Chapter 9

1 Elisha sendeth a young prophet with instructions to anoint Jehu at Ramoth-gilead. 4 The prophet having done his message fleeth. 11 Jehu, being made king by the soldiers, killeth Joram in the field of Naboth. 27 Ahaziah is slain at Gur, and buried at Jerusalem. 30 Proud Jezebel is thrown down out of a window, and eaten by dogs.

1. Elisha the prophet. The narratives concerning Elisha were interrupted in ch. 8:16 with the account of Jehoram’s reign in Judah and that of his son Ahaziah. Now the record goes back once more to Elisha. The question may be raised: After the long account of the work of the prophet (chs. 2:12 to 8:15), why did not the narrative continue to the end of Elisha’s career? The answer is that the book of Kings is essentially a record of the kings of Israel and Judah arranged in chronological order. The incidents of Elijah and Elisha, though important, are inserted into the record of the kings. The present incident concerning Elisha fits into the closing days of the lives of Ahaziah and Joram, and it is into the accounts of the reigns of these kings that this incident is interwoven.

One of the children. Elisha now had associated with him a number of prophet-disciples who were constantly employed assisting him in the carrying out of his many responsibilities. The identity of this man is not known. Rashi, a Jewish scholar of the 11th century, says it was Jonah, who is mentioned in ch. 14:25 as exercising his prophetic office during the reign of Jeroboam II. But that is hardly likely, for Jeroboam did not begin to reign till some 50 years later. There is no foundation to the rabbinical supposition that Jonah was the messenger here involved.

Box. Rather “flask” or “vial” (see 1 Sam. 10:1). Oils and ointments were in those days carried in jars made of earthenware, stone, or glass, many such having been found in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Ramoth-gilead. The king of Israel had just been wounded in the siege of Ramoth-gilead and had returned to Jezreel. Thus far there has been no mention in the narrative as to whether the siege was successful, but the sequel so indicates.

2. Jehu. The Scriptural record gives no details as to Jehu’s ancestry or the city of his origin other than this statement that he was the son of Jehoshaphat. He is referred to several times in the Assyrian records. Shalmaneser III, in an annal fragment from the 18th year of his reign (generally accepted as 841 b.c.)—the same annal entry in which he mentions the defeat of Hazael—also mentions receiving tribute from Iaua maЖr Humri, or “Jehu son of Omri.” This inscription, when taken together with the inscription from Shalmaneser’s 6th year (see pp. 81, 159), when the Assyrian king fought Ahab at the battle of Qarqar, enables us to synchronize with Assyrian history not only the last year of Ahab’s reign but also the year of Joram’s death in Israel and the accession of Jehu.

His brethren. That is, his fellows or companions, the officers associated with him (see v. 5).

Carry him. Literally, “cause him to enter.” The messenger was to conduct Jehu to another room, where he might commune with him in secret.

An inner chamber. Literally, “a chamber within a chamber” (see 1 Kings 20:30, and 22:25). Not necessarily a secret, but a private, chamber, where the messenger could commune with Jehu alone.

3. Pour it on his head. The commission to anoint Jehu as king had originally been given to Elijah at the same time that he was commissioned to anoint Elisha as his successor (see on 1 Kings 19:16).

Flee. The whole transaction was to be carried out quickly and in secret. With his mission fulfilled, the young prophet was immediately to make his departure, not waiting for either interrogation or possible reward.

4. The young man. The LXX and the Syriac have this expression only once.

5. Were sitting. Probably in the court, for according to the next verse Jehu, upon being informed that the message was for him, “went into the house.”

Jehu said. Evidently Jehu was in charge of the gathering. He was now the commander of the forces of Israel. At the time of the king’s departure from Ramoth-gilead, the city may not yet have fallen, for fighting was still in progress. The king may have used his wound as a pretext to get away from the army and avoid the rigors and dangers of battle. Jehu continued to press the siege and ultimately succeeded in capturing the city. Throughout Israel he would be regarded as a national hero.

6. Of Israel. God still acknowledged the nation of Israel as His, and as its rightful Ruler He now selected its new king.

Anointed thee king. This was a definite commission by God. The time had come for a new king, who would put an end to the evils of the dynasty of Omri. It was an hour of opportunity as well as responsibility for the man who would now take the crown in Israel.

