The Meaning of 2 Kings 9:7 Explained

2 Kings 9:7

KJV: And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

YLT: and thou hast smitten the house of Ahab thy lord, and I have required the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, from the hand of Jezebel;

Darby: And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master; and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah at the hand of Jezebel.

ASV: And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, at the hand of Jezebel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt smite  the house  of Ahab  thy master,  that I may avenge  the blood  of my servants  the prophets,  and the blood  of all the servants  of the LORD,  at the hand  of Jezebel. 

What does 2 Kings 9:7 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 9:1-13 - The Avenger Of Blood Anointed
Youth is always being called upon to gird up its loins, and dare to fulfill its commissions without fear of man. We are not to tarry to hear what men say of us. The King's business requires haste. Do your work and flee, before the world can scare you by its threats or cajole you by its blandishments. You have one Master, one errand: do it, and get back into His presence!
God has His appointed instruments to carry out His plans, 1 Kings 19:17. The King will avenge His own elect, though He bear long with their oppressors. Sooner or later His sentence will be executed. His servants are often accounted mad, but whether we are beside ourselves, it is to God! 2 Corinthians 5:13. Naturally his fellow-officers were astonished that Jehu should have dealings with one whose garb and bearing indicated his religious character. It is not usual for God's servants to penetrate a camp with such a message; and yet how striking would be the effect if only we could announce to the strong, swift-acting, vehement-hearted leaders of the age, that a higher vocation awaited them than they had ever conceived, and that God's anointing was within their reach. "I have anointed thee to be a king." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 9

1  Elisha sends a young prophet with instructions to anoint Jehu at Ramoth Gilead
4  The prophet having done his message, flees
11  Jehu, being made king by the soldiers, kills Joram in the field of Naboth
27  Ahaziah is slain at Gur, and buried at Jerusalem
30  Proud Jezebel is thrown down out of a window, and eaten by dogs

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 9:7 mean?

And You shall strike down - the house of Ahab your master that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh at the hand of Jezebel
וְהִ֨כִּיתָ֔ה אֶת־ בֵּ֥ית אַחְאָ֖ב אֲדֹנֶ֑יךָ וְנִקַּמְתִּ֞י דְּמֵ֣י ׀ עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וּדְמֵ֛י כָּל־ עַבְדֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מִיַּ֥ד אִיזָֽבֶל

וְהִ֨כִּיתָ֔ה  And  You  shall  strike  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אַחְאָ֖ב  of  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
אֲדֹנֶ֑יךָ  your  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
וְנִקַּמְתִּ֞י  that  I  may  avenge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָקַם  
Sense: to avenge, take vengeance, revenge, avenge oneself, be avenged, be punished.
דְּמֵ֣י ׀  the  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
עֲבָדַ֣י  of  My  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
וּדְמֵ֛י  and  the  blood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
כָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עַבְדֵ֥י  the  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִיַּ֥ד  at  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אִיזָֽבֶל  of  Jezebel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִיזֶבֶל  
Sense: queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal.