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2 Kings Chapter
Nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 9
In
this chapter we are told that one of the sons of the prophets was sent by
Elisha to anoint Jehu king of Israel, and to order him to smite and destroy the
whole house of Ahab, 2 Kings 9:1, which
being done unto him, and the order received by Jehu, he acquainted his captains
with it, 2 Kings 9:11, who
set out with him immediately to Jezreel, 2 Kings 9:16, where
he slew Joram king of Israel, 2 Kings 9:22, and
Ahaziah king of Judah, 2 Kings 9:27, and
Jezebel, the widow of Ahab, and mother of Joram, 2 Kings 9:30.
2 Kings 9:1 And
Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him,
“Get yourself ready, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth
Gilead.
YLT
1And Elisha the prophet hath
called to one of the sons of the prophets, and saith to him, `Gird up thy
loins, and take this vial of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-Gilead,
And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets,.... Who the
Jews generally sayF11Seder Olam Rabba, c. 18. p. 47. was Jonah the
son of Amittai:
and said, gird up thy loins; his loose and long
garments about his loins, for quicker dispatch in travelling:
and take this box of oil in thine hand; for an use
after directed to:
and go to Ramothgilead; where Joram had left his
army with his captains, to keep the city from the Syrians.
2 Kings 9:2 2 Now when you arrive at
that place, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and
go in and make him rise up from among his associates, and take him to an inner
room.
YLT
2and thou hast gone in
there, and see thou there Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, and thou hast
gone in, and caused him to rise out of the midst of his brethren, and brought
him in to the inner part of an inner-chamber,
And when thou comest thither,.... To Ramothgilead; but
from whence he went is uncertain, doubtless where there was a school of the
prophets, perhaps that which was erected near Jordan, on the other side of
which lay Ramothgilead, 2 Kings 6:1,
look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi; the same that
Elijah was ordered to anoint, but it was deferred till now, a reprieve being
granted to Ahab upon his humiliation, 1 Kings 19:16,
and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren; the captains
of the army:
and carry him into an inner chamber; a chamber within a
chamber, as in the original; this he was to do for secrecy, that it might not
be seen what he did to Jehu; and lest he should be prevented doing it by the
captains, or be exposed to danger for doing it; since that might be deemed
treason to do what he was to do, and did, as follows.
2 Kings 9:3 3 Then take the flask of
oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I have
anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee, and do not
delay.”
YLT
3and taken the vial of oil,
and poured on his head, and said, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for
king unto Israel; and thou hast opened the door, and fled, and dost not wait.'
Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head,.... When in
the chamber together alone:
and say, thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over
Israel; which was done, not with the anointing oil in the temple, which
could not be come by; and with which, as Kimchi from their Rabbins says, only
the kings of the house of David were anointed, and they only when there was a
division, or the crown was translated to another family, as was the case now;
but with common oil, or the oil of balsam, such as the prophet had in his
house:
then open the door and flee, and tarry not; lest he
should be examined by the captains, and come into danger; though before he went
out he was to say what is recorded in 2 Kings 9:7.
2 Kings 9:4 4 So the young man, the
servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.
YLT
4And the young man goeth --
the young man the prophet -- to Ramoth-Gilead,
So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to
Ramothgilead. It is repeated, that it might be observed that it was a young man
that went, who was more fit for this service than Elisha, partly because of his
age, and partly because he would be less known; as also his age is remarked,
this being a bold and daring action in a young man to anoint a new king, as
well as it was honourable; and moreover, he was not only one of the sons of the
prophets, but was a prophet himself, though young, and still a more fit person
for such a service; though the Targum is, a young man, a disciple of the
prophets.
2 Kings 9:5 5 And when he arrived, there
were the captains of the army sitting; and he said, “I have a message
for you, Commander.” Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And he said, “For
you, Commander.”
YLT
5and cometh in, and lo,
chiefs of the force are sitting, and he saith, `I have a word unto thee, O
chief!' and Jehu saith, `Unto which of all of us?' and he saith, `Unto thee, O chief.'