7. The house of Ahab. Joram was the son of Ahab, as was also Ahaziah, who had preceded Joram on the throne. The house of Ahab was now to be wiped out because of its iniquity.

Avenge the blood. No one may shed innocent blood with impunity. The Lord watches over His own, and will avenge His elect in His own way and at the time that He deems best. Man, in the narrowness of his vision, may not always understand why the day of retribution is delayed. In his impatience he may think that the Lord has forgotten and that the doers of evil will be allowed to continue in their wicked ways with impunity.

All the servants. This shows that more than the chosen prophets of God were involved in the general persecution conducted by the house of Ahab against the worshipers of the true God.

At the hand of Jezebel. Jezebel had been the primary instigator of the persecutions in Israel, but she could not have carried them out alone. If Jezebel was guilty before God, those who worked with her and who were moved by the same spirit were also guilty.

8. The whole house. The judgment upon the house of Ahab, in which the whole family was exterminated, may appear to be unusually severe, but only because of a failure to keep in mind certain facts in regard to God’s dealings with Israel. When God organized the theocratic state of Israel at Sinai, He instituted severe civil penalties. Strong discipline was necessary to effect a reasonable degree of moral rectitude. With the institution of the monarchy a new problem presented itself. Since the power of the king was absolute, there was no authority in the land to bring the crimes of the king to justice. In instances like these, God often became the executor of civil penalty. It was more dangerous to overlook the wrongdoing of the king than to pass by the evil deeds of one of the subjects. Because of the high position held by the king, the influence of his evil example was correspondingly great. Hence the penalty inflicted was frequently severe, as in the case of Ahab and his house, or in the case of David when 70,000 men died after David’s sin in numbering Israel (2 Sam. 24). But the severity of the judgment was dictated by the measures needed to check unbridled lawlessness.

I will cut off. The expression of this verse denotes completeness of inclusion. The words appear to have been in use among the Hebrews from the time of David (1 Sam. 25:22). When Jeroboam walked in the ways of evil, this was the expression that was used concerning his posterity, who would be cut off (1 Kings 14:10). When the house of Baasha perished, this again was the expression used (1 Kings 16:11). And when Naboth had been slain and his vineyard appropriated, Elijah employed this expression against the descendants of Ahab, who were doomed to utter destruction (1 Kings 21:21). Now the prophet again employs the same words to indicate that the house of Ahab was to meet a miserable fate.

9. Like the house of Jeroboam. Both of these houses had completely perished. When Baasha smote the house of the first king of Israel, “he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed” (1 Kings 15:29), and when Zimri wiped out the house of Baasha, he left him “neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends” (1 Kings 16:11).

10. The dogs shall eat Jezebel. Elijah had foretold this terrible fate that would befall Israel’s wicked queen (1 Kings 21:23; 2 Kings 9:36, 37). The name of the wife of Ahab had become synonymous with iniquity. It was she who had led the people of God into the most shameful forms of idolatry and wickedness. Hers was a terrible guilt, and she was to meet a terrible doom. The punishment meted out to Jezebel was never to be forgotten, and was to bring up in the mind of the doer of evil a vivid realization of the fact that the fate of the transgressor is hard. In the lands of the Orient there are still numerous wild and half-starved dogs that are the scavengers of the countryside and that would devour the flesh of a corpse left out in the open.

In the portion of Jezreel. It was fitting that Jezebel should suffer there, at the scene of her evil deeds, where she had threatened Elijah with destruction (1 Kings 19:2) and where she had shed the innocent blood of Naboth for the sake of his vineyard (1 Kings 21:7–15).

11. Is all well? Literally, “Is it peace?” The same question also appears in vs. 17, 18, 19 and 22. The sudden appearance of the messenger, his taking Jehu aside by himself for a secret interview, and his hasty departure raised questions concerning the purpose of the visit. Everyone knew that the prophetic messenger had not come on some ordinary errand. Had he brought a message of good or of ill? Was there some sudden crisis that demanded the services of the army elsewhere?

Mad fellow. Literally, “madman,” from the verb “to be mad.” This term was used contemptuously, as in Jer. 29:26 (cf. Hosea 9:7).

Ye know the man. These words suggest that Jehu may have been suspicious that the officers were in on the whole plan to make him king.

