2 Kings 10:2

2Ki 10:2 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons [are] with you, and [there are] with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

Ver. 2. Now as soon as this letter cometh to you.] A concise and stately kind of writing, much like that of the king of Syria to the king of Israel. {2Ki 5:6} So the Hebrews note of Esau, in his meeting with Jacob, {Gen 33:4-15} that he uttereth his mind in few words, whenas Jacob is more full and fuse in his expressions. But ornamentum epistolae est ornamentis carere, saith a master of rhetoric, {a} Plainness is the greatest grace of an epistle.

{a} Politian.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:2-5 Jehu’s message pointing out the city’s military capacity to protect the surviving members of Ahab’s dynasty was actually a declaration of war, and the leaders of Samaria understood it as such. Jehu commanded the main armed forces of Israel, and at Jezreel he had already demonstrated his military power and ruthlessness. The leaders were paralyzed with fear and agreed to do anything Jehu instructed them to do.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. A fenced city also] All here seems to refer to Samaria alone; in it were the magazines and implements of war, c. No reader need be told that these letters were all ironical. It was the same as if he had said, "Ye have no means of defence Israel is with me: if you yield not up yourselves and the city, I will put you all to the sword."

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Now as soon as this letter cometh.—Rather, And now when this letter cometh. Only the conclusion of the letter, containing the gist of it, is reported here. (Comp. 2Ki_5:6.)

Seeing your master’s sons . . . look even out (2Ki_10:3).—Rather, there are with you both your master’s sons, and the chariots and the horses,and a fenced city, and the armoury: so look out the best, &c.

A fenced city.—All the versions but the Arabic have “fenced cities;” and so Josephus. There is a tone of mocking irony in Jehu’s challenge to the nobles of Samaria, who were probably as luxurious and cowardly now as in the days of Amos, a few years later (Amo_3:12; Amo_6:3-6). (Comp. also Isa_28:1-10.) By his careful enumeration of their resources, he as good as says that his defiance is not the fruit of ignorance.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. Now [R.V. And now] as soon as this letter cometh to you] Only an extract from the letter is here given, which the Hebrew correctly represents, and which R.V. has shewn by its translation. See a similar instance before, chap. 2Ki_5:6.

a fenced city] This must refer to the city of Samaria, which probably was better fortified than Jezreel, and which had been especially cared for by the family of Omri by whom it was built.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you,.... Sons of Ahab, and some of Joram, and all either the sons or grandsons of Ahab:

and there are with you chariots and horses; military ones:

a fenced city also: as Samaria was, well walled and fortified, and able to hold out a long siege:

and armour; of all sorts, to arm themselves and people with in their defence.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A fenced city - Or, “fenced cities.” If Samaria had refused to acknowledge Jehu, many other Israelite towns would have been sure to follow the example.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2, 3.

As soon as this letter cometh — Most expositors have regarded this letter of Jehu as ironical. Thus Kitto: “There was a latent irony in this letter, for the writer must well have known the real state of the case, and how little likely it was that they would take up the cause of a fallen house, known to have been doomed of God.” But whatever Jehu may have known or thought of their probable feeling and action in the case, the language of this epistle, particularly the closing challenge — fight for your master’s house — is that of bold and menacing defiance rather than of irony, and involves an order for them either to surrender or else prepare for war. Bahr paraphrases it thus: “I am king; but if ye, who have in your possession the chariots, and horses, and arms, are desirous of placing a prince of the house of Ahab on the throne, you thereby begin a war with me.” Very likely he expected to intimidate them, and bring them to submission by this threat.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now as soon as this letter cometh to you. In the East at this time, and in most parts of it to the present day, letters can only be sent by special messengers. There is no public post. Kings and private individuals must equally find persons who will undertake to carry and deliver their despatches. Even the post organized by Darius Hystaspis was not one that went daily, but only one kept ready for the king to use when he had occasion for it. Seeing your master"s sons are with you. "Your master"s sons" must mean Joram"s sons; by which we learn that, unlike his brother Ahaziah, (2Ki_1:17) Joram had male offspring who survived him, and were now with the rest of Ahab"s descendants, at Samaria. And there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armor; literally, the chariots, and the horses, a fenced city also, and the armor. The main chariot force of the country, and the chief arsenal, containing both armor and arms, were naturally at Samaria, the capital, and might thus be regarded as at the disposition of the Samaritan municipality. Jehu scornfully challenges them to make use of their resources against him. He is quite ready for a contest. Let them do their worst. The LXX have "fenced cities" (poleiv ojcurai) instead of "a fenced city;" but the existing Hebrew text is probably right Samaria was the only fortified town in their possession.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And with you are the chariot[s] and the horses. And they have strength to wage war.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.