2 Kings 9 · Verse 17

2 Kings 9:17

And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
2 Kings 9:17, King James Version

2 Kings 9:17 in other translations

BSBNow the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”
WEBNow the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”
ASVNow the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
YLTAnd the watchman is standing on the tower in Jezreel, and seeth the company of Jehu in his coming, and saith, ‘A company I see;' and Joram saith, ‘Take a rider and send to meet them, and let him say, Is there peace?'
DARBYAnd the watchman stood on the tower in Jizreel, and saw Jehu's company as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
BBEAnd the watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his band coming, and said, I see a band of people. And Joram said, Send out a horseman to them, and let him say, Is it peace?
WebsterAnd there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?

What does 2 Kings 9:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 9:17-24
17-24. there stood a watchman on the tower of Jezreel--The Hebrew palaces, besides being situated on hills had usually towers attached to them, not only for the pleasure of a fine prospect, but as posts of useful observation. The ancient watchtower of Jezreel must have commanded a view of the whole region eastward, nearly down to the Jordan. Beth-shan stands on a rising ground about six or seven miles below it, in a narrow part of the plain; and when Jehu and his retinue reached that point between Gilboa and Beth-shan, they could be fully descried by the watchman on the tower. A report was made to Joram in his palace below. A messenger on horseback was quickly despatched down into the plain to meet the ambiguous host and to question the object of their approach. "Is it peace?" We may safely assume that this messenger would meet Jehu at the distance of three miles or more. On the report made of his being detained and turned into the rear of the still advancing troops, a second messenger was in like manner despatched, who would naturally meet Jehu at the distance of a mile or a mile and a half down on the plain. He also being turned into the rear, the watchman now distinctly perceived "the driving to be like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously." The alarmed monarch, awakened to a sense of his impending danger, quickly summoned his forces to meet the crisis. Accompanied by Ahaziah, king of Judah, the two sovereigns ascended their chariots to make a feeble resistance to the impetuous onset of Jehu, who quickly from the plain ascended the steep northern sides of the site on which Jezreel stood, and the conflicting parties met "in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite," where Joram was quickly despatched by an arrow from the strong arm of Jehu. We were impressed with the obvious accuracy of the sacred historian; the localities and distances being such as seem naturally to be required by the incidents related, affording just time for the transactions to have occurred in the order in which they are recorded [Howe].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 A watchman on the tower - These watchmen, fixed on elevated places and generally within hearing of each other, served as a kind of telegraphs, to communicate intelligence through the whole country. But, in some cases, it appears that the intelligence was conveyed by a horseman to the next stage, as in the case before us. At this time, when the armies were at Ramoth-gilead, they were, no doubt, doubly watchful to observe the state of the country, and to notice every movement. See on 2Sam 13:34 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 9:16-29

Jehu was a man of eager spirit. The wisdom of God is seen in the choice of those employed in his work. But it is not for any man's reputation to be known by his fury. He that has rule over his own spirit, is better than the mighty. Joram met Jehu in the portion of Naboth. The circumstances of events are sometimes ordered by Divine Providence to make the punishment answer to the sin, as face answers to face in a…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 9:16-29 →

2 Kings 9:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהַצֹּפֶה֩ve.ha.tzo.Pehand the watchmanH6822
עֹמֵ֨ד'o.Med[was] standingH5975
עַֽל\־'al-onH5921
הַמִּגְדָּ֜לha.mig.Dalthe towerH4026
בְּיִזְרְעֶ֗אלbe.yiz.re.'Elin JezreelH3157
וַיַּ֞רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שִׁפְעַ֤תshif.'At[the] crowd ofH8229
יֵהוּא֙ye.Hu'JehuH3058
בְּבֹא֔וֹbe.vo.'Owhen came heH935
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
שִׁפְעַ֖תshif.'Ata crowdH8229
אֲנִ֣י'a.NiIH589
רֹאֶ֑הro.'Eh[am] seeingH7200
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוֹרָ֗םye.ho.RamJehoramH3088
קַ֥חkachtakeH3947
רַכָּ֛בra.Kava horsemanH7395
וּֽשְׁלַ֥חu.she.Lachand send [him]H7971
לִקְרָאתָ֖םlik.ra.Tamto meet themH7122
וְיֹאמַ֥רve.yo.Marand he may sayH559
הֲשָׁלֽוֹם\׃ha.sha.Lom¿ peaceH7965

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 9:17

  • 1 Samuel 16:4

    And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

  • 1 Kings 2:15

    And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the Lord.

  • Ezekiel 33:2-9

    Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. …

  • Acts 20:26-31

    Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. …

  • 1 Samuel 17:22

    And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

  • 2 Kings 7:14

    They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

  • Isaiah 21:6-9

    For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

  • Luke 10:5-6

    And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

  • Isaiah 56:10

    His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

  • 2 Samuel 18:24

    And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

  • 2 Samuel 13:34

    But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

  • Isaiah 62:6

    I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a watchman.
2Sa 13:34; 18:24; Isa 21:6-9,11,12; 56:10; 62:6; Eze 33:2-9
Ac 20:26-31
Take an horseman.
7:14
Is it peace.
19; 1Sa 16:4; 17:22; 1Ki 2:15; Lu 10:5,6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 9:16

    So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.

  • 2 Kings 9:17

    And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?

  • 2 Kings 9:18

    So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.

Read all of 2 Kings 9

2 Kings 9:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el atalaya que estaba en la torre de Jezreel, vió la cuadrilla de Jehú, que venía, y dijo: Yo veo una cuadrilla. Y Joram dijo: Toma uno de á caballo, y envía á reconocerlos, y que les diga: ¿Hay paz?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la sentinelle se tenait sur la tour à Jizreël, et vit la troupe de Jéhu, comme il arrivait, et dit: Je vois une troupe de gens. Et Joram dit: Prends un cavalier, et envoie-le à leur rencontre, et qu’il dise: Est-ce la paix?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Wächter stand auf dem Turme zu Jisreel und sah den Haufen Jehus, wie er herankam, und sprach: Ich sehe einen Haufen. Und Joram sprach: Nimm einen Reiter und sende ihn ihnen entgegen, daß er spreche: Ist es Friede?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Igitur speculator qui stabat super turrim Jezrahel, vidit globum Jehu venientis, et ait: Video ego globum. Dixitque Joram: Tolle currum, et mitte in occursum eorum, et dicat vadens: Rectene sunt omnia?