2 Kings 10:14He said, "Take them alive!" They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn't leave any of them.
The setting
Samaria, Israel ~841 BC. The shearing house of Beth-eked, a place where shepherds gathered to shear sheep, now becomes an execution site...
The emotion here: recording horror with trembling hands
The original word
harag (הָרַג) — to kill, slay; indicates deliberate execution rather than battle death
Why it matters
The 42 victims were princes of Judah, relatives of the apostate king Ahaziah
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 10:14
This massacre happened at a SHEEP-SHEARING house — the irony of slaughter where wool was gathered
Common misconceptionPeople think this proves God endorses violence, but the narrator records these events with grief, not celebration. Even divinely permitted judgment brings sorrow to those who record it.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 10:14
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 10:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 10:14 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include massacre, ruthless elimination. Notable phrases: Take them alive; forty-two men; didn't leave any.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 10:14 mean to you, today?
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