2 Kings 9
DortA Prophet by Elisa’s appointment, anointeh Jehu King over Israel, ver. &c. whom he chargeto destroy the house of Achab,7. Jehu is acknowledge to be King by the Commanders and officers of the army, and likewise proclaimed, 11. He maketh a league against Joram, 14. Marcheth against him to Jezreel, 15. Sbooteth him Thorough, 24. Killeth also Ahazia King of Juda, 27. And causeth Izebel to be thrown out of the window, 30. She is devoured by dogs, 34.
1. Then the Prophet Elisa called of the sons of the Prophets: [See 1 King.2.on v.35.] and he said unto him; Gird (up) thy loins, [see 1 King.18.on v.46. and above chap.4.on v.29.] and take this pot of oil in thine hand, and go to Rammoth in Gilead. [see Duet.4.on ver.43. It appeareth by this relation, that Israelites had recovered this city again from the Syrians: see below v.14. and the annotate.]
2. When thou shalt be come thither, then see where Jehu the son of Josaphat, [And consequently is to distinguished from one Jehu that was a Prophet, and was the son of Hanani: see 1 King.16.on ver.1.] the son of Nimsi; and go in, and make him rise up from the midst of his brethren [i.e. of his companions, the rest of the Officers and Commanders of the Army: see below vers.5.] and bring him into an inner chamber. [Heb. chamber in chamber.]
3. And take the pot of oil, and pour it on his head, and say; Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee King over Israel: [see 1 King.1. on v.34.] then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.
4. So the youth, that youth of the Prophet, [Oth. the youth the Prophet,] went to Ramoth in Gilead.
5. And when he came in, behold, there sat the Captains of the host, and he said; I have a word to thee Captain: [i.e. I have somewhat to tell thee alone in secret; Therefore may it please thee to rise up, and to hear me in private] and Jehu said: To which of us all? and he said; To thee, O Captain.
6. Then he [Namely Jehu] arose, and went into the house; [into the inner chamber, as above v.2.] then he [to wit, the Prophets youth] poured the oil on his head: and he said unto him: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; I have anointed thee King over people of the LORD, over Israel.
7. And thou shalt smite [i.e. Kill and destroy: see Gen.8.on v.21.] the house [i.e. the family: see 1 King.14.on v.10.] of Achab thy Lord; 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 Izebel. [i.e. which was shed by charge and command from Izebel.]
8. And the whole house of Achab shall perish: and I will cut off from Achab, him that pisseth against the wall, [See 1 King.14.on v.10.] also him that is shut up, and left in Israel. [i.e. I will let none remain: see Deut.32.on v.36.]
9. For I will make the house of Achab, as the house of Jerobeam, the son of Nebat; [See 1 King.14 10 and 15.29.] and as the house of Baesa, the son of Ahia. [see 1 King.16.3,11.]
10. Also the dogs shall eat Izebel, on the piece, [Heb.part, or, possession: so below vers.21,25,26,&c.] (of land) [this word is here inserted out of the 25. verse of this Chapter] of Jizreel, [understand the piece or portion of land, or field, which by the false accusations, and cunning plots of Izebel was violently taken away from honest Naboth: see 1 King.21.23. & below v.21,25.] and there shall be none to bury (her) then he opened the door, and fled.
11. And when Jebu went forth to the servants of his Lord, they said unto him; Is all well? [Heb. is peace? so below ver.17. See Gen.29.on v.6.] wherefore came this mad (fellow) [thus are the Prophets and Ministers of God called by worldings and wicked men, because they are not able to apprehend their doctrine, nor their practice, Job.10.20. Act.26.24. Perhaps they gave this name to the Prophets, because they had some extraordinary gestures, or manner of a action with them, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon them: see 1 Sam.18.10.] to thee? and he said unto them? Ye know the man. and his communication. [that is, ye may perceive that he is a prophet, and because he is such a one, ye may judge what he is wont to speak, to wit, to exhort every one to his duty, as he hath done to me.]
12. But he said; thus and thus [Heb. according to this, and according to this] spake he to me, saying; thus saith the LORD; I have anointed thee King over Israel.