12. It is false. No, they had not even guessed the prophet’s purpose, but they were eager to know. Why try to keep it a secret? Jehu might well reveal the matter to them, then and there. The Biblical record vividly portrays the excited curiosity of the officers concerning the important message they knew had just been given the commanding general of the armies of Israel.

13. Put it under him. The revelation of the prophetic message produced an immediate change in the relationships of the men gathered in Jehu’s headquarters. Before the contents of the message were known, they were all comrades together in arms, fellow officers in the service of their king. Now, suddenly, one of them stood apart from the rest—he was king and the others were his subjects. One was to receive homage, the others were to pay their respects to their king. So the officers immediately took off their outer garments and threw them down on the ground as a carpet for Jehu to walk on—a fitting tribute to the man whom the Lord had set up as king.

Top. Heb. gerem. Literally, “bone,” or “strength.” The exact meaning of the phrase that has here been translated as “top of the stairs,” is not clear, but it may refer to some architectural term, possibly a raised landing or platform at the head of the stairs. From the courtyard where the officers were gathered there may have been a stairway leading upward to a landing or platform that could well be improvised as a throne on which the new king might take his position before his subjects. The officers probably made a carpet of state out of their outer garments up the stairway and on the platform, so that the king might have a fitting eminence from which to receive the plaudits of his subjects.

Blew with trumpets. This was a recognized part of a coronation ceremony (see 2 Sam. 15:10; 1 Kings 1:39; 2 Kings 11:14).

Jehu is king. There seems to have been an immediate and joyful acceptance of the general as king. Jehu evidently was held in high esteem among his fellow officers; at the same time there may have been general dissatisfaction with Joram and the house of Omri.

14. Conspired against Joram. The former king was still alive and supposedly still ruling upon his throne. So the actions in which Jehu was taking a part were in reality conspiracy against Joram and the house of Omri and Ahab.

Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead. This is an important statement, because it shows definitely that the siege had been successful and that the city had come into Israelite hands. “Joram” should probably here be taken to stand not so much for the man as for the nation he ruled. If Joram left during the siege, Jehu had probably by now taken the city in the name of the king and was standing guard with the army of Israel, to prevent the Syrians from recapturing it.

Because of Hazael. Because Hazael certainly would do his best to retake the city at his earliest opportunity. Israel would therefore have to continue to stand guard against Hazael if Ramoth-gilead was to be retained under Israelite control.

15. To be healed. Having mentioned that Joram was holding Ramoth-gilead, the writer, to prevent a misconception, repeats what he has previously stated (ch. 8:29) about Joram’s personal return to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds he had received at the siege.

If it be your minds. Jehu is giving his first orders as king. Instead of being harsh and arbitrary he wants his men to know that their wishes are to be considered. If they deem it wise, and if they are with him in the present enterprise, then many they carry out his proposal.

Let none go forth. Should word regarding what had occurred get to Joram at Jezreel, things might go hard with the conspirators. The order again makes it clear that Ramoth-gilead was in Israelite hands, for if the city had been still under siege, there would have been no point in such directions as these.

16. Rode in a chariot. No time was to be lost. Jehu made every effort to get to Jezreel before anyone had had the opportunity of telling the king what had just taken place at Ramoth-gilead. He rode in a chariot, accompanied by a small group of men, but the army was left on guard in Gilead against any surprise attack by the Syrians.

Joram lay. Joram had not yet recovered from his wounds and was still confined to his bed at Jezreel. But the sequel shows that he could not have been too seriously ill, for he was well enough to enter his chariot and go out to meet Jehu (v. 21).

To see Joram. Both the king of Israel and the king of Judah were originally present at the siege of Ramoth-gilead (ch. 8:28). When Joram was wounded he took his departure for his country residence at Jezreel, and was soon followed by Ahaziah. If both kings left before the siege ended, this would have had a discouraging effect on the army, and would probably be interpreted as indifference or cowardice. If, while Jehu and the army were undergoing the hardships and dangers of battle, the kings were taking their ease at the summer palace, this would explain the immediate and unrestrained enthusiasm with which Jehu was hailed as king.

17. Tower in Jezreel. The city of Jezreel was at the head of the Valley of Jezreel, down which the city looks to the Jordan. It was on a plain, but stood on the brow of a steep descent of 100 ft. (30.5 m.), with a view of the country all the way to the Jordan. To the west, there was a view across the Valley of Esdraelon to Carmel. The site, commanding this strategic location, was an admirable one for a fort. On the walls of Oriental cities there were often lofty gates or towers that gave a view of all the countryside in every direction. On the tower of Jezreel stood a sentinel to keep watch for any danger that might threaten. At the time of the approach of Jehu and his company, this watchman was at his post, faithfully performing his duty.

Spied the company. Far off in the distance a group of horsemen could be seen approaching. At that distance it was not clear who they might be, friends or foes, Israelites or Syrians. The watchman did not wait until he could make out the full particulars. That might be too late. As soon as he saw the company approaching he sent word to the king, so that the city might be in readiness for any eventualities. It should be noted that Jehu was not traveling alone; he had a company of men with him.

Is it peace? See on v. 11. It was a time of war. Ramoth-gilead had just been taken from the Syrians, and Hazael might certainly be expected to make an attempt to take it back. Moreover, the armies of Assyria were not far away. These were times when anything might happen. So the question, “Is it peace?” was of more than usual significance and certainly was more than a formal greeting.

18. Turn thee behind me. The messenger ascertained only too well that Jehu’s mission was not one of peace, but he was to be given no opportunity to return and convey such a message to the king. Instead, he was ordered to fall to the rear while the men continued their advance.

Cometh not again. The watchman kept his eyes on the approaching group, seeking to discover whether their intentions were friendly or otherwise. The messenger whom Joram had sent was supposed to return with his report. When he failed to do so, the action might be regarded as an indication that the approaching group was not coming on a friendly mission. It was the province of the watchman to report what he saw, not to issue orders, and he immediately reported to the king that his messenger was not coming back.

20. The watchman told. Whatever may be said of the king, the watchman reacted with energy and promptness. He kept his eyes open for any sign that might give away the intentions of the advancing group. The failure of the second messenger to return was not a portent of good.

The driving of Jehu. Men are known by their actions. The characteristic by which Jehu was recognized, suggests that in general he may have been a man of driving energy, a man who thought and acted fast. What he did he probably did in haste and with dispatch and vigor. When he drove, he drove furiously. As a warrior,he was probably courageous, vigorous, and determined. It may have been this driving impulse of his life that brought him to the command of the armies of Israel. His characteristic furious driving now identified him long before his features could be distinguished.

21. Make ready. Joram was making preparations for his own death. A wiser person might have read more correctly the meaning of the signs that had been so clearly given and made ready the defense of the city, rather than ordering for himself a chariot to go out to meet the approaching enemy. It is evident that Joram was not as ill as his hasty departure seemed to indicate, or he would not have been in a position to go out to meet Jehu. It is also highly probable that he suspected no ill toward himself. He was anxious and concerned, but it may have been only regarding the state of affairs in Gilead.

Went out. Two kings went out to meet another—two went to their doom and one to his throne. The two kings went out unsuspecting and unarmed. In the city they would have had matters in their favor. They would have been protected by walls and probably had with them troops sufficient to take care of the crisis. After the long and furious journey from Ramoth-gilead, the horses of Jehu and his company were spent, and would hardly have been a match for the cavalry from Jezreel.

Against Jehu. Rather, “to meet Jehu.” The Hebrew word here translated “against” is from the root “to call,” “to meet,” and should be translated “against” only when the context demands it. The kings were probably unsuspectingly going as friends, expecting to meet a friend.

Naboth the Jezreelite. By this time Jehu had almost arrived at the city and the palace. Joram had time to go out only as far as the field Ahab had taken from Naboth. The title deeds for that field had been signed in blood. First it was the blood of Naboth that signed over that field to the house of Ahab, and now it was the blood of the house of Ahab that was to affix its signature (see on Ex. 20:5). This judgment upon Joram was in accord with the strict demands of justice. What could have been more fitting than that the house of Ahab should pay the price for the death of Naboth in that field of blood?

22. Is it peace, Jehu? Joram’s question may be understood as referring to the situation in Gilead. Was everything well there at the seat of the war?

What peace? Joram’s anxious question was met with the rough answer of Jehu. Israel’s future king was not a diplomat but a warrior. His words were brusque and direct. The very mention of peace by Joram stirred up in the soul of Jehu a tempest of wrath and brought down upon the head of the hapless king a torrent of denunciation more severe than would have come from the mouth of a prophet.

Whoredoms of thy mother. Whoredoms both in the spiritual sense of idolatries and faithlessness to God (1 Chron. 5:25; Jer. 3:3, 8; Eze. 16:15–43; 23:27–30; Hosea 2:2–10), and in a literal sense, since the idolatrous religions of Palestine were fertility cults, whose sacred rites involved the most flagrant forms of indecency and immorality (see Num. 25:1, 2; 1 Cor. 10:7, 8).

Her witchcrafts. Sorceries, consultations with evil spirits, the use of spells and charms, the telling of fortunes, and divination of many kinds were common in the religions of the ancient Orient (see 1 Sam. 28:3, 7–9; 2 Kings 1:2; 17:17; 2 Kings 21:3, 6; Dan. 2:2; Acts 16:16). God’s people were forbidden to have any part in such activities (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:10–12; 1 Chron. 10:13; Isa. 8:19).

23. There is treachery, O Ahaziah. The Hebrew phrase is shorter, consisting of only two words, “treachery, Ahaziah.” There was no time for a lengthy explanation. Joram shouted the warning message to his nephew as he whipped his horses round in flight for his life.

24. Drew a bow. Jehu was a trained soldier and thus had often used the bow in personal combat. This was one arrow he intended should not miss its mark or fail to accomplish its purpose.

Between his arms. That is, between his shoulders. Joram was fleeing and had his back to Jehu. He was struck in the back with such force that the arrow went through his body, coming out at the heart.

He sunk down. He might have died in battle, honorably and gloriously, fighting against his country’s enemy. But he died from the arrow of one who had been his trusted officer and friend. Years before, Elijah had spoken: “It shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay” (1 Kings 19:17). No man for whom divine judgment has been decreed can hope to escape the sword of justice (see Deut. 32:43; Rom. 12:19). The wicked did not in ancient times, and the world does not now, believe that the Lord means what He says, but as long as justice demands that iniquity meet its just deserts, so long will the Lord’s decrees against evildoers be carried out (see on v. 8).

25. His captain. See on ch. 7:2.

Take up, and cast him. Jehu is taking upon himself the responsibility of avenging the innocent blood of Naboth. He knows the wickedness of Ahab and the crimes of Jezebel, and he knows that those crimes must be avenged in blood. In the field where Naboth had labored and for which his blood was shed, there he ordered that the dead body of the king be cast.

Rode together after Ahab. Both Jehu and Bidkar were veterans. They had been together in the army with Ahab, and had witnessed his exploits in war and his actions in times of peace. Both may have been ear witnesses of Elijah’s bitter denunciation of the king when the prophet pronounced upon him the Lord’s sentence of doom after the death of Naboth (1 Kings 21:19–24). At least they had a knowledge of it. The pronouncement probably made an indelible impression upon Jehu, for he knew that the divine sentence was just. Now both men were together again when the Lord’s sentence was carried into execution by Joram’s death.

Laid this burden upon him. That is, pronounced this oracle, or woe, against him. Compare the use of the word “burden” in Isa. 13:1; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1; 22:1; 23:1; 30:6; Nahum 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Zech. 9:1; 12:1.

26. Surely I have seen yesterday. This is a formula used in an emphatic assertion or an oath. As certainly as the Lord saw the blood of Naboth, so certainly would He see to it that blood would be avenged.

Of his sons. This is the first mention of the death of the sons of Naboth together with the father. But in order for Ahab to have a clear title to the vineyard, it was necessary to put the sons out of the way. If they had been allowed to live, the king would never have possessed the vineyard unchallenged. Hence we can understand how Jezebel, in putting Naboth to death, would destroy his family with him. The death of the innocent children with the death of the equally guiltless father made the crime of Ahab and Jezebel all the more outrageous.

Plat of ground. The same as “plot of ground.”

27. He fled. Ahaziah would hardly stand idly by while Joram was being smitten and his body cast into the vineyard of Naboth. He seems to have had more of a start from his pursuers than had Joram, for he was not immediately smitten.

