Bible Commentaries
2 Kings 9

Introduction

Second Kings Chapter 9

2 Kings 9:1 "And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead:"

Perhaps, the reason that Elisha did not go, was because he might be recognized. This young man, in training to be a prophet, would not be recognized as a prophet. It would be much safer for him to do this, than for Elisha. This was special anointing oil. Ramoth-gilead was in the territory of Gad. It was across the Jordan, and had belonged to Syria, until the recent battle, when Joram recovered it for Israel. Joram, we remember, had returned, Jezreel, after being injured in that battle.

2 Kings 9:2 "And 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;"

The LORD had instructed Elijah to anoint Jehu. It seems, that the task was passed down to Elisha, and now, it is time to anoint him. It really does not matter who does the anointing. The main thing is, that it is the will of the LORD for him to be anointed. He was captain of the host of Israel at the time of his anointing. He was actually the grandson of Nimshi. This is not the same Jehoshaphat, as the king in Judah. This one is the father of Jehu. This is not to be a public anointing. He is to take him to a private place, and pour the anointing oil on his head.

2 Kings 9:3 "Then take the box of oil, and pour [it] on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not."

This shows the danger he would be in. He must flee immediately, after he anoints Jehu. He first pours the oil on Jehu, and then he proclaims him king.

2 Kings 9:4 "So the young man, [even] the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead."

The young man did exactly, as he had been instructed by Elisha.

2 Kings 9:5 "And 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 all us? And he said, To thee, O captain."