And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting,.... Either at
a table, being at dinner, or at a council of war:
and he said, I have an errand unto thee, O captain; looking and
directing his speech to Jehu; or, "I have a word to thee"F12דבר לי אליך
"verbum mihi ad te", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. ; something to say
to thee, intimating that he desired to speak to him alone:
and Jehu said, unto which of all us? not perhaps at first
thoroughly understanding who he meant; or however was willing to have it
repeated and explained, that it might be manifest to the whole company that he
was intended:
and he said, to thee, O captain; and to him only.
2 Kings 9:6 6 Then he arose and went
into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says
the Lord
God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.
YLT
6And he riseth and cometh in
to the house, and he poureth the oil on his head, and saith to him, `Thus said
Jehovah, God of Israel, I have anointed thee for king unto the people of
Jehovah, unto Israel,
And he arose, and went into the house,.... Into the
inner chamber in it:
and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, thus saith
the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord,
even over Israel; for though they were fallen into idolatry, and from the pure
worship of God, yet the Lord had still a right unto them, and as yet he had not
wrote a "Loammi" Hosea 1:9 upon
them; and there were many among them which had not bowed the knee to Baal.
2 Kings 9:7 7 You shall strike down the
house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets,
and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel.
YLT
7and thou hast smitten the
house of Ahab thy lord, and I have required the blood of My servants the
prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, from the hand of Jezebel;
And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master,.... For Jehu
was one of Ahab's captains, as he was now one of his son's, as appears from 2 Kings 9:25, but
this was to be no objection with him to the destroying of his house, as being
an act of high treason, since he had an order for it from the King of kings,
and Lord of lords; which otherwise would have seemed unlawful and criminal, and
what follows will sufficiently vindicate the justice of God in it:
that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the
blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel; who killed
the prophets of the Lord, and caused to be put to death Naboth the servant of
the Lord, and now their blood was to be avenged on her and her son Joram, and
all her family.
2 Kings 9:8 8 For the whole house of
Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both
bond and free.
YLT
8and perished hath all the
house of Ahab, and I have cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and
restrained, and left, in Israel,
For the whole house of Ahab shall perish,.... Be cut
off by death, and that in a violent manner, not one should escape:
and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall,
and him that is shut up and left in Israel; of these phrases; see
Gill on 1 Kings 14:10, 1 Kings 21:21
2 Kings 9:9 9 So I will make the house
of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of
Baasha the son of Ahijah.
YLT
9and I have given up the
house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and as the house of
Baasha son of Ahijah,
And I will make the house of Ahab, The same is threatened;
see Gill on 1 Kings 21:22.
2 Kings 9:10 10 The dogs shall eat Jezebel
on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury
her.’” And he opened the door and fled.
YLT
10and Jezebel do the dogs eat
in the portion of Jezreel, and there is none burying;' and he openeth the door
and fleeth.
And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel,.... Or in the
field of Jezreel; the Targum is, the inheritance of Jezreel; this is also
threatened, 1 Kings 21:23.
and there shall be none to bury her; or nothing of
her to bury, as Kimchi, all being eaten up but her skull, feet, and the palms
of her hands, see 2 Kings 9:35.
and he opened the door, and fled; that is, the young man
of the sons of the prophets, as soon as he had said the above words, as he was
ordered, lest he should be taken up for a traitor.
2 Kings 9:11 11 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.”
YLT
11And Jehu hath gone out unto
the servants of his lord, and [one] saith to him, `Is there peace? wherefore
came this madman unto thee?' and he saith unto them, `Ye have known the man and
his talk.'
Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord,.... The rest
of the captains of the army, who served under Joram as he did:
and one said unto him, is all well? one of the captains, the
greatest of them, as Kimchi; he inquired whether he brought any ill news, since
he came and went in such haste:
wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? so profane men,
especially the worshippers of Baal, as those captains might be, were wont to
call the prophets of the Lord, because of their habit, their manner of living,
and the gestures they sometimes used in prophesying, and especially because of
the things they prophesied of; and even prophets were sometimes called so,
because, in the time of their prophesying, they appeared as madmenF13David
de Pomis, Lexic. p. 204. 3. , and in a frenzy:
and he said unto them, ye know the man, and his communication; you saw by his
habit of what profession he is, and you may easily guess what he talked of, as
such men usually do, about religion, and one whimsical thing or another,
reproving men for their sins, and telling them what they ought to do; and such
like things you may well imagine he has been talking of to me; you rightly call
him a mad fellow, and you may well suppose his discourse was agreeably to his
character, and not worth relating and hearing; this he said, to put them off
inquiring any further.
