight for the household of your Master.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
do ye accordingly look out the best and fittest among your master's sons, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your master.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Family
2“When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, 3select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”…

Cross References
1 Kings 1:5-10
At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him. / (His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” Adonijah was also very handsome, born next after Absalom.) / So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him. ...

1 Kings 2:15
“You know that the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected that I should reign, but the kingship has turned to my brother, for it has come to him from the LORD.

2 Samuel 3:10
to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

1 Kings 11:11-13
Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. / Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. / Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

1 Kings 21:21-24
This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free. / I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’ / And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ ...

2 Kings 9:6-10
So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. / And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. / The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. ...

2 Kings 11:1-3
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. / But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed. / And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

2 Chronicles 22:10-12
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. / But Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him. / And Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

Isaiah 7:6-7
‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’ / But this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It will not arise; it will not happen.

Jeremiah 22:30
This is what the LORD says: “Enroll this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will prosper to sit on the throne of David or to rule again in Judah.”

Matthew 1:11
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

Matthew 2:2-6
asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” / When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. / And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ...

Matthew 21:5
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

Luke 1:32-33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, / and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”


Treasury of Scripture

Look even out the best and meet of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

Look even

Deuteronomy 17:14,15
When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; …

1 Samuel 10:24
And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

1 Samuel 11:15
And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

fight for

2 Samuel 2:12-17
And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon…

1 Kings 12:21
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

John 18:36
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

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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














select the best and most worthy
In the Hebrew text, the word for "select" is "בְּחַר" (bachar), which implies a careful and deliberate choice. This reflects the gravity of the decision at hand, emphasizing the need for discernment and wisdom. The phrase "the best and most worthy" suggests a standard of excellence and integrity. Historically, this was a time when leadership was often determined by lineage and perceived merit, and the call to choose the most capable leader underscores the importance of righteous and competent governance.

of your master’s sons
The term "master" here refers to the king, specifically the house of Ahab. The sons of the master would be the royal offspring, potential heirs to the throne. In the context of ancient Israel, the royal family was seen as divinely appointed, and the sons were expected to uphold the covenantal responsibilities of leadership. This phrase highlights the dynastic nature of kingship in Israel and the expectation that the king's sons would continue his legacy.

set him on his father’s throne
The "throne" symbolizes authority and the continuity of the king's rule. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the throne was not just a physical seat but a representation of divine sanction and political power. The act of setting someone on the throne was a public declaration of legitimacy and succession. This phrase indicates the importance of rightful succession and the stability it brings to the kingdom.

and fight for your master’s house
The word "fight" in Hebrew is "לָחַם" (lacham), which conveys the idea of engaging in battle or struggle. This call to arms is not merely about physical combat but also about defending the honor and legacy of the royal house. The "master’s house" refers to the dynasty of Ahab, which was under threat. This phrase underscores the loyalty expected of the king's subjects and the lengths to which they should go to protect the king's lineage and uphold the kingdom's stability.

(3) The best and meetest--i.e., the one you think best qualified in every sense (not merely in the moral sense).

Your master's sons.--"Your master" need not mean Jehoram. The story relates to Ahab (2Kings 10:1).

His father's throne--i.e., Ahab's throne. (Comp. 2Chronicles 17:3; 2Chronicles 21:12; 2Chronicles 29:2, where David is called the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Hezekiah in turn.)

Fight for your master's house.--Jehu thus declares his own warlike intentions, leaving the nobles, whom his prompt and decisive action had taken by surprise, no choice between improvised resistance and instant submission. Knowing Jehu's character as a soldier, they chose the latter. . . .

Verse 3. - Look even out the belt and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne. "Choose," i.e., "among the sons of Joram the strongest, the boldest, and the ablest, and make him king in his father's zoom; take him for your leader against me; do not hesitate and beat about the bush; but at once make up your minds, and let me know what I have to expect." And fight for your master's house. There had been a civil war before the dynasty of Omri succeeded in settling itself on the throne (1 Kings 16:21, 22). Jehu believes, or affects to believe, that there will now be another. He does not deprecate it, but invites it. Probably he felt tolerably confident that the garrison of Samaria, even if called upon by the municipality, would not venture to take up arms against the army of Ramoth-Gilead, which had declared itself in his favor. Still, supposing that it did, he was not fearful of the result.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
select
וּרְאִיתֶ֞ם (ū·rə·’î·ṯem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

the best
הַטּ֤וֹב (haṭ·ṭō·wḇ)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

and most worthy
וְהַיָּשָׁר֙ (wə·hay·yā·šār)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3477: Straight, right

son
מִבְּנֵ֣י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of your master,
אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֔ם (’ă·ḏō·nê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

set
וְשַׂמְתֶּ֖ם (wə·śam·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

him on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his father’s
אָבִ֑יו (’ā·ḇîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

throne,
כִּסֵּ֣א (kis·sê)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

and fight
וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֖וּ (wə·hil·lā·ḥă·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your master’s
אֲדֹנֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ă·ḏō·nê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

house.”
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house


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OT History: 2 Kings 10:3 Look you out the best and meet (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 10:2
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