2 Kings · Chapter 9

V. 1. Ramoth-The kings of Israel and Judah were both absent, and Jehu, as it seems, was left in chief command.

Verse 1. One of the children of the prophets] The Jews say that this was Jonah the prophet, the son of Amittai.

Gird up thy loins] What thou hast to do requires the utmost despatch.

Verse 1. And Elisha the prophet called, &c. — The Prophet Elijah was commanded to anoint Jehu about twelve years before this time; but, because of Ahab’s humiliation, the execution of the judgment pronounced upon him and his family was deferred. The office of anointing Jehu therefore, it seems, was left to be performed by Elisha; who did not go himself, either because he was grown old and unfit for such a journey, or because he was a person too well known to be employed in an affair that required secrecy. Go to Ramoth-gilead — The kings of Israel and Judah were both absent, and Jehu, it is probable, was left commander-in-chief of the king’s army which lay there.

Verse 1. One of the children of the prophets. A young man, fit for the mission, swift of foot: a bruised reed to overthrow a throne stained with the blood of countless martyrs.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

Verses 2, 3. Make him arise up from among his brethren — From the other officers of the army, verse 5. Carry him to an inner chamber — This he orders, partly that the work might not be hindered, and partly for the security of the young prophet’s own person. And say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed &c. — This was not the whole message he was to deliver: but the rest of it is particularly declared verses 7-10, and is to be understood here. “According to the Jews, none of the kings of Israel were anointed but those of the house of David, and these only when there was a question about their succession; as Solomon, they say, needed not have been anointed, had it not been for the faction of Adonijah. But in the case of Jehu, in whom the succession of the kingdom of Israel was to be translated out of the right line of the family of Ahab into another family, which had no right to the kingdom, but merely the appointment of God, there was a necessity for his unction, in order both to convey to him a title, and to invest him in the actual possession of the kingdom.” — Dodd.

2. Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat — Not, of course, of king Jehoshaphat, but of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi. This Jehu had been with Ahab, and had heard, and laid up in his heart, the fearful prediction of Elijah against that monarch when he went to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. 1 Kings 21:18-29. Compare verse 25. But already had he been made known to Elijah as the future king of Israel, and that prophet had been commissioned to anoint him; (1 Kings 19:16;) but the commission was, in the providence of God, transferred to Elisha, who now fulfils it by the hand of one of his disciples. His brethren — His brethren in arms; his fellow-soldiers at Ramoth-gilead. Carry him — Literally, cause him to come in; that is, lead or conduct him. Inner chamber — This significant act is to be done in secret. In like manner Saul and David were first privately anointed.

Verses 2, 3. Make him arise up from among his brethren — From the other officers of the army, verse 5. Carry him to an inner chamber — This he orders, partly that the work might not be hindered, and partly for the security of the young prophet’s own person. And say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed &c. — This was not the whole message he was to deliver: but the rest of it is particularly declared verses 7-10, and is to be understood here. “According to the Jews, none of the kings of Israel were anointed but those of the house of David, and these only when there was a question about their succession; as Solomon, they say, needed not have been anointed, had it not been for the faction of Adonijah. But in the case of Jehu, in whom the succession of the kingdom of Israel was to be translated out of the right line of the family of Ahab into another family, which had no right to the kingdom, but merely the appointment of God, there was a necessity for his unction, in order both to convey to him a title, and to invest him in the actual possession of the kingdom.” — Dodd.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

Verse 4. The young man the prophet] This should be translated, The servant of the prophet; that is, the servant which Elisha now had in place of Gehazi.

Verse 4. So the young man went to Ramoth-gilead — It argued great faith in this young prophet that he undertook so readily the execution of this command. For there was no small danger in anointing a new king, as Elisha himself plainly intimated, when he ordered him to flee away as fast as he could, as soon as he had performed his office.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

Verse 5. Jehu said, Unto which of us all? — It does not appear that Jehu aimed at the government, or that he ever thought of it, but the commission given him was a perfect surprise to him. Some indeed think he had been anointed before by Elijah, but privately, and with an intimation that he must not act till he received further orders, as Samuel anointed David long before he was to come to the throne. But this is not at all probable.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

Verse 6. King over the people of the Lord] This pointed out to Jehu that he was to rule that people according to God’s law; and consequently, that he was to restore the pure worship of the Most High in Israel.

Verse 6. He arose and went into the house — That is, into an inner chamber in the house. And he poured the oil on his head — Thereby giving him, in God’s name both a right to the kingdom and the actual possession of it. The Israelites, it must be observed, were still by right and profession the people of God, though they worshipped other gods with him. And it belonged to him to appoint what ruler he pleased over them; which he now did by his prophet. Without this authority, if Jehu had taken the government upon him, he had been a usurper.

6. Thus saith the Lord — Compare the following words of this prophet with the words of Ahijah in 1 Kings 14:10, 11, and of Elijah, 1 Kings 21:21-24 and the notes on those passages.

V. 7. I may avenge,&c.-That they were idolaters was bad enough: yet that is not mentioned here: the controversy God has with them, is for being persecutors. Nothing fills the measure of the iniquity of any prince so as this doth, nor brings a surer or sorer ruin.

Verse 7. Thou shalt smite the house of Ahab] For their most cruel murders they have forfeited their own lives, according to that immutable law, “HE that sheddeth man’s blood by man shall his blood be shed.” This and the two following verses contain the commission which Jehu received from the Lord against the bloody house of Ahab.

Verse 7. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab — Thou shalt execute my judgment upon them, pronounced long ago. That I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, &c. — That they were idolaters was bad enough, and merited all that was brought upon them; yet this is not mentioned here; but the controversy God has with them is for their being persecutors. Nothing fills up the measure of the iniquity of any prince or people so much as this doth; nor brings a surer or sorer ruin. This was the sin which principally brought on Jerusalem both its first and its final destruction, 2 Chronicles 36:16, and Matthew 23:37, 38. Jezebel’s whoredoms and witchcrafts were not so provoking to God as her persecuting the prophets and other faithful worshippers of God, killing some, and driving the rest into corners and caves, 1 Kings 18:4.

Ver. 7. Thou shalt smite the house of Ahab. Where can we find a charge equal to this in precision, in plenitude, in strength and sublimity? Jehu’s openness and candour gained all the captains over to his cause; for God inspired them with his spirit.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

Verse 8. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish — That is, all his posterity and all his kindred. Jehu, therefore, having received such a charge, is to be considered, in what he afterward did to the house of Ahab, as acting not out of a spirit of revenge, for he had no quarrel with the house of Ahab; but, as the minister of God, who, by his prophet, authorized and enjoined him to do what follows.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

Verse 10. The dogs shall eat Jezebel] How most minutely was this prophecy fulfilled! See 2 Kings 9:33, &c.

Verse 10. In the portion of Jezreel — In that portion of land, in or near the city, which belonged to Naboth. There shall be none to bury her — That is, none shall bury her, or she shall not be buried; for it appears from verse 34, that Jehu gave orders to have her buried, sending out persons for that purpose, but they could only find some small remains of her carcass, the dogs having eaten the rest.

JEHU ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL, 1-13.