The going up to Gur. An ascent, or a hill, near Ibleam. The name, Gur, occurs only here, and the exact site is not known. Ibleam is 8 mi. (12.8 km.) south by west from Jezreel, on the road to Samaria and Jerusalem. When pursued, Ahaziah would make it his first objective to reach Jerusalem, and this is the route he would take. The road from Jezreel at first winds along the plain of Esdraelon, but after a time begins to rise over the outlying spurs of the hills of Samaria. It was while Ahaziah’s chariot was making its ascent up one of these slopes that his pursuers came close enough to wound him. Ibleam is now known as Tell Bel Фameh.

Fled to Megiddo. The exact details of the narrative are not clear, for according to the record in Chronicles, Ahaziah was apprehended in Samaria and was brought before Jehu and slain (2 Chron. 22:9). The two accounts can be reconciled by considering the narrative in Kings to be a general outline, with the narrative in Chronicles providing added details. The sequence of events may be understood as follows: Ahaziah, after being wounded near Ibleam, changed his course of flight, choosing, instead of the mountainous terrain to the south, the level plain toward Megiddo. While at Megiddo he attempted an escape to the south, but was apprehended in Samaria and returned to Megiddo at the summons of Jehu, who had arrived there. Ahaziah then met his death by execution, a detail omitted in the briefer Kings’ account.

28. To Jerusalem. Jehu permitted the body of the king of Judah to be taken back to the king’s own capital for burial. It was not the Lord’s purpose that the nation of Judah should be associated with its northern neighbor in close alliance. Jehoshaphat was rebuked by the prophet for giving his assistance to Ahab against Benhadad (2 Chron. 19:2). The conduct of Ahaziah in assisting Joram in war against Hazael was also reprehensible in the eyes of God (2 Chron. 22:4, 5). For such assistance Ahaziah paid with his life.

With his fathers. Under usual circumstances the wicked king Ahaziah would probably not have been given burial in the sepulchers of the kings in the City of David. This honor was accorded him, despite his connection with the house of Ahab, because of his descent from the good king Jehoshaphat, “because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart” (2 Chron. 22:9).

29. The eleventh year of Joram. This verse is a postscript to the record of Ahaziah’s reign, the final item of which is recorded in the previous verse. In presenting the record of a king, the first detail to be given is the year in which he came to the throne, in terms of the year of reign of the ruling monarch in the neighboring nation, and that is given in ch. 8:25. There, however, the beginning of Ahaziah’s reign is given as the 12th year of Joram’s reign in Israel, and here it is the 11th year. The difference in these two figures is explained on the assumption that at this period Judah, in its policy of cooperation with the northern kingdom, adopted Israel’s system of chronological reckoning, which was different from Judah’s by one year. The record of ch. 8:25 is evidently given according to the new system, by which the year in which a king came to the throne was called his first year. The 12th year of Joram would be the 11th year according to the system previously in use, by which a king’s “first year” was his first full calendar year, that following the one in which he ascended the throne (see pp. 138, 139; cf. p. 148).

30. Jezebel heard of it. For Jezebel the final hour of doom had come, and she knew it. Having had word of the death of the two kings, her son and grandson, she well knew that her turn was next. She must prepare for her last moment on earth. And what a preparation this evil woman made!

She painted her face. Literally, “she put [treated] her eyes with antimony.” From the earliest times Oriental women used cosmetics for painting their eyebrows and their eyelashes (see Jer. 4:30 and Eze. 23:40).

Tired her head. She adorned her head with a “tire,” or headdress (see Isa. 3:18), literally, she “made good [beautiful] her head.” She was defiant and unrepentant to the last. She decked herself in all her ornaments and put on her most stately attire. But her outward adorning was to avail her nothing, either before Jehu or before the judgment bar of God. Before that tribunal all stand revealed as they really are. Powder and paint do not cover up the inner corruption of the heart, nor do silks and satins hide the ugly stains of sin upon the soul. Jezebel was corrupt within in spite of all her efforts at outward beautification. God looks at the heart and asks for inward adorning rather than outward (1 Peter 3:3, 4). In view of her dark record of sin, Jezebel might well have put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. But her proud spirit refused to be humbled and her heart of stone would not be moved.