2 Kings 9:12 12 And they said, “A lie!
Tell us now.” So he said, “Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the
Lord: “I have
anointed you king over Israel.”’”
YLT
12And they say, `False,
declare, we pray thee, to us;' and he saith, `Thus and thus spake he unto me,
saying, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for king unto Israel.'
And they said, it is false, tell us now,.... They did
not believe he spoke truth, but concealed from them the real matter; which they
concluded to be of some importance, by the hastiness of the messenger, the
privacy between them, the countenance of Jehu, which discovered thoughtfulness
and concern, and the trifling answer he sought to put them off with; all which
increased their curiosity, and made them urgent and importunate to know the
truth of the matter: and he said:
thus and thus spake he to me; such and such words as
above: and particularly
saying, thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel; and no doubt
told them that he poured oil on his head, and anointed him, and he might show
them the oil.
2 Kings 9:13 13 Then each man hastened to
take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they
blew trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king!”
YLT
13And they haste and take
each his garment, and put [it] under him at the top of the stairs, and blow
with a trumpet, and say, `Reigned hath Jehu!'
Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under
him on the top of the stairs,.... That is, under Jehu, that he might be
raised higher, and put on an eminence above them, agreeably to the high rank
and dignity he was raised unto, and which they hereby acknowledged; and that he
might be conspicuous to others: and this was done upon the top of the stairs,
the first and highest of them, which led up either to an upper room, or to a
scaffold erected for this purpose; the Targum is, on the degree of hours, a sun
dial, a stone on which were engraven the twelve hours of the day, and which, by
the sun's shadow on it, it might be known what hour it was; and at, or upon
this stone, they laid their clothes, for Jehu to sit upon; not their wearing
apparel, but carpets, or pieces of tapestry, or such like things:
and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king; and they
might come the more easily into such an acknowledgment of him as such, though
he was anointed by one whom they had just called a mad fellow; being not so
well affected to Ahab's family, and having a great respect for Jehu, the chief
commander of the army, and especially being under a particular influence of the
divine Providence, which moved them to take such a step.
2 Kings 9:14 14 So Jehu the son of
Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had been
defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria.
YLT
14And Jehu son of
Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspireth against Joram -- (and Joram was keeping
in Ramoth-Gilead, he and all Israel, from the presence of Hazael king of Aram,
So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against
Joram,.... He and the captains with him entered into a confederacy to
depose Joram, and set him up as king:
now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of
Hazael king of Syria; having taken it, he left his army in it, under the command of
his captains, of which Jehu was the chief, to keep it from the king of Syria;
which gave Jehu a fairer opportunity, having the army at his command, and at a
distance from Joram, of forming a conspiracy against him.
2 Kings 9:15 15 But King Joram had
returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted
on him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, “If you are so
minded, let no one leave or escape from the city to go and tell it
in Jezreel.”
YLT
15and king Joram turneth back
to be healed in Jezreel, of the wounds with which the Aramaeans smite him, in
his fighting with Hazael king of Aram) -- and Jehu saith, `If it is your mind,
let not an escaped one go out from the city, to go to declare [it] in Jezreel.'
But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel,.... As is
recorded, 2 Kings 8:29 and
here repeated for the reason above given:
and Jehu said, if it be your minds; to engage one and all,
and heartily, in this conspiracy, and to make me king:
then let none go forth nor escape out of the city, to go to tell
it in Jezreel; that so Joram might be surprised unawares, and have no
opportunity either of fleeing or of preparing for his defence.
2 Kings 9:16 16 So Jehu rode in a chariot
and went to Jezreel, for Joram was laid up there; and Ahaziah king of Judah had
come down to see Joram.
YLT
16And Jehu rideth, and goeth
to Jezreel, for Joram is lying there, and Ahaziah king of Judah hath gone down
to see Joram.
So Jehu rode in a chariot,.... In great pomp and
majesty as a king:
and went to Jezreel: set forward on a march
thither with his captains, and part of his army at least, from Ramothgilead;
which, according to BuntingF14Travels, &c. p. 166. , was twenty
four miles:
for Jordan lay there; to be cured of his
wounds, as before observed:
and Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram; see 2 Kings 8:29.