We come now to trace the fearful doom of Omri’s dynasty. First the chosen avenger is anointed king and proclaimed such in the army, (1-14.) Then follow, in rapid succession, the deaths of Joram (15-26) and of Ahaziah, (27-29,) and of Jezebel, (30-37;) the slaughter of Ahab’s seventy sons, (chap. 10:1-11,) and of the brethren of Ahaziah, (12-14,) and of the priests and worshippers of Baal, (18-28.) Then follows (in chap. 11) the tragic tale of Athaliah’s fall.

1. Called one of the children of the prophets — Elisha was now, perhaps, too old and infirm to go himself to Ramoth-gilead, or else he deemed it better for some reason to send another in his place. Gird up thy loins — So as to be expeditious in thy mission. This box of oil — Or, flask of oil. See on 1 Samuel 10:1.

V. 11. Mad fellow-They perceived him to be a prophet by his habit, and gestures, and manner of speech. And these prophane soldiers esteemed the prophets mad-men. Those that have no religion, commonly speak of those that are religious with disdain, and look upon them as crack-brained. They said of our Lord, He is beside himself; of St. Paul, that much learning had made him mad. The highest wisdom is thus represented as folly, and they that best understand themselves, as men beside themselves.

Verse 11. Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee?] Was it because he was a holy man of God that he was reputed by a club of irreligious officers to be a madman? In vain do such pretend that they fight for religion, and are the guardians of the public welfare and morals, if they persecute religion and scoff at holy men. But this has been an old custom with all the seed-the sons, of the serpent. As to religious soldiers, they are far to seek, and ill to find, according to the old proverb.

Ye know the man, and his communication.] Ye know that he is a madman, and that his message must be a message of folly. Jehu did not appear willing to tell them what had been done, lest it should promote jealousy and envy.

Verses 11, 12. Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? — What business has he with thee? And why wouldst thou gratify him so far as to retire to converse with him? They perceived him to be a prophet by his air, habit, and manner of speech, as well as by his accosting Jehu so boldly, and so suddenly vanishing when he had done his business. And these profane soldiers accounted the Lord’s prophets madmen, judging their neglect of themselves, and their contempt of temporal wealth and honours, which the wise men of this world so eagerly seek, with their rigid and obscure course of life, to be a kind of infatuation: and considering the holy exercises to which they devoted themselves as the effects of a religious phrensy. Indeed; those that have no religion commonly speak of those that are religious with disdain, and look upon them as crack-brained. They said of our Lord, He is beside himself, and of St. Paul, that much learning had made him mad. The highest wisdom is thus represented as folly, and they that best understand themselves, as persons beside themselves. He said, You know the man, and his communication — You know him to be a prophet: why then do you call him a mad fellow? And, being a prophet, you may guess what his business is with me; that it is to teach me my duty. Thus he thought to have put them off; but they said, It is false — We do not know, and cannot conjecture, what was his errand: but that there is something extraordinary and of great importance in it we plainly perceive, by his calling thee into an inner chamber, by his great expedition, and by his gesture and carriage. Tell us now — His concealing the matter made them the more eager to know it.

11. His lord — King Joram. This mad fellow — [gvm, pual part. of [gv; one who raves, or is frenzied and furious. This was spoken contemptuously of the prophet, though doubtless his hurried manner, his emotional bearing, and sudden departure and flight, gave occasion for the term mad or crazy. Ye know the man, and his communication — That is, ye know him to be mad, and his discourse is according to his wild character. Jehu wished at first to keep the matter to himself, and so avoided answering their question.

Verse 12. They said, It is false] Or, as the Chaldee has it, Thou liest. Or, perhaps, it might be thus understood, “We know he has said nothing but folly and lies, nevertheless, let us hear what he has said.”

Verses 11, 12. Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? — What business has he with thee? And why wouldst thou gratify him so far as to retire to converse with him? They perceived him to be a prophet by his air, habit, and manner of speech, as well as by his accosting Jehu so boldly, and so suddenly vanishing when he had done his business. And these profane soldiers accounted the Lord’s prophets madmen, judging their neglect of themselves, and their contempt of temporal wealth and honours, which the wise men of this world so eagerly seek, with their rigid and obscure course of life, to be a kind of infatuation: and considering the holy exercises to which they devoted themselves as the effects of a religious phrensy. Indeed; those that have no religion commonly speak of those that are religious with disdain, and look upon them as crack-brained. They said of our Lord, He is beside himself, and of St. Paul, that much learning had made him mad. The highest wisdom is thus represented as folly, and they that best understand themselves, as persons beside themselves. He said, You know the man, and his communication — You know him to be a prophet: why then do you call him a mad fellow? And, being a prophet, you may guess what his business is with me; that it is to teach me my duty. Thus he thought to have put them off; but they said, It is false — We do not know, and cannot conjecture, what was his errand: but that there is something extraordinary and of great importance in it we plainly perceive, by his calling thee into an inner chamber, by his great expedition, and by his gesture and carriage. Tell us now — His concealing the matter made them the more eager to know it.

12. False; tell us now — Though they had contemptuously called him a madman, their better nature told them that this was false, and now, as they notice Jehu’s disposition to evade their question, they insist on knowing the prophet’s mission. Thus and thus spake he to me — He at once decides to tell them just that part of the prophet’s discourse and action which referred to his being made king, thinking, possibly, that they might consider that declaration further evidence of his being crazy. Of his commission to destroy the house of Ahab he said nothing.

V. 13. They hasted-God putting it into their hearts thus readily to own him. Under him-Under Jehu. A ceremony used in the eastern parts towards superiors, in token of reverence to his person, that they would not have his feet to touch the ground, and that they put themselves and their concerns under his feet, and into his disposal. The stairs-In some high and eminent place, whence he might be seen and owned by all the soldiers, who were called together upon this great occasion.

Verse 13. Took every man his garment] This was a ceremony by which they acknowledged him as king; and it was by such a ceremony that the multitudes acknowledged Jesus Christ for the Messiah and King of Israel, a little before his passion: see Matthew 21:7, and the note there. The ceremony was expressive: “As we put our garments under his feet, so we place every thing under his authority, and acknowledge ourselves his servants.”

On the top of the stairs] The Chaldee, the rabbins, and several interpreters, understand this of the public sun-dial; which in those ancient times, was formed of steps like stairs, each step serving to indicate, by its shadow, one hour, or such division of time as was commonly used in that country. This dial was, no doubt, in the most public place; and upon the top of it, or on the platform on the top, would be a very proper place to set Jehu, while they blew their trumpets, and proclaimed him king. The Hebrew מעלות maaloth is the same word which is used 2 Kings 20:9-11, to signify the dial of Ahaz; and this was probably the very same dial on which that miracle was afterwards wrought: and this dial, מעלות maaloth, from hl[ alah, to go up, ascend, was most evidently made of steps; the shadows projected on which, by a gnomon, at the different elevations of the sun, would serve to show the popular divisions of time. See Clarke’s notes on “2 Kings 20:9”, &c., and the diagram at the end of that chapter.

Verse 13. Then they hasted — Being well pleased with the thing; partly from the advantage which hereby they expected; partly from that desire of change which is in the nature of most men; and principally by God’s providence inclining their hearts to Jehu. And took every man his garment, and put it under him — In token of great reverence for his person, that they would not have his feet to touch the ground, and that they put themselves and their concerns under his feet and into his disposal. It was a ceremony used in the eastern countries toward superiors: see Matthew 21:7. On the top of the stairs — In some high and eminent place, whence he might be seen and owned by all the soldiers, who were called together on this great occasion. Saying, Jehu is king — They proclaimed him by sound of trumpet to be appointed by God to the kingdom of Israel.

Ver. 13. Every man took his garment, and put it under him. This was an early homage paid to kings, that their feet might not touch the ground. In this manner the multitudes honoured Christ in riding into Jerusalem. The Taheitans still do the same, carrying their king and queen in palanquins.

13. Took every man his garment — This spreading of garments down for sovereigns to tread upon was and is a common custom in the East. Compare Matthew 21:7. It was a public expression of subjection and homage. On the top of the stairs — Literally, On the bone of the steps, that is, on the very steps, or stairway, leading up to the house wherein these warriors were assembled. In their haste to proclaim Jehu king, they did not stop to go and erect a suitable platform and a throne, but used for this purpose the very steps of the house where they were sitting. “The stairs doubtless ran round the inside of the quadrangle of the house, as they do now, for instance, in the ruin called the house of Zaccheus at Jericho, and Jehu sat where they joined the flat platform which formed the top or roof of the house. Thus he was conspicuous against the sky, while the captains were below him in the quadrangle.” — Stanley. Blew with trumpets — A common custom when a new king was proclaimed. Compare 1 Kings 1:39, 40. Jehu is king — “Their readiness in throwing off their allegiance to Jehoram is something remarkable. But it was known that the house of Ahab was in this generation doomed to destruction. This was a thing people were not likely to forget. It was known that Elisha, who had sent this man, was a commissioned prophet, authorized to declare the will of the Lord. And it is probable that the military were dissatisfied with the rule of a house so completely under the influence of one bad woman, and the errors and crimes of which had, first and last, brought so much discredit upon the nation. Add to this, that in the absence of a fixed succession to a throne which so many successful adventurers had already won, loyalty sits but lightly upon the soldiery; and they are very prone to vote a popular commander into the throne when it becomes vacant, or even to make it vacant for him.” — Kitto.

Verse 14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead] The confederate armies appear to have taken this city; but they were obliged to watch their conquests, as they perceived that Hazael was determined to retake it if possible.

Verses 14, 15. So Jehu conspired against Joram — Contrived with the rest of the captains how to destroy Joram: for which they had the fairer opportunity, because he was gone from the army to Jezreel. Now Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — That is, kept a strong garrison there, upon the frontiers of his kingdom, it having been taken by him before this time, although the taking of it be not mentioned. He and all Israel, because of Hazael, &c. — He left an army also there, or in the neighbouring parts, to watch Hazael’s motions; so that Jehu had the army with him which Joram had left, being gone home to Jezreel, ill wounded. Jehu said, Let none go forth out of the city — Or, from the city: that is, from within it, or from before it; from the siege or army; to go tell it in Jezreel — For he knew how necessary secrecy was to the execution of such great designs as he had in hand.

DEATH OF JEHORAM, 14-26.

14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — Rather, was keeping watch in Ramoth-gilead. He had forcibly taken it out of the hands of the Syrians, and now had all the army there to guard it lest it should be retaken by Hazael. The king himself, as we have already seen, (2 Kings 8:28,) had been wounded during the siege by the Syrian archers, but after having taken it, he left it in charge of the army under command of Jehu, and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds.

Verses 14, 15. So Jehu conspired against Joram — Contrived with the rest of the captains how to destroy Joram: for which they had the fairer opportunity, because he was gone from the army to Jezreel. Now Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — That is, kept a strong garrison there, upon the frontiers of his kingdom, it having been taken by him before this time, although the taking of it be not mentioned. He and all Israel, because of Hazael, &c. — He left an army also there, or in the neighbouring parts, to watch Hazael’s motions; so that Jehu had the army with him which Joram had left, being gone home to Jezreel, ill wounded. Jehu said, Let none go forth out of the city — Or, from the city: that is, from within it, or from before it; from the siege or army; to go tell it in Jezreel — For he knew how necessary secrecy was to the execution of such great designs as he had in hand.

15. Let none go forth — Here we observe Jehu’s prompt and decisive action which had so much to do with his success. He would take Joram by surprise, and be himself the first messenger to announce his fall.

Verse 16. Jehu-went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there.] From the preceding verse we learn, that Joram had been wounded in his attack on Ramoth-gilead, and had gone to Jezreel to be cured; and neither he nor Ahaziah knew any thing of the conspiracy in Ramoth-gilead, because Jehu and his captains took care to prevent any person from leaving the city; so that the two kings at Jezreel knew nothing of what had taken place.

DEATH OF JEHORAM, 14-26.

14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — Rather, was keeping watch in Ramoth-gilead. He had forcibly taken it out of the hands of the Syrians, and now had all the army there to guard it lest it should be retaken by Hazael. The king himself, as we have already seen, (2 Kings 8:28,) had been wounded during the siege by the Syrian archers, but after having taken it, he left it in charge of the army under command of Jehu, and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds.

Verse 17. A watchman on the tower] These watchmen, fixed on elevated places and generally within hearing of each other, served as a kind of telegraphs, to communicate intelligence through the whole country. But, in some cases, it appears that the intelligence was conveyed by a horseman to the next stage, as in the case before us. At this time, when the armies were at Ramoth-gilead, they were, no doubt, doubly watchful to observe the state of the country, and to notice every movement. See on 2 Samuel 13:34.

Verses 17, 18. There stood a watchmen on the tower — For watchmen were set on high places in time of peace as well as war wherever the king was, that he might not be surprised. Let him say, Is it peace? — Inquire who it is that comes, and if he comes on peaceable terms. For he feared lest either the Syrians had prevailed at Ramoth-gilead, or some sedition or rebellion was raised against him, which the example of Libnah, and his own guilty conscience, made him fear. Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? — It is not to thee, but to him that sent thee, that I will give answer. Turn thee behind me — Join thyself to my followers, if thou wishest for safety. This order he did not dare to disobey, seeing such a company of soldiers with Jehu.

17. A watchman on the tower — “There was usually in ancient times a watchtower over the royal residence, where a man was always stationed, night and day, to keep a good look out in all directions, but especially in that direction from which any sort of tidings could be expected. What he beheld, which he deemed of any consequence, he declared below in the courts of the palace. In the present case the frequency of reports from the seat of war, and the king’s anxiety for intelligence, naturally kept the attention of the watchman much in that direction.” — Kitto. Dr. Robinson, describing the modern village of Jezreel, mentions “a square tower of some height, partly in ruins, from the several windows of which we enjoyed a splendid view of the adjacent country in all directions.” I see a company — A vast multitude. Jehu had not come alone; probably a large part of the army followed him. Take a horseman — Jehu’s company were yet a great way off, and the position of Jezreel — the modern Zerin — (see note on 1 Kings 18:45,) commanded a wide view both to the east and west. Jehu and his company must have approached Jezreel from the east, through the deep broad valley of the Wady Jalud. From the heights of Jezreel one can see the acropolis of Beth-shean, some ten miles down this valley, and also the mountains beyond the Jordan.

Verse 18. What hast thou to do with peace?] “What is it to thee whether there be peace or war? Join my company, and fall into the rear.”

Verses 17, 18. There stood a watchmen on the tower — For watchmen were set on high places in time of peace as well as war wherever the king was, that he might not be surprised. Let him say, Is it peace? — Inquire who it is that comes, and if he comes on peaceable terms. For he feared lest either the Syrians had prevailed at Ramoth-gilead, or some sedition or rebellion was raised against him, which the example of Libnah, and his own guilty conscience, made him fear. Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? — It is not to thee, but to him that sent thee, that I will give answer. Turn thee behind me — Join thyself to my followers, if thou wishest for safety. This order he did not dare to disobey, seeing such a company of soldiers with Jehu.

18. What hast thou to do with peace — The supercilious language of a conqueror who is perfect master of the situation, and can dictate the course to be pursued.

DEATH OF JEHORAM, 14-26.

14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — Rather, was keeping watch in Ramoth-gilead. He had forcibly taken it out of the hands of the Syrians, and now had all the army there to guard it lest it should be retaken by Hazael. The king himself, as we have already seen, (2 Kings 8:28,) had been wounded during the siege by the Syrian archers, but after having taken it, he left it in charge of the army under command of Jehu, and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds.

Verse 20. He driveth furiously] Jehu was a bold, daring, prompt, and precipitate general. In his various military operations he had established his character; and now it was almost proverbial.

20. He driveth furiously — Or, as the margin, in madness. Stanley suggests that in the Syrian and other wars of that age, when chariots and horses were so much in use, Jehu had acquired a skill and fierceness in his practice which astonished all, and made him known through the whole army and country as the mighty warrior who drove his horses like a madman.

V. 21. Portion of Naboth-The very sight of that ground was enough to make Jehu triumph and Joram tremble. The circumstances of events are sometimes so ordered by Divine providence, as to make the punishment answer the sin, as face answers face in a glass.

Verse 21. Joram-and Ahaziah-went out] They had no suspicion of what was done at Ramoth-gilead; else they would not have ventured their persons as they now did.

Verse 21. They went out against him — Or rather, to meet him, that they might know his intention, and, by their presence, repress any seditious inclinations which might be in Jehu or his followers. And met him in the portion of Naboth — The very sight of that ground was enough to make Jehu triumph, and Joram tremble. The circumstances of events are sometimes so ordered by Divine Providence as to make the punishment answer the sin, as face answers face in a glass.

21. Met him in the portion of Naboth — Fatal spot for the son of Ahab, for long before there had gone forth the oracle, that in that spot the dogs should lick his blood. 1 Kings 21:19, 29.

V. 22. Whoredoms, &c.-This may be understood, either literally; spiritual whoredom, which is idolatry, being often punished with corporal: and witchcraft was often practised by idolaters: or spiritually, of her idolatry, which is often called whoredom, because it is a departing from God, to whom we are tied by many obligations; and witchcraft, because it doth so powerfully bewitch men’s minds; and because it is a manifest entering into covenant with the devil. He mentions not Joram’s, but his mother’s sins; because they were more notorious and infamous: and because they were the principal cause why God inflicted, and he was come to execute these judgments. The way of sin can never be the way of peace.

Verse 22. What peace, so long as the whoredoms] Though the words whoredom, adultery, and fornication, are frequently used to express idolatry, and false religion, in general; yet here they may be safely taken in their common and most obvious sense, as there is much reason to believe that Jezebel was the patroness and supporter of a very impure system of religion; and to this Jehu might refer, rather than to the calf-worship, to which himself was most favourably disposed.

Verse 22. Is it peace, Jehu? — Dost thou come to me with a peaceable mind, or in a way of hostility? For now, when it was too late, he began to suspect some treachery, God hiding it from him before, in order to his destruction. And he answered, What peace, &c.? — What cause hast thou to expect peace, when thou hast so long abetted, and dost still abet, thy mother in her abominable practices? So long as the whoredoms, &c. — This may be understood, either literally or spiritually; spiritual whoredom, which is idolatry, being often punished with corporal, and witchcraft being often practised by idolaters; or rather, spiritually, of her idolatry, which is often called whoredom, because it is a departing from God, to whom we are tied by many obligations; and witchcraft, because it doth so powerfully bewitch men’s minds; and because it is a manifest entering into covenant with the devil. He mentions not Joram’s, but his mother’s sins, because they were more notorious and infamous; and because they were the principal cause why God inflicted, and he was come to execute these judgments. The way of sin can never be the way of peace.

22. The whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel — Her idolatry, both spiritual and carnal. She was in fact the impersonation of many forms of wickedness. Idolatry and witchcraft naturally go together, and in the worship of the female deity Asherah, to which Jezebel was particularly attached, (1 Kings 18:19,) there were the most impure practices and licentious rites, which might well be called whoredoms.

Verse 23. There is treachery, O Ahaziah.] This was the first intimation he had of it: he feels for the safety of his friend Ahaziah, and now they fly for their lives.

Verses 23, 24. Joram turned his hands — Or the reins of his chariot; and said, There is treachery, O Ahaziah — Jehu is our enemy: it is time for us to shift for our safety. Jehu drew a bow and smote Jehoram between his arms — Or shoulders, when he was turned or turning back, the chariot being probably open behind, as many times they were. The arrow went out at his heart — It was one of God’s arrows, which he ordained against the persecutor, and it killed him on the spot. Cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth — He died a criminal under the sentence of God, which Jehu, the executioner thereof, pursues in the disposal of the dead body. When I and thou rode together after Ahab, &c. — Probably when Ahab went in his chariot, attended with his nobles or chief officers, of which these were two, to take a formal and solemn possession of Naboth’s land: for then the Prophet Elijah met him, and denounced this judgment against him, (1 Kings 21:17-21,) which was extended to his son. The Lord laid this burden upon him — This predicted punishment: prophecies of calamities to come upon individuals or nations are frequently termed burdens in the Scriptures.

DEATH OF JEHORAM, 14-26.

14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — Rather, was keeping watch in Ramoth-gilead. He had forcibly taken it out of the hands of the Syrians, and now had all the army there to guard it lest it should be retaken by Hazael. The king himself, as we have already seen, (2 Kings 8:28,) had been wounded during the siege by the Syrian archers, but after having taken it, he left it in charge of the army under command of Jehu, and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds.

V. 24. The arrow-It was one of God’s arrows, which he ordained against the persecutor.

Verse 24. Drew a bow with his full strength] The marginal reading is correct: He filled his hand with a bow. That is, “He immediately took up his bow, set his arrow, and let fly.” This is the only meaning of the passage. Between his arms] That is, between his shoulders; for he was now turned, and was flying from Jehu.

Verses 23, 24. Joram turned his hands — Or the reins of his chariot; and said, There is treachery, O Ahaziah — Jehu is our enemy: it is time for us to shift for our safety. Jehu drew a bow and smote Jehoram between his arms — Or shoulders, when he was turned or turning back, the chariot being probably open behind, as many times they were. The arrow went out at his heart — It was one of God’s arrows, which he ordained against the persecutor, and it killed him on the spot. Cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth — He died a criminal under the sentence of God, which Jehu, the executioner thereof, pursues in the disposal of the dead body. When I and thou rode together after Ahab, &c. — Probably when Ahab went in his chariot, attended with his nobles or chief officers, of which these were two, to take a formal and solemn possession of Naboth’s land: for then the Prophet Elijah met him, and denounced this judgment against him, (1 Kings 21:17-21,) which was extended to his son. The Lord laid this burden upon him — This predicted punishment: prophecies of calamities to come upon individuals or nations are frequently termed burdens in the Scriptures.