13. Then they hasted, and every man took his garment, and put it under him, [In token of subjection unto Jehu, as to their King. Compare Mat.21.7.] upon the highest stair, [Heb. upon the stairs. Understand (according to the common opinion of the learned) an high and exalted place, over-spread with the upper garments of the Captains, which served instead of Tapistry, on which they set Jehu] and blew with the trumpet, and said; Jehu is become King.
14. So Jehu the son of Josaphat, the son of Nimsi made a conspiracy [See concerning the signification of the Hebrew word, 1 Kings 15.on v.27.] against Joram: (Now Joram had kept [i.e. furnished, fenced, and fortified with souldier with souldiers] Ramoth in Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael King of Syria.
15. But King Joram was turned to cause himself to he healed at Jizreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought against Hazael King of Syria) [see hereof above chap.8.v.29.] and Jehu said; if it be your will, [Heb. soul. See Gen.23.on ver.8. That is, if ye think good, if it pleaseth you] let none go forth out of the city that may escape, to go to tell (this) [viz. that I am made King] in Jizreel. [where King Joram was.]
16. Then Jehu rode, and went to Jizreel; for Joram lay there: [To wit, sick of wounds, which the Syrians had given him. See the former verse] and Ahazia King of Juda was come down to see Joram.
17. Now the watchman stood at the tower at Jizreel, and saw the company of Jehu as he came on, and said; I see a company: then said Joram; take an horseman, and send (him) to meet them, and let him say, is it peace.
18. And the horseman went on horseback to meet him, and said; thus saith the King, is it peace? [i.e. Do things go well? Is there no cause of fear or danger? So below v.19.22. see Gen.29.on vers.6.] and Jehu said; what hast thou to do with peace? [Heb. what is it to thee, and the peace: that is, what hast thou to do with peace? So in the following verse. See 2 Sam.16. on v.10.] Turn (thee) behind me: And the watchman told; saying; the messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.
19. Then he sent another horseman on horseback, and when this (man) was come to them, he said; thus saith the King, is it peace? And Jebu said ; what hast thou to do with peace? turn (thee) behind me.
20. And the watchman told this, saying; he came even unto them, but he cometh not again: And the driving is as the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimsi, for he driveth furiously. [Heb. in outrageousness, or, with outrageousness: that is, with such swiftness and boisterousness, as if he were mad, and meant to ride the horses to death.]
21. Then said Joram; make ready; and they made ready his charet: So Joram the King of Israel went forth, and Ahazia the King of Juda, each in his charet; and they went forth to meet Jehu, and found him on the piece (of land) of Naboth the Jizreelite. [See above on v.10.]
22. Now it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said; is it also peace, Jehu, but he said; what peace, as long as the whoredomes [Understand spiritual, which is idolatry. See lev.17.on vers.7. and 20.on vers.5.] of thy mother Izebel, and her witchcrafts [Understand the deceitful practises, whereby Izebel enticed and seduced men to idolatry. Compare Nahum.3.4.] are so many.
23. Then Joram turned his hand, [To wit, wherewith he turned himself about in the charets, or pointed to his charet-driver, or also himself caught hold of the reines, to turn the charet about, and to take flight. Compare 1 Kings 22:34.] and fled, and said to Ahazia, it is deceit Ahazia. [i.e. Jehu is come hither in a deceitful and treacherous way, to surprise and murder me.]
24. But Jehu bent the bow with (a) full hand [Heb.filled his hand with the how. Understand, that he put forth all the strength of hi9s arm, to bend the bow to the full, and to stretch it out to the utmost, to give a mighty shot therewith] and shot [Heb. smote] Joram between his arms, that the arrow went out thorough his heart; and he bowed himself in his charet. [i.e. sunk down in his charet.]
25. Then said (Jehu) to Bidka his Captain; Take (and) cast him upon that piece of Land of Naboth the Jizreelite: for remember, when I and thou rode one by another after Achab his father, that the LORD laid this burden [That is, this prophetical threatening, or this aforesaid judgement. So is the word burden frequently taken by the Prophets: because judgements are heavy and grievous, as well in hearing, when they are denounced, as in feeling, when they do actually sieze upon a man, Isa.13.1. and 15.1. Jerem.23.33,34. Nah.1.1. Habak.1.1. Zach.9.1.] upon him, [it seemeth that Achab when after the death of Naboth, he went to take possession of his vineyard, had with him certain Courtiers and Officers of the Army, and that amongst them there were Jehu and Bidkar, who had heard the words (mentioned in the following verse) altered by Elia against Achab] (saying;)
26. If I have not seen yester night the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, [Hence appeareth, that not only Naboth was murthered, but also his children, that Achab might the quieter enjoy Naboths estate] saith the LORD! and (if) I do not recompense thee that on this piece (of land) ! [see above on v.10.] saith the LORD: [These are the words of the LORD uttered with an oath against Achab, and they do import as much as if he should have said: Surely I have seen it, and will surely recompense it unto thee on this plat of ground. See of this kind of oath also ascribed to God, Num.14.on v.23.] Now then take and cast him upon that plat (of ground), according to the word of the LORD.