2 Kings 9:17 17 Now a watchman stood on
the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I
see a company of men.” And Joram said, “Get a horseman and send him to meet
them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”
YLT
17And 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?'
And there stood a watchman on the tower of Jezreel,.... Who could
see afar off when an enemy was coming, and his business was to give notice of
it; and especially he was now on his watch tower, because the king was there,
and this was necessary for his safety:
and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a
company; a troop of soldiers, though he did not know who they were, and
to whom they belonged, whether they were Syrians or Israelites; which was
reported to the king:
and Joram said, take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let
him say, is it peace? he might fear some ill had befallen his army at Ramothgilead,
and the Syrians had got the advantage of them; or they had made an irruption
into his country, and were coming to attack him at Jezreel; or there was an
insurrection among his own people.
2 Kings 9:18 18 So the horseman went to
meet him, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said,
“What have you to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.” So the watchman
reported, saying, “The messenger went to them, but is not coming back.”
YLT
18and the rider on the horse
goeth to meet him, and saith, `Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu
saith, `What -- to thee and to peace? turn round behind me.' And the watchman
declareth, saying, `The messenger came unto them, and he hath not returned.'
So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, thus saith
the king, is it peace?.... Are things well in the army, or any disturbance in the
kingdom? are you come as friends or enemies?
and Jehu said, what hast thou to do with peace? or to ask
such a question:
turn thee behind me; which he was obliged to
do, Jehu having such a company of soldiers with him; and this he did, that he
might carry no tidings to Joram, that he might not know as yet who he and his
company were:
and the watchman told, saying, the messenger came to them, but he
cometh not again; of this he sent word to the king what he had observed.
2 Kings 9:19 19 Then he sent out a second
horseman who came to them, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it
peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn around and
follow me.”
YLT
19And he sendeth a second
rider on a horse, and he cometh in unto them, and saith, `Thus said the king,
Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, `What -- to thee and to peace? turn round
behind me.'
Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and
said,.... The same as the first messenger did, and had the same
answer, and was bid to do the same as in the preceding verse.
2 Kings 9:20 20 So the watchman reported,
saying, “He went up to them and is not coming back; and the driving is
like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!”
YLT
20And the watchman declareth,
saying, `He came unto them, and he hath not returned, and the driving [is] like
the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for with madness he driveth.'
And the watchman told, saying, he came even unto them, and cometh
not again,.... Was detained, as the other was:
and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for, coming
nearer, the watchman could discern the manner of his driving:
for he driveth furiously; in great haste, making
much speed, being a man of a very warm and active spirit; and now being eager
to come up with Joram, and seize him unprepared, and ascend the throne; the
Targum is the reverse,
"for
he driveth quietly or slowly,'being desirous of drawing Joram out of the city,
and get him into his hands, and slay him, that he might not have the trouble of
besieging the place, which was able to hold out some time against him; and
besides, he remembered the prophecy of Elisha, that Naboth's blood would be
requited in the field of Jezreel, 2 Kings 9:26, and
therefore was desirous of drawing him out of the city, in order to slay him
there.
2 Kings 9:21 21 Then Joram said, “Make
ready.” And his chariot was made ready. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah
king of Judah went out, each in his chariot; and they went out to meet Jehu,
and met him on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
YLT
21And Jehoram saith,
`Harness;' and his chariot is harnessed, and Jehoram king of Israel goeth out,
and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his chariot, and they go out to meet Jehu,
and find him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
And Joram said, make ready,.... The chariot, put to
the horses; bind them, as the word signifies, to the chariot:
and his chariot was made ready; by his servants immediately:
and Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each
in his chariot; not both in the same chariot, but each in his own, for the sake
of greater magnificence:
and they went out against Jehu; not in an hostile
manner, for they had no notion of him as an enemy; though it is much they had
no suspicion of him by his detaining the messengers; but Joram perhaps thought
he was desirous of delivering his message himself; and in honour to him, and
also being eager to know what it was, went out to meet him:
and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite; which had
been his, and where, or near it, he was stoned, and his blood shed; a very
inauspicious place to meet him in.