DEATH OF JEHORAM, 14-26.

14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — Rather, was keeping watch in Ramoth-gilead. He had forcibly taken it out of the hands of the Syrians, and now had all the army there to guard it lest it should be retaken by Hazael. The king himself, as we have already seen, (2 Kings 8:28,) had been wounded during the siege by the Syrian archers, but after having taken it, he left it in charge of the army under command of Jehu, and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds.

Verse 25. Cast him in the portion of the field] This was predicted, 1 Kings 21; and what now happened to the son of Ahab is foretold in 1 Kings 21:29 of that chapter.

25. For remember — Jehu remembers, and in substance repeats, the word of the Lord by Elijah, (1 Kings 21:19, 29,) and, conscious that he himself is the minister of judgment, he fulfils the word of the Lord. “This,” says Kitto, “completes the first act of this awful tragedy, which reads like the old Greek dramas — but far less old than this — of accomplished fate. The appointed executer of the doom was himself the witness of its being imposed. All is complete.” Laid this burden upon him — This burden of judgment; that is, pronounced upon him this doom.

Verse 26. The blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons] We are not informed in 1 Kings 21 that any of Naboth’s family was slain but himself: but as the object both of Ahab and Jezebel was to have Naboth’s vineyard entirely, and for ever, it is not likely that they would leave any of his posterity, who might at a future time reclaim it as their inheritance. Again, to secure this point, Jezebel had Naboth convicted of treason and atheism; in order that his whole family might be involved in his ruin.

Verse 26. And the blood of his sons — Who, many commentators have thought, were killed by their father, by Jezebel’s advice, to make the possession of the vineyard more sure to Ahab. Some however, are of opinion, as we have no account in the history of Naboth, (1 Kings 21.,) that his sons were killed with him, that Jehu does not here repeat the exact words of God by Elijah, but exaggerates the matter, and represents the sons as slain with their father, because, by their being deprived of him and of his estate, they were, in a manner, in as bad a condition as though they had been destroyed. I will requite thee in this plat — That very piece of ground, which Ahab, with so much pride and pleasure, had made himself master of, at the expense of the guilt of innocent blood, now became the theatre on which his son’s dead body lay unburied and exposed, a spectacle to the world, and a prey to the dogs or fowls, according to the prediction, 1 Kings 21:19. Thus the Lord is known by the judgments which he executeth. The son justly deserved the punishment due to the father, because he gave his approbation to the deed of his father, by continuing to keep possession of Naboth’s vineyard, and taking no care to repair the injury done to Naboth and his family by the false accusation which had been preferred against him.

DEATH OF JEHORAM, 14-26.

14. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead — Rather, was keeping watch in Ramoth-gilead. He had forcibly taken it out of the hands of the Syrians, and now had all the army there to guard it lest it should be retaken by Hazael. The king himself, as we have already seen, (2 Kings 8:28,) had been wounded during the siege by the Syrian archers, but after having taken it, he left it in charge of the army under command of Jehu, and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds.

V. 27. He died-The history is briefly and imperfectly described here, and the defects supplied in (the book of Chronicles, is great part written for that end, to supply things omitted in the book of Kings) out of both it may be thus compleated: he fled first to Megiddo, and thence to Samaria, where he was caught, and thence brought to Jehu, and by his sentence was put to death at Megiddo.

Verse 27. Fled by the way of the garden] The account of the death of Ahaziah, as given in 2 Chronicles 22:8, 9, is very different from that given here: When Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab-he sought Ahaziah; and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu; and when they had slain him, they buried him. “The current of the story at large is this,” says Dr. Lightfoot: “Jehu slayeth Joram in the field of Jezreel, as Ahaziah and Joram were together; Ahaziah, seeing this, flees, and gets into Samaria, and hides himself there. Jehu marcheth to Jezreel, and makes Jezebel dogs’ meat: from thence he sends to Samaria for the heads of Ahab’s children and posterity: which are brought him by night, and showed to the people in the morning. Then he marcheth to Samaria, and by the way slayeth forty-two of Ahab’s kinsmen; and findeth Jehonadab, the father of the Rechabites. Coming into Samaria, he maketh search for Ahaziah: they find him hid, bring him to Jehu, and he commands to carry him up towards Gur, by Ibleam, and there to slay him. It may be, his father Joram had slain his brethren there, as Ahab had done Naboth, in Jezreel. They do so; smite him there in his chariot; and his charioteer driveth away to Megiddo before he dies. The story in the book of Kings is short: but the book of Chronicles shows the order.” Lightfoot’s Works, vol. i., p. 88.

Verses 27, 28. He fled by the way of the garden-house — By some secret way, hoping to escape while they were busy about Joram. Jehu said, Smite him also — As you have done Joram, for he also is of the house of Ahab, chap. 8:18. And they did so — They wounded him, but not mortally; being the more remiss in executing Jehu’s sentence against him, either because they were not so much concerned in his, as in Joram’s death; or because they had some regard for him for Jehoshaphat’s sake. He fled to Megiddo, and died there — The account of his death is briefly and imperfectly given here, and the defects are supplied in the book of Chronicles, (which was in a great part written to supply things omitted in the book of Kings,) and out of both, the history may be thus completed. He fled first to Megiddo, and thence to Samaria, where he was taken, and thence brought to Jehu, and by his sentence was put to death at Megiddo. And his servants carried him to Jerusalem, &c. — Which they did, by Jehu’s permission, out of respect to Jehoshaphat’s memory, 2 Chronicles 22:9.

Ver. 27. When Ahaziah, king of Judah saw this, he fled. Thus he and all his guards perished in a bad cause, the result of that most imprudent and tragic marriage with Jezebel’s daughter.

DEATH OF AHAZIAH, 27-29.

27. Fled by the way of the garden house — That is, according to some, the summerhouse, built for purposes of rest or shade in the royal garden into which Naboth’s vineyard had been converted. 1 Kings 21:2. But house of the garden is a literal translation of the original word Beth-haggan, and it seems better, in view of what 2 Chronicles 22:9 relates of the flight of Ahaziah to Samaria, to understand it, with the Septuagint, as the name of a place between Jezreel and Samaria. A few miles south of Jezreel is Engannim, the modern Jenin, with which Beth-haggan is probably to be identified. It is still a place of gardens and abundant water, whence, doubtless, it received its names. Jehu followed after him — To this 2 Chronicles 22:9, adds: “And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, for he was hid in Samaria, and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him.” Here, it will be noticed, the author of Chronicles does not say where or how he was slain and buried, and this the book of Kings supplies. So we should understand that Ahaziah first fled by the way of Beth-haggan to Samaria, and there hid himself, but was followed by Jehu and his men, and discovered, and brought forth from his hiding-place into the presence of Jehu. It would seem that Jehu himself did not follow all the way to Samaria, but his men continued the pursuit, and when they had captured Ahaziah they brought him back to Jez-reel. Then Jehu said: Smite him also in the chariot at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. These words should thus be connected together, and not separated, as in the English version, with the addition, and they did so. Ibleam was a town allotted to the tribe of Manasseh, (Judges 1:27,) though it seems to have been located in the territory of Issachar or Asher. Joshua 17:11. Its exact position is unknown, but it lay probably not far from Megiddo, and between it and Jezreel. The going up to Gur was some well-known eminence near by it, and it was perhaps from some evil association of Ahaziah or his kindred with that spot that Jehu wished him to be slain there. Fled to Megiddo, and died there — The arrows of Jehu’s archers did not prove instantly fatal, and the wounded king seized an opportunity for escape, and fled in his chariot as far as Megiddo, where he expired. According to Josephus he left his chariot, and fled on horseback to Megiddo. Megiddo, the modern el-Lejjun, was about six miles west of Jezreel. See on Joshua 12:21.

Verses 27, 28. He fled by the way of the garden-house — By some secret way, hoping to escape while they were busy about Joram. Jehu said, Smite him also — As you have done Joram, for he also is of the house of Ahab, chap. 8:18. And they did so — They wounded him, but not mortally; being the more remiss in executing Jehu’s sentence against him, either because they were not so much concerned in his, as in Joram’s death; or because they had some regard for him for Jehoshaphat’s sake. He fled to Megiddo, and died there — The account of his death is briefly and imperfectly given here, and the defects are supplied in the book of Chronicles, (which was in a great part written to supply things omitted in the book of Kings,) and out of both, the history may be thus completed. He fled first to Megiddo, and thence to Samaria, where he was taken, and thence brought to Jehu, and by his sentence was put to death at Megiddo. And his servants carried him to Jerusalem, &c. — Which they did, by Jehu’s permission, out of respect to Jehoshaphat’s memory, 2 Chronicles 22:9.

28. Buried him… with his fathers — Out of respect for the memory of his father, the pious Jehoshaphat. Compare 2 Chronicles 22:9.

Verse 29. In the eleventh year of Joram] The note in our margin contains as good an account of this chronological difficulty as can be reasonably required: Then he began to reign as viceroy to his father in his sickness; 2 Chronicles 21:18, 19. But in Joram’s twelfth year he began to reign alone; 2 Kings 8:26.

29. In the eleventh year of Joram — But 2 Kings 8:25, says, the twelfth year of Joram. “This difference of dates probably arose from a different computation of the beginning of the years of his reign.” — Keil.

Verse 30. She painted her face, and tired her head] She endeavoured to improve the appearance of her complexion by paint, and the general effect of her countenance by a tiara or turban head-dress. Jonathan, the Chaldee Targumist, so often quoted, translates this ahny[ adydxb tljkw vechachalath bitsdida eynaha: “She stained her eyes with stibium or antimony.” This is a custom in Astatic countries to the present day. From a late traveller in Persia, I borrow the following account:— “The Persians differ as much from us in their notions of beauty as they do in those of taste. A large soft, and languishing black eye, with them constitutes the perfection of beauty. It is chiefly on this account that the women use the powder of antimony, which, although it adds to the vivacity of the eye, throws a kind of voluptuous languor over it, which makes it appear, (if I may use the expression,) dissolving in bliss. The Persian women have a curious custom of making their eye-brows meet; and if this charm be denied them, they paint the forehead with a kind of preparation made for that purpose.” E. S. Waring’s Tour to Sheeraz, 4to., 1807, page 62.

This casts light enough on Jezebel’s painting, &c., and shows sufficiently with what design she did it, to conquer and disarm Jehu, and induce him to take her for wife, as Jarchi supposes. This staining of the eye with stibium and painting was a universal custom, not only in Asiatic countries, but also in all those that bordered on them, or had connections with them. The Prophet Ezekiel mentions the painting of the eyes, Ezekiel 23:40. That the Romans painted their eyes we have the most positive evidence. Pliny says, Tanta est decoris affectatio, ut tinguantur oculi quoque. Hist. Nat. lib. xi., cap. 37. “Such is their affection of ornament, that they paint their eyes also.” That this painting was with stibium or antimony, is plain from these words of St. Cyprian, Deuteronomy Opere et Eleemosynis, Inunge aculos tuos non stibio diaboli, sed collyrio Christi, “Anoint your eyes, not with the devil’s antimony, but with the eye-salve of Christ.” Juvenal is plain on the same subject. Men as well as women in Rome practiced it:—

Ille supercilium madida fuligine tactum

Obliqua producit acu pingitque trementes

Attollens oculos.

SAT. ii., ver. 93.

“With sooty moisture one his eye-brows dyes,

And with a bodkin paints his trembling eyes.”

The manner in which the women in Barbary do it Dr. Russel particularly describes:-“Upon the principle of strengthening the sight, as well as an ornament, it is become a general practice among the women to black the middle of their eye-lids by applying a powder called ismed. Their method of doing it is by a cylindrical piece of silver, steel, or ivory, about two inches long, made very smooth, and about the size of a common probe. This they wet with water, in order that the powder may stick to it, and applying the middle part horizontally to the eye, they shut the eye-lids upon it, and so drawing it through between them, it blacks the inside, leaving a narrow black rim all round the edge. This is sometimes practiced by the men, but is then regarded as foppish.” RUSSEL’S Nat. Hist. of Aleppo, page 102. See Parkhurst, sub voc. Ëp

Verse 30. Jezebel heard of it, &c. — She had heard that Jehu had slain her son, and slain him for her murders, idolatries, and other crimes, and thrown his dead body into the portion of Naboth, according to the word of the Lord; and now she learned he was come to Jezreel, where she could not but dread falling herself next a sacrifice to his revenging sword. Here we see how she meets her fate. She painted her face — Rendered in the margin, put her eyes in painting. The word Ëwp, puch, translated painting, signifies a mineral substance, stibium, otherwise called plumbago, or black-lead, a kind of ochre of very fine and loose parts. The word occurs again, Jeremiah 4:30, and both there and here is mentioned as somewhat with which women coloured their eyes. It made them look black, and also larger, by dilating their eye-brows; both which circumstances were thought to give them additional beauty. At this day the women, in many parts of the East, tinge their eyes with black to heighten their beauty. And tired her head — That is, dressed and adorned it, as the word bcyt, theteb, here used, signifies. These things she did, hoping that, by her majestic dress and demeanour, she should strike Jehu and his followers with such awe, that they would be intimidated, and thereby prevented from offering her any personal injury; or rather, because, perceiving her case to be desperate, and that she would not be suffered to live, she was resolved to die with honour and gallantry. And looked out at a window — She placed herself at a window at the entering of the gate of the king’s palace, to affront Jehu, and set him at defiance.

THE FATE OF JEZEBEL, 30-37.

The tidings of the revolution under Jehu, and of the death of Joram, spread with the greatest rapidity throughout Jezreel, and quickly reached the ears of the haughty Jezebel. One would suppose that on hearing it she would have trembled with terror, and gone to hide herself in some dark recess of the palace. But her fierce, masculine, vindictive spirit asserts its pre-eminence to the very last; and if she too, has to perish with the rest of Ahab’s house, she resolves to die the regal mistress she has lived.

