2 Kings9
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
2And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber.
3Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.
4So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.
5And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of us all? And he said, To thee, O captain.
6And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of Jehovah, even over Israel.
7And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, at the hand of Jezebel.
8For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel.
9And 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.
10And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.
11Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and what his talk was.
12And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I have anointed thee king over Israel.
13Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, Jehu is king.
14So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria;
15but king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel.
16So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
17Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
18So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not back.
19Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.
20And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not back: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.
21And Joram said, Make ready. And they made ready his chariot. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
23And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.
24And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
25Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, Jehovah laid this burden upon him:
26Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith Jehovah; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith Jehovah. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of Jehovah.
27But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot: and they smote him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.
28And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.
29And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
30And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window.
31And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Is it peace, thou Zimri, thy master’s murderer?
32And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.
33And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trod her under foot.
34And when he was come in, he did eat and drink; and he said, See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.
35And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
36Wherefore they came back, and told him. And he said, This is the word of Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel;
37and the body of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Kings 9.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Elisha sends to anoint Jehu. (1–10). Jehu and the captains. (11–15). Joram and Ahaziah slain by Jehu. (16–29). Jezebel eaten by dogs. (30–37).
vv1-10
In these and the like events, we must acknowledge the secret working of God, disposing men to fulfil his purposes respecting them. Jehu was anointed king over Israel, by the Lord's special choice. The Lord still had a remnant of his people, and would yet preserve his worship among them. Of this Jehu was reminded. He was commanded to destroy the house of Ahab, and, as far as he acted in obedience to God, and upon right principles, he needed not to regard reproach or opposition. The murder of God's prophets is strongly noticed. Jezebel persisted in idolatry and enmity to Jehovah and his servants, and her iniquity was now full.
vv11-15
Those who faithfully deliver the Lord's message to sinners, have in all ages been treated as madmen. Their judgment, speech, and conduct are contrary to those of other men; they endure much in pursuit of objects, and are influenced by motives, into which the others cannot enter. But above all, the charge is brought by the worldly and ungodly of all sorts, who are mad indeed; while the principles and practice of the devoted servants of God, prove to be wise and reasonable. Some faith in the word of God, seems to have animated Jehu to this undertaking.
vv16-29
Jehu was a man of eager spirit. The wisdom of God is seen in the choice of those employed in his work. But it is not for any man's reputation to be known by his fury. He that has rule over his own spirit, is better than the mighty. Joram met Jehu in the portion of Naboth. The circumstances of events are sometimes ordered by Divine Providence to make the punishment answer to the sin, as face answers to face in a glass. The way of sin can never be the way of peace, Isa 57:21. What peace can sinners have with God? No peace so long as sin is persisted in; but when it is repented of and forsaken, there is peace. Joram died as a criminal, under the sentence of the law. Ahaziah was joined with the house of Ahab. He was one of them; he had made himself so by sin. It is dangerous to join evil-doers; we shall be entangled in guilt and misery by it.
Key Words
אֱלִישָׁע: Elisha, the famous prophet
נָבִיא: a prophet or (generally) inspired man
קָרָא: to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
חָגַר: to gird on (as a belt, armor, etc.)
מֹתֶן: properly, the waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
Cross References
2 Kings 9Fulfills the original commission given to Elijah at Horeb to anoint Jehu king.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct fulfillment of Elijah's prophecy that dogs would eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Joram meets Jehu on the exact plot of land stolen from Naboth, initiating his judgment.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel of anointing a king privately long before his public investiture, like David.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Echoes the identical warning of complete destruction of Ahab's male heirs.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel where profane soldiers and officials brand God's prophets as madmen.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Eastern practice of spreading garments on the ground as a sign of royal homage.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Underscores Jehu's response that there is no peace for the wicked and idolatrous.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The ritual use of a vial/box of oil for anointing kings of Israel.
Supported by JFB
Predicts Ahab's house will face the same total eradication as Jeroboam's.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical precedent of a dynasty's absolute annihilation, showing the pattern of judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The parallel account detailing Ahaziah's downfall under God's providence through Jehu.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The delayed execution of the curse on Ahab's house, fulfilled in his son Joram.
Supported by JFB
Jezebel's mocking reference to Zimri, who assassinated his master and ruled briefly.
Supported by Matthew Henry