2 Kings 9:22 22 Now it happened, when
Joram saw Jehu, that he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” So he answered, “What
peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are
so many?”
YLT
22And it cometh to pass, at
Jehoram's seeing Jehu, that he saith, `Is there peace, Jehu?' and he saith,
`What [is] the peace, while the whoredoms of Jezebel thy mother, and her
witchcrafts, are many?'
And it came to pass, when Joram saw, Jehu, that he said, is it
peace, Jehu?.... Have things gone well at Ramothgilead? art thou come in
triumph from thence? or obliged to fly from the Syrians? or art thou come in a
peaceable, or in an hostile manner to me?
and he answered, what peace; canst thou expect at
home or abroad, from me or others:
so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts
are so many? which may be understood both literally of corporeal whoredom,
and diabolical arts she was addicted to, and figuratively of idolatry, often
called whoredom in Scripture, and of the wicked arts and methods she made use
of to inveigle and entice persons into it; and both these very often went
together; see Nahum 3:4 and of
which Joram was guilty, at least in part; he connived at all in her, and did
not attempt to restrain her, and therefore had no claim to peace, protection,
and safety.
2 Kings 9:23 23 Then Joram turned around
and fled, and said to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
YLT
23And Jehoram turneth his
hands, and fleeth, and saith unto Ahaziah, `Deceit, O Ahaziah!'
And Joram turned his hand, and fled,.... Taking hold of the
horses' reins with it to turn them, or by the motion of it directing the
charioteer to turn them back towards Jezreel, whither he fled:
and said to Ahaziah, there is treachery, O Ahaziah; a conspiracy
formed, and rebellion raised by the captains, at the head of which he supposed
Jehu was.
2 Kings 9:24 24 Now Jehu drew his bow with
full strength and shot Jehoram between his arms; and the arrow came out at his
heart, and he sank down in his chariot.
YLT
24And Jehu hath filled his
hand with a bow, and smiteth Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow goeth out
from his heart, and he boweth down in his chariot.
And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength,.... To give
the arrow all the force he could:
and smote Jehoram between his arms; that is, between his
shoulders, his back being turned to him, and the chariot an open one:
and the arrow went out at his heart: quite through him:
and he sunk down in his chariot; and died immediately.
2 Kings 9:25 25 Then Jehu said to
Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up, and throw him into the tract of
the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when you and I were riding
together behind Ahab his father, that the Lord laid this burden upon
him:
YLT
25And [Jehu] saith unto
Bidkar his captain, `Lift up, cast him into the portion of the field of Naboth
the Jezreelite -- for, remember, I and thou were riding together after Ahab his
father, and Jehovah lifted upon him this burden:
Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain,.... Not
Joram's, but Jehu's captain, though he had been the former's, and his father
Ahab's also:
take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the
Jezreelite; near to which they were:
for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab
his father; either in the same chariot, or on horseback side by side, his
guards or retinue following him two and two:
the Lord laid this burden upon him; this heavy denunciation
of vengeance by Elijah the prophet; and they being together, and pretty near,
heard it, as he might remember, which follows.
2 Kings 9:26 26 ‘Surely I saw yesterday
the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will
repay you in this plot,’ says the Lord. Now therefore, take and
throw him on the plot of ground, according to the word of the Lord.”
YLT
26Have I not the blood of
Naboth and the blood of his sons seen yesternight -- the affirmation of Jehovah
-- yea, I have recompensed to thee in this portion -- the affirmation of
Jehovah; -- and now, lift up, cast him into the portion, according to the word
of Jehovah.'
Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth,.... These are
the words of the Lord to Elijah the day after Naboth was put to death:
and the blood of his sons, said the Lord; who were put
to death with him, that there might be no heirs to the estate:
and I will requite thee in this place: take
vengeance here, as he now did on his son:
now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground,
according to the word of the Lord; whereby it would be
fulfilled, see 1 Kings 21:19, more
is here recited than there, which Jehu well remembered.
2 Kings 9:27 27 But when Ahaziah king of Judah
saw this, he fled by the road to Beth Haggan.[a] So Jehu
pursued him, and said, “Shoot him also in the chariot.” And they shot him
at the Ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. Then he fled to Megiddo, and died
there.