30. Painted her face — Better, set her eyes in paint. “The paint used by the Hebrew women was a powder producing a black colour; it was commonly prepared either from antimony, or from lead ore and zinc, which they mixed with water, and spread by means of a needle or probe of silver or ivory upon the borders of the eyelids, so that the white of the eye might appear still whiter by being surrounded with a black margin.” — Gesenius. “This,” says Kitto, “is considered to add greatly to the brilliancy and power of the eye, and to deepen the effect of the long black eyelashes of which the Easterns are excusably proud. The ancient Egyptians practised this long before the date of the present transaction. Figures of painted eyes appear in the monuments, and the implements used in the operation have been actually found in the tombs, with some of the composition remaining in the vessels.” Tired her head — Adorned her head and hair with a queenly headdress. Looked out at a window — Some have thought her object, in thus arraying her person in splendid attire, was to captivate Jehu by her charms, and lead him, after the manner of Eastern usurpers, to take her for his wife. But her scornful words to him in the next verse accord not with this thought. She rather looked out of the window, arrayed in royal attire, to bid defiance to her enemy.

V. 31. Had Zimri-Remember thy brother traitor Zimri had but a very short enjoyment of the benefit of his treason.

Verse 31. Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?] Jarchi paraphrases this place thus: “If thou hast slain thy master, it is no new thing; for Zimri also slew Elah, the son of Baasha;” which words were rather intended to conciliate than to provoke. But the words are understood by most of the versions thus: Health to Zimri, the slayer of his master!

Verse 31. Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? — Remember that thy brother traitor, Zimri, had but a very short enjoyment of the benefit of his treason, and was speedily and severely punished for it by my grand-father Omri, (see the margin,) and expect thou the same treatment from some of my posterity. She took no notice of the hand of God gone out against her family, but flew in the face of him who was only a sword in that hand. Thus men are very apt, when they are in trouble, to break out into passion against the instruments of their trouble, when they ought to be submissive to God, and angry at themselves only. The cases of Zimri and Jehu were not at all parallel. Zimri, who had come to the throne by blood and treachery, and who, within seven days, was constrained to burn the palace over his head, and himself in it, had no warrant for assuming the government, but was incited to do it purely by his own ambition and cruelty; whereas Jehu was anointed to be king at the express command of God, given to Elijah, (1 Kings 19:16,) and in all he did against the house of Ahab, acted by divine direction. In comparing persons and things, we must carefully distinguish between the precious and the vile; and take heed, lest in the fate of sinful men we read the doom of useful men.

31. Jehu entered in at the gate — Or rather, as the context shows, came up to the gate; that is, the gate of the palace leading into the enclosed court of the palace beyond. This gate seems to have been the royal entrance into the city of Jezreel, so that the palace was at this point built against the outer wall of the city, and to the window over the gate Jezebel had come, in order to look and speak defiance to the approaching destroyer. Had Zimri peace, who slew his master — This is her last glory, to remind her enemy of the fate of one who had, like him, usurped the royal power, and killed his king, and, as Kitto says, “to cast one bitter, burning word upon the head of the destroyer, such as should haunt and scorch him all his life.”

Verses 32, 33. He said, Who is on my side? — He had been called out by God to the work of punishing those who had corrupted the land, and he here calls out for assistance in doing it. And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs — Or chamberlains, for such used to attend upon queens in their chambers. “And by their great fidelity and obsequiousness, they generally gained the esteem, and were admitted to the confidence, of those they served; and so, very often, into places of great trust and profit. It is remarkable, however, of Jezebel’s eunuchs, that they were far from being faithful to her; to let us see how suddenly courtiers are wont to change with the fortune of their masters.” He said, Throw her down. So they threw her down — Being mercenary creatures, they quickly comply with Jehu’s command, sacrificing her life to save their own. “Thus, as she had done, so she suffered. She had commanded Naboth to be stoned, and now she is stoned herself: for there were two ways of stoning among the Hebrews, either by throwing stones at malefactors till they were knocked down and killed, or by throwing them down from a high place, and so dashing them to pieces.” — Dodd, who refers to Patrick and Calmet on the punishments of the Jews. And he trode her under foot — Houbigant renders it, they, that is, the horses, trod her under foot, after she had been dashed against the wall and pavement, which, with the horses, were besmeared with her blood.

THE FATE OF JEZEBEL, 30-37.

The tidings of the revolution under Jehu, and of the death of Joram, spread with the greatest rapidity throughout Jezreel, and quickly reached the ears of the haughty Jezebel. One would suppose that on hearing it she would have trembled with terror, and gone to hide herself in some dark recess of the palace. But her fierce, masculine, vindictive spirit asserts its pre-eminence to the very last; and if she too, has to perish with the rest of Ahab’s house, she resolves to die the regal mistress she has lived.

30. Painted her face — Better, set her eyes in paint. “The paint used by the Hebrew women was a powder producing a black colour; it was commonly prepared either from antimony, or from lead ore and zinc, which they mixed with water, and spread by means of a needle or probe of silver or ivory upon the borders of the eyelids, so that the white of the eye might appear still whiter by being surrounded with a black margin.” — Gesenius. “This,” says Kitto, “is considered to add greatly to the brilliancy and power of the eye, and to deepen the effect of the long black eyelashes of which the Easterns are excusably proud. The ancient Egyptians practised this long before the date of the present transaction. Figures of painted eyes appear in the monuments, and the implements used in the operation have been actually found in the tombs, with some of the composition remaining in the vessels.” Tired her head — Adorned her head and hair with a queenly headdress. Looked out at a window — Some have thought her object, in thus arraying her person in splendid attire, was to captivate Jehu by her charms, and lead him, after the manner of Eastern usurpers, to take her for his wife. But her scornful words to him in the next verse accord not with this thought. She rather looked out of the window, arrayed in royal attire, to bid defiance to her enemy.

Verse 33. So they threw her down] What a terrible death! She was already, by the fall, almost dashed to pieces; and the brutal Jehu trampled her already mangled body under his horse’s feet!

Verses 32, 33. He said, Who is on my side? — He had been called out by God to the work of punishing those who had corrupted the land, and he here calls out for assistance in doing it. And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs — Or chamberlains, for such used to attend upon queens in their chambers. “And by their great fidelity and obsequiousness, they generally gained the esteem, and were admitted to the confidence, of those they served; and so, very often, into places of great trust and profit. It is remarkable, however, of Jezebel’s eunuchs, that they were far from being faithful to her; to let us see how suddenly courtiers are wont to change with the fortune of their masters.” He said, Throw her down. So they threw her down — Being mercenary creatures, they quickly comply with Jehu’s command, sacrificing her life to save their own. “Thus, as she had done, so she suffered. She had commanded Naboth to be stoned, and now she is stoned herself: for there were two ways of stoning among the Hebrews, either by throwing stones at malefactors till they were knocked down and killed, or by throwing them down from a high place, and so dashing them to pieces.” — Dodd, who refers to Patrick and Calmet on the punishments of the Jews. And he trode her under foot — Houbigant renders it, they, that is, the horses, trod her under foot, after she had been dashed against the wall and pavement, which, with the horses, were besmeared with her blood.