27. When Ahazia King of Juda saw (that); then he fled by the way of the garden-house: [Which was planted with trees, so that in fleeing a man could hide himself better then elsewhere, to get safely away] but Jehu pursued after him, and said; smite him also [that is, kill him; for he was also of Achabs family, to wit, by his Mothers side, which was Achabs daughter. See above chap.8.on vers.18.] on the charet, at the going up to the Gur, [This seemeth to have been a place on the way to Samaria, by which Ahazia fled, when Jehu was busy in killing Joram. Now Jehu perceiving that Ahazia was got away from him, sent his souldiers after him. These (as some conceive) came so near to him in this place, that they wounded him there, but not mortally, so that he escaped to Samaria, where he hid himself, 2 Chron.22.9. Until he being there also pursued to be brought to Jehu, was mortally wounded, but escaped to Megiddo, where he died as the following words set forth] which is by Jibleam, [see Jos.17.11.] and he fled to Megiddo, [See 1 Kings 9.on v.15.] and died there.
28. And his servants carried him to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his sepulchre, by his fathers in the city of David. [See 1 Kings chapter 2. on verse 10.]
29. Now in the eleventh year [i.e. in the end of the eleventh, and beginning of the twelfth year. See above chap.8.25.] of Joram the son of Achab, did Ahazia become King over Juda.
30. And Jahu came to Jizreel: When Izebel heard (that) then she painted her face, [Heb. put her eyes in painting: that is, besmeared face with painting] and tired her head, [it seemeth that she boldly dressed and adorned her self, as it were to awe and daunt Jehu by her Majestic and stately countenance] and looked out at the window.
31. Now when Jehu entered in at the gate, [To wit of the Kings Palace, out of which Izebel looked] she said; is it well, O Zimri the slayer of his LORD? [she calleth Jehu a second Zimri, who had murdered his Lord Ela the King of Israel, 1 Kings 16:9,10. which murder had a fearful and abominable end in Zimri by Omri’s means. With this Izebel now upbraideth Jehu, to affeighten him, but in vain, because he was commanded by God to do that which he did. Oth. did Zimri prosper, that slew his LORD.]
32. And he lift up his face towards the window, and said; who is with me? Who? [Jehu spake this to those that were with Izebel, asking if any were affected to his cause] Then there looked on him two (or) three of the chamber [that is, Gentlemen, Noble men, Court-officers, that were in Izebels company, as she looked out of the window. The Hebrew word signifieth properly, Eunuchs, or, gelded men: such as were the Chamberlaines of Queens and Princesses for the most part in those times: And such peradventure these were. See Gen.37.on v.36.]
33. And he [Namely, Jehu] said; Through her down: and they [to wit, the Chamberlaines] threw her down, so that (some) of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses, and he [Namely Jehu] trampled upon her.
34. Now when he was come in [viz. into the Palace] and had eaten and drunk, he said; look now after that cursed (woman), and bury her, for she is a Kings daughter. [namely, the daughter of the King of the Kings chap.16.1.]
35. And they went to bury her; but they found nothing of her, save the scull, and the feet, and the palmes of her hands.
36. Then they returned, and told him; and he said; this is the word LORD, which he spake by the ministery [Heb. hand] of his servant Elia the Tisbite, saying; On the plat (of ground) of Jizreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Izebel. [see above on v.10. And concerning this prophecy, see 1 Kings 21:23. where, although so many words are no there extant, yet the meaning of this aforesaid accomplishment is to be found.]
37. And the carcase of Izebel shall be as dung upon the field, [Heb. upon the face of the field] in the plat (of ground) of Jizreel; (so) that they shall not be able to say, this is Izebel.