Looked out. The window was probably one in her private quarters, overlooking an inner court. Her attitude appears to have been haughty and imperious as she took her position at her window to look down in bitter defiance at the rebel who was even then entering the palace gates.

31. Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? Literally, “Is it peace, Zimri, killer of his master?” Zimri was the exterminator of the house of Baasha (1 Kings 16:8–13), but he reigned only seven days. At the end of that period he perished in the struggle with his successor. To him there was no peace. The text as it stands makes Jezebel refer to this ill-fated attempt of Zimri, as if in warning to Jehu. The literal translation, however, conveys a different thought. It makes Jezebel address Jehu as Zimri, as if to say, tauntingly, “Peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?”

32. Who is on my side? who? The Hebrew is much briefer and more to the point, mi Хitti mi, “Who with me, who?” The expression, in its brevity and impetuosity, appears characteristic of Jehu. He had dashed into the courtyard, heard the taunting, contemptuous greeting of Jezebel, and wanted the whole thing over with in a hurry—quicker than it would take for him to enter the building and seize the vile woman before him.

Eunuchs. Jezebel seems to have been the type of woman who was hated, even by those most closely associated with her. The eunuchs up till that moment had been accustomed to crouch in servile dread before her, ready to carry out her every whim. But they evidently had little respect for her and no love. They probably despised her and were loyal to her only as long as it was to their own interest. When the opportunity arose, they were ready to turn upon their former tyrant. They probably welcomed a change of administration. At least they hoped thus to secure the favor of their new master.

33. Throw her down. The proud, domineering, tyrannical woman was to perish for her crimes. Such was the demand of justice and such was the decree of God. It was a fitting end to her insolence and arrogance. Thrones resting on violence and corruption will not long endure.

Trode her under foot. To show for her his utter contempt as she was in her dying agonies. The decked and painted body, which had been so ignominiously cast out of the window, had its last spark of life crushed out by the horses and chariot wheels of the furious avenger, with her royal but tainted blood splashing against the palace wall and staining the horses’ feet. Jezebel did not die the death of a queen, but of the contemptible creature she had proved herself to be. She had hated righteousness, and now her nation hated her. She had despised God, and today the world looks back upon her with horror and contempt.

Our condemnation of Jezebel should not lead us to approve, even by our silence, the barbaric course that Jehu followed in dealing with her. The only extenuation for his method of executing judgment on her is that he lived in a violent age. Violence begets violence.

34. He did eat and drink. The palace that once was Ahab’s belonged to his seed no longer, for Jehu now was king. Leaving the mangled body of the queen in the courtyard outside, Jehu entered the banquet hall.

This cursed woman. Jehu was calling to mind that this woman had been cursed by God (1 Kings 21:23).

A king’s daughter. Hardened warrior though he was, Jehu felt in his heart a touch of sympathy and respect for the office of royalty. She had been born the daughter of a king, of Ethbaal, priest and king of Sidon (1 Kings 16:31), but she had died the death of a foul creature. Jehu now was willing that she at least be given a decent burial as would befit the princess she once had been.

35. Than the skull. The dogs of Jezreel had made for Jezebel a living tomb. The body of the queen had become food for the half-wild dogs of the city. The prophecy of Elijah had been fulfilled (1 Kings 21:23), justice had been satisfied, and Naboth had been avenged for Jezebel’s crime against him.

36. The word of the Lord. This seems to be the fuller prophecy of which 1 Kings 21:23 is an abbreviation.

37. They shall not say. This may mean that the identity of her remains would be obliterated through the mutilation of her body or that Jezebel was to leave behind no sepulcher. If the latter be the meaning, her remains were to disappear utterly from the face of the earth, and people of future generations would not be able to point to her tomb and say that it was there where the once proud queen was buried. When she died only the memory of her evil would remain.

The frightful end of Jezebel should teach us the transitoriness and nothingness of human might and glory. All such things are of dust and to dust they will return. Her doom calls for all workers of iniquity to hear the message of God: “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness” (Jer. 22:13).

Jezebel became a type of the base iniquity that the professed children of God would permit to come into their ranks to debase and defile, and solemn warnings were given of what the resultant judgments would be (Rev. 2:20–23).

Ellen G. White comments

1–3, 6–8PK 214

20   TM 333

30–34PK 255