YLT
27And Ahaziah king of Judah
hath seen, and fleeth the way of the garden-house, and Jehu pursueth after him,
and saith, `Smite him -- also him -- in the chariot,' in the going up to Gur,
that [is] Ibleam, and he fleeth to Megiddo, and dieth there,
But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this,.... That
Joram was slain:
he fled by the way of the garden house, which perhaps
stood upon the spot where Naboth's vineyard was, turned into a garden by Ahab:
and Jehu followed after him; as far as Samaria, where
he was hid, 2 Chronicles 22:9,
and said, smite him also in the chariot; this order he
gave to his soldiers, to do to him as he had done to Joram: and they did so:
at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam; a city in the
tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11,
and he fled to Megiddo; after he was wounded;
another city in the same tribe, Joshua 17:11,
and died there; at Megiddo; though some think that from
thence he was had by his servants to Samaria, and there hid, and, being found,
was brought from thence to Jezreel, where he was slain, and died. Jehu was
ordered to destroy the whole house of Ahab, and Ahaziah was of that house by his
mother's side, and walked in the way of it, and was in conjunction with it, and
perished therewith; this, though here recorded, was after the death of Jezebel,
and of the seventy sons of Ahab, and of the brethren of Ahaziah.
2 Kings 9:28 28 And his servants carried
him in the chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in
the City of David.
YLT
28and his servants carry him
in a chariot to Jerusalem, and bury him in his burying-place, with his fathers,
in the city of David.
And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem,.... With the
leave of Jehu, because he was the grandson of Jehoshaphat, a sincere worshipper
of God, 2 Chronicles 22:9,
and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of
David; see 1 Kings 22:50.
2 Kings 9:29 29 In the eleventh year of
Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.
YLT
29And in the eleventh year of
Joram son of Ahab reign did Ahaziah over Judah.
And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to
reign over Judah. In 2 Kings 8:25, it is
said to be in the twelfth year of his reign; it was at the close of the
eleventh, and the beginning of the twelfth; or he began to reign with his
father in the eleventh as here, and in the twelfth as there, when his father
was dead.
2 Kings 9:30 30 Now when Jehu had come to
Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned
her head, and looked through a window.
YLT
30And Jehu cometh in to
Jezreel, and Jezebel hath heard, and putteth her eyes in paint and maketh right
her head, and looketh out through the window.
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it,.... And of
what he had done to Joram:
and she painted her face; or put
"stibium" on her eyes; a sort of paint, to make them look beautiful
perhaps the same with powder of lead ore, the Moors now use to tinge their
eyebrows with, and make them look black, which they reckon graceful; see Gill
on Ezekiel 23:40, this
custom now obtains among the white Indians, who, to heighten the lustre of
their complexion, and render their eyes more languishing, put a little black
about themF14Agreement of Customs between East Indians and Jews,
art. 15. p. 65. :
and tired her head; dressed her head in the most elegant
manner; not with a view to tempt Jehu, which she could not expect, being an
aged woman; but for grandeur and majesty, and in the pride and haughtiness of
her spirit, which she retained to the last, and resolved to keep up and show in
her extremity and calamity:
and looked out at a window; in a bravado, as
fearless of Jehu, and to dash him out of countenance if she could; or she might
hope, by such a graceful and majestic appearance she made, that he would be
moved to spare her life; though this does not so well agree with what follows
as the former.
2 Kings 9:31 31 Then, as Jehu entered at
the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?”
YLT
31And Jehu hath come into the
gate, and she saith, `Was there peace [to] Zimri -- slayer of his lord?'
And as Jehu entered in at the gate,.... Either of the city
of Jezreel, or of the king's palace:
she said, had Zimri peace, who slew his master? Elah the son
of Baasha king of Israel; no, he had not; he reigned but seven days, and, being
besieged, burnt the king's house over him, and died, 1 Kings 16:10,
suggesting that the like would be his fate, who had slain his master Joram; or
the words may be rendered, "O Zimri, the slayer of his master";
calling Jehu so, because of his likeness to Zimri.
2 Kings 9:32 32 And he looked up at the
window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” So two or three
eunuchs looked out at him.