33. They threw her down — The eunuchs saw in Jehu their future master, and instantly obeyed his command. He trode her under foot — He drove his horses and chariot in his usual furious way over the already fearfully mangled body of the queen, crushing out the last spark of life, and scarcely turning to look behind him, drove on into the court of the palace, his horses and chariot becoming sprinkled with her blood. This is one of the most terribly vivid and fearful pictures in all the annals of tragedy.

V. 34. And said-It seems he had forgot the charge given him above, ver.

10. A king’s daughter-He doth not say, because she was a king’s wife, lest he should seem to shew any respect to that wicked house of Ahab, which God had devoted to utter destruction.

Verse 34. She is a king’s daughter.] Jezebel was certainly a woman of a very high lineage. She was daughter of the king of Tyre; wife of Ahab, king of Israel; mother of Joram, king of Israel; mother-in-law of Joram, king of Judah; and grandmother of Ahaziah, king of Judah.

Verse 34. Go see now this cursed woman — She had been the greatest delinquent in the house of Ahab. She had introduced Baal; slain the Lord’s prophets; contrived the murder of Naboth; excited her husband first, and then her sons, to do wickedly. She had been a curse to her country, and one whose memory all who loved their country execrated. Three reigns her reign had lasted, but now, at length, her day was come to fall, and meet with the due reward of her deeds. And bury her, for she is a king’s daughter — He does not say, because she was a king’s wife, lest he should seem to show any respect to that wicked house of Ahab, which God had devoted to ignominy and destruction. When Jehu gave this order about burying Jezebel, he seems to have for gotten the prediction of the prophet, and the charge given, verse 10. But though he had forgotten it, God had not: while he was eating and drinking, the dogs had devoured her dead body; so that there was nothing left but her bare scull, (the painted face was gone,) and her feet and hands. The hungry dogs paid no respect to the dignity of her extraction: a king’s daughter was no more to them than a common person. It is probable, when the horsemen were gone, who trod her under foot, the footmen stripped her, and left her in her own blood exposed to the dogs, that came out of the city in great numbers, by the ordination of Providence, and with a more than common hunger, otherwise they could not have devoured the body in so short a time.

Ver. 34. Go see now this cursed woman. The dogs had already eaten her up, and fulfilled Elijah’s prediction. Where shall we find an equal to Jezebel, except in her daughter Athaliah, or in Astarbè, wife of Pygmalion king of Tyre, celebrated in the poets, and in the eighth book of Telemachus. The dogs ate her flesh in the hurry and confusion of the city, for prophecies are mostly fulfilled to the minutiæ of the letter; yea, by circumstances apparently fortuitous.

34. He did eat and drink — This scene of hilarity and cheer in the midst of such fearful bloodshed makes one shudder. But the minister of doom to Ahab’s guilty house must needs be such a one as Jehu. Tenderness and sympathy would unfit the avenger of blood for his work of death. She is a king’s daughter — Yes, and a king’s widow and a king’s mother. But not till after his feast does Jehu reflect that so much royalty and greatness have fallen. He had left the mangled corpse of the once mighty Jezebel on the mounds of offal outside the gate, a prey to the dogs which in the East ever prowl about such spots.

Verse 35. The skull-the feet, and the palms of her hands.] The dogs did not eat those parts, say Jarchi and Kimchi, because in her festal dances she danced like a dog, on her hands and feet, wantonly moving her head. What other meaning these rabbins had, I do not inquire. She was, no doubt, guilty of the foulest actions, and was almost too bad to be belied. How literally was the prediction delivered in the preceding book, (1 Kings 21:23, The dogs shall eat Jezebel, by the wall of Jezreel,) fulfilled! And how dearly did she and her husband Ahab pay for the murder of innocent Naboth!

35. Skull… feet… hands — An eastern traveller, describing the remains of some human bodies that had been devoured by dogs, says: “The only portion of the several corpses I noticed that remained entire and untouched, were the bottoms of the feet, and the insides of the hands — a proof of the rooted antipathy the dog has to prey upon the human hands and feet.” Dr. Thomson supposes that the dogs under Jezebel’s palace “may have been taught to devour the wretched victims of her cruelty, in which case the retribution would be remarkably striking.”

Verses 36, 37. He said, This is the word of the Lord — He now calls to mind the words of the Prophet Elijah, which before he had forgot, or did not regard. And the carcass of Jezebel, &c. — These words are not extant in the place where this prophecy is first mentioned, 1 Kings 21:23; but are here added by Jehu, by way of explication and amplification. So that they shall not say, This is Jezebel — No memory of her, nothing whereby it might be known there had been such a woman as Jezebel, should remain of her, as a picture or effigies, to which men might point and say, This is Jezebel. No monument was made of her, and she had no sepulchre but in the belly of dogs.

Upon the whole, what is recorded in this chapter shows that the divine threatenings are never in vain: that the curse of God pursues princes and families where impiety reigns. Let it be observed, likewise, that Ahaziah king of Judah, because he imitated the kings of Israel in their idolatries and other sins, and was united with Jehoram king of Israel, perished with him. Those who become the companions and imitators of the wicked, are involved, sooner or later, in the same judgments with them.

36. This is the word of the Lord — The iron-hearted Jehu remembers and quotes the prophecies of Elijah. He quotes not the very words, but, as was most natural, gave their sense in his own language.

Verse 37. And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung] As it was not buried under the earth, but was eaten by the dogs, this saying was also literally fulfilled.

They shall not say, This is Jezebel.] As she could not be buried, she could have no funeral monument. Though so great a woman by her birth, connections, and alliances, she had not the honour of a tomb! There was not even a solitary stone to say, Here lies Jezebel! not even a mound of earth to designate the place of her sepulture! Judgment is God’s strange work; but when he contends, how terrible are his judgments! and when he ariseth to execute judgment, who shall stay his hand? How deep are his counsels, and how terrible are his workings!

II KINGS

Verses 36, 37. He said, This is the word of the Lord — He now calls to mind the words of the Prophet Elijah, which before he had forgot, or did not regard. And the carcass of Jezebel, &c. — These words are not extant in the place where this prophecy is first mentioned, 1 Kings 21:23; but are here added by Jehu, by way of explication and amplification. So that they shall not say, This is Jezebel — No memory of her, nothing whereby it might be known there had been such a woman as Jezebel, should remain of her, as a picture or effigies, to which men might point and say, This is Jezebel. No monument was made of her, and she had no sepulchre but in the belly of dogs.

Upon the whole, what is recorded in this chapter shows that the divine threatenings are never in vain: that the curse of God pursues princes and families where impiety reigns. Let it be observed, likewise, that Ahaziah king of Judah, because he imitated the kings of Israel in their idolatries and other sins, and was united with Jehoram king of Israel, perished with him. Those who become the companions and imitators of the wicked, are involved, sooner or later, in the same judgments with them.

37. They shall not say, This is Jezebel — No person should ever be able to recognise her corpse or know her dust. “Though so great a woman by her birth, connexions, and alliances, she had not the honour of a tomb! There was not even a solitary stone to say, Here lies Jezebel! not even a mound of earth to designate the place of her sepulchre! Judgment is God’s strange work; but when he contends, how terrible are his judgments!”