2 Kings 9 11

2 Kings 9:11 kjv

Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.

2 Kings 9:11 nkjv

Then Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, "Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?" And he said to them, "You know the man and his babble."

2 Kings 9:11 niv

When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, "Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?" "You know the man and the sort of things he says," Jehu replied.

2 Kings 9:11 esv

When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know the fellow and his talk."

2 Kings 9:11 nlt

Jehu went back to his fellow officers, and one of them asked him, "What did that madman want? Is everything all right?" "You know how a man like that babbles on," Jehu replied.

2 Kings 9 verses

2 Kings 9 11 Meaning

This verse captures the moment when Jehu returns from his secret anointing by Elisha's prophet, only to be met by the skeptical curiosity of his fellow commanders. They dismiss the prophet as a "madman" and question his unusual visit. Jehu, instead of immediately disclosing the momentous news, deftly avoids a direct answer by implying that they, as military men, are familiar with the eccentric behavior and intense speech of such prophetic figures, thereby shifting the burden of understanding onto them. This sets the stage for Jehu's calculated revelation.

2 Kings 9 11 Context

This verse is situated immediately after the prophet of Elisha secretly anoints Jehu, a military commander in King Joram’s army, as king over Israel to execute divine judgment on the house of Ahab (2 Kgs 9:1-10). The anointing happened in a secluded room. Upon his return, Jehu's comrades, high-ranking military officials themselves, notice his solemn demeanor and the unusual visit. They demand an explanation, viewing the prophet and his visit as peculiar. Jehu's response in this verse marks a calculated pause, a deferral of the momentous revelation, testing their understanding and readiness for the drastic news of a divinely mandated coup. It sets the scene for Jehu’s immediate and zealous execution of God’s judgment, specifically against Joram and the idolatry of Ahab's dynasty rooted in Jezebel’s influence.

2 Kings 9 11 Word analysis

• Then Jehu went out: (Hebrew: וַיֵּצֵא יֵהוּא, vayyêtseʾ Yêhû) – Signals a direct continuation from the secret anointing. Jehu re-enters the public sphere of his comrades after a profound, solitary divine encounter.
• to the servants of his master: (Hebrew: אֶל־עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנָיו, ʾel-ʿavdê ʾadōnáyw) – "Servants" (ʿavadim) here refers to fellow high-ranking military commanders or captains serving King Joram (their master), not ordinary household servants. They are military peers.
• and one said to him, “Is everything all right? (Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֶחָד הֲשָׁלֹום, vayyōʾmer ʾēlāyw ʾeḥad hăshālôm) – The question hashalom ("Is it peace?") is a standard greeting, but here, in context, it conveys concern about Jehu's unusual seriousness or the prophet's unsettling presence. They sensed a disturbance, a lack of peace.
• Why did this madman come to you?” (Hebrew: לַמָּה בָּא הַמְשֻׁגָּע הַזֶּה אֵלֶיךָ, lammâ bāʾ hammišuggāʿ hazzeh ʾêlêḵā) –
  • "madman" (Hebrew: מְשֻׁגָּע, mĕšuggāʿ) – A critical term, literally meaning "made crazy," "deranged," or "insane." It is highly derogatory. This reflects the common ancient perception (and sometimes biblical depiction) of true prophets as behaving eccentrically or wildly due to the intense spiritual inspiration or burden of their divine message, causing them to be misunderstood or scorned by the pragmatic world. They found the prophet's appearance, mannerisms, or directness jarring and not conforming to their expectations of composure, especially from someone sent to a military leader.
  • "this madman" – Implies the prophet was visibly unkempt, acted erratically, or delivered his message with wild intensity, making him stand out and seem deranged in the eyes of the worldly wise.
• And he said to them, “You yourselves know the man and his talk.” (Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת־הָאִישׁ וְאֶת־שִׂיחוֹ, vayyōʾmer ʾªlêhem ʾattem yedaʿtem ʾet-hāʾîsh wĕʾet-śîḥōw) –
  • "You yourselves know" (Hebrew: אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם, ʾattem yedaʿtem) – This is a direct challenge and a shrewd deflection. Jehu appeals to their own shared understanding of prophetic figures, subtly hinting that they are accustomed to prophets' unconventional nature or their unpalatable truths. He does not deny the "madman" accusation, but uses it to force them to acknowledge the general characteristics of a prophet without him revealing the specific message. This phrase also implies a known type of prophetic "insanity" within Israel's spiritual landscape.
  • "the man and his talk" (Hebrew: אֶת־הָאִישׁ וְאֶת־שִׂיחוֹ, ʾet-hāʾîsh wĕʾet-śîḥōw) – Refers to the prophet's character (often austere, unusual, unpolished) and his speech (direct, divinely charged, potentially inflammatory, not refined pleasantries). It suggests that the prophet's general reputation or behavior made him instantly recognizable as a "madman" to people familiar with such prophetic types. Jehu is both disarming them and creating curiosity.

2 Kings 9 11 Bonus section

• The "young prophet" sent by Elisha (2 Kgs 9:4) might have intentionally appeared disheveled or acted with fervent urgency to convey the immediate and severe nature of the divine judgment, thus earning the "madman" label. Such intense behavior was sometimes a characteristic of authentic prophetic encounters in the ancient Near East.
• Jehu's tactical delay in revealing the prophetic message speaks to a certain calculated intelligence. He knew the announcement would be explosive and likely sought to control the environment and gather full attention, perhaps even gauge the readiness of his peers, before dropping such a monumental bomb.
• The term meshugga (madman) here ironically prefigures the "madness" of the gospel as perceived by the world (1 Cor 1:18, 2:14), and Jesus' own treatment as being "out of His mind" (Mk 3:21). The pattern of dismissing God's unconventional messengers as insane or foolish recurs throughout biblical history.

2 Kings 9 11 Commentary

2 Kings 9:11 is a pivotal verse, marking the immediate aftermath of Jehu’s anointing for a divine, destructive mission. The scene highlights the clash between the sacred and the profane, between divine revelation and worldly pragmatism. The military commanders, practical men of war, perceive the prophet as nothing more than a "madman" due to his unusual appearance or fervent delivery. This dismissive attitude toward God's messenger underscores how the world often misinterprets spiritual passion as foolishness or insanity (1 Cor 1:18, 2:14). Jehu’s response is remarkably astute: he doesn't correct their assessment of the prophet's 'madness,' but rather leverages their prejudice. By telling them "You yourselves know the man and his talk," he delays the dramatic news, implying that prophets, by their very nature, appear odd to conventional eyes, yet their messages often carry weight. This deliberate ambiguity and deflection skillfully heightens their curiosity and paves the way for his imminent, decisive revelation in the subsequent verses. This brief exchange thus demonstrates Jehu's shrewdness, preparing his commanders not for a simple statement but for a profound paradigm shift.