YLT
32And he lifteth up his face
unto the window, and saith, `Who [is] with me? -- who?' and look out unto him
do two [or] three eunuchs;
And he lifted up his face to the window,.... On
hearing the above words:
and said, who is on my side, who? and will assist in
taking vengeance on this haughty, imperious, and abusive woman:
and there looked out to him two or three eunuchs; who used to
wait on her, as such did on women of quality, and attend them in their
bedchambers; these, by their looks, signified they were ready to do any thing
Jehu should direct them, Jezebel having been, perhaps, a very cruel mistress to
them, and so was hated by them; and they might hope, by pleasing Jehu, to be
continued at court in their office.
2 Kings 9:33 33 Then he said, “Throw her
down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the
wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot.
YLT
33And he saith, `Let her go;'
and they let her go, and [some] of her blood is sprinkled on the wall, and on
the horses, and he treadeth her down.
And he said, throw her down,.... Out of the window
upon the ground:
so they threw her down; took her up, and cast
her headlong, as they were bid:
and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall; of the palace
where she was:
and on the horses; which drew the chariot of Jehu:
and he trod her underfoot; with his horses;
according to Kimchi, her sentence, and so her death, was stoning, as a retaliation
of Naboth; for stoning was done two ways, both by casting down persons on
stones, and by casting stones upon them; see Gill on Acts 7:58.
2 Kings 9:34 34 And when he had gone in,
he ate and drank. Then he said, “Go now, see to this accursed woman, and
bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”
YLT
34And he cometh in, and
eateth, and drinketh, and saith, `Look after, I pray you, this cursed one, and
bury her, for she [is] a king's daughter.'
And when he was come in,.... To the palace:
he did eat and drink; to refresh himself after
so long a march, and doing such execution:
and said, go see now this cursed woman; who had been
the means of bringing a curse on Israel through her idolatry, and upon Ahab and
his family, and upon herself, body and soul, being cursed of God and of men:
and bury her; forgetting the prophecy concerning her,
though afterwards he remembered it:
for she is a king's daughter: the daughter of Ethbaal
king of the Zidonians, 1 Kings 16:31 and
therefore, in honour to royal dignity, though a cursed woman, he ordered the
interment of her; or "though" she is the daughter of one of the kings
of the nations of the world, as Kimchi, yet honour must be given to whom it is
due.
2 Kings 9:35 35 So they went to bury her,
but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her
hands.
YLT
35And they go to bury her,
and have not found of her except the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the
hands.
And they went to bury her,.... The servants of
Jehu, according to his orders and instructions:
but they found no more of her than the scull, and the feet, and
the palms of her hands; the flesh, and even all the rest of her bones, being devoured by
dogs, so that there was scarce anything of her to be buried, as in 2 Kings 9:10,
something similar to this happened to Ascletarion, a mathematician, as related
by SuetoniusF15In Vita Domitian. c. 15. .
2 Kings 9:36 36 Therefore they came back
and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He
spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground
at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel;[b]
YLT
36And they turn back, and
declare to him, and he saith, `The word of Jehovah it [is], that He spake by
the hand of this servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel
do the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel,
Wherefore they came again, and told him,.... How
things were, and what only could be found of Jezebel:
and he said, this is the word of the Lord; or the
fulfilment of it:
which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying; as in 1 Kings 21:23.
2 Kings 9:37 37 and the corpse of Jezebel
shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that
they shall not say, “Here lies Jezebel.”’”
YLT
37and the carcase of Jezebel
hath been as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, that they
say not, This [is] Jezebel.'
And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the
field in the portion of Jezreel,.... For upon this spot her carcass fell
when thrown out of the window of the king's palace, and here it was left; for
the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which was in the portion of Jezreel, was
next to the palace, 1 Kings 21:1, there
seems to be some allusion to her name Jezebel, which signifies "where is
dung?"
so that they shall not say, this is Jezebel; there being
nothing left of her to be seen or pointed to, nor any grave nor monument over
it on which was such an inscription, here lies Jezebel; or that might lead
posterity to say, this is Jezebel's grave. Now though the words of this verse
are not recorded elsewhere, as the words of the Lord, by Elijah, yet as Jehu
was present when they were spoken, and within the hearing of them, he now
remembered them, and could repeat them, these circumstances bringing them fresh
to his mind.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)