מלכים ב, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ג

A royal delegation of nobles from Judah makes its way toward Jezreel for a state visit, completely unaware that they are walking directly into a violent political coup. Upon encountering Jehu, the travelers identify themselves as the brothers of Ahaziah, the king of Judah. Commentators agree that these men are not his literal brothers, as Ahaziah's actual siblings had already been killed in previous conflicts. Instead, they are likely his sons [מצודת דוד], or perhaps his nephews, since biblical narrative occasionally uses the term for a brother to describe a nephew [רד״ק, חומת אנך].

The purpose of their journey is multifaceted. They are accompanying Ahaziah on a courtesy visit to the recovering king of Israel, seeking a period of leisure and enjoyment [ביאור שטיינזלץ], while also intending to assist and serve the royal house of Ahab [רד״ק]. Their primary goal is simply to inquire about the welfare of the royal family [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Crucially, these travelers are entirely disconnected from the unfolding rebellion. While they have heard of King Joram's death in battle, they do not know that Jehu has already executed both Ahaziah and Jezebel. This profound lack of information explains why they feel no fear upon meeting Jehu and make no attempt to flee [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, חומת אנך].

The travelers specifically mention that they have come to visit the king's sons. Because the members of the delegation are young men themselves, they feel a natural kinship and desire to connect with the royals of their own age [חומת אנך]. Finally, they note their intention to visit the sons of the queen mother, who is universally understood to be Jezebel. She is noted separately from, and even after, the king's sons because the true honor and political power of the kingdom rest entirely with her. Even during the lifetime of her husband Ahab, she was considered the actual ruler of the kingdom, with the king constantly deferring to her will and acting on her orders [רד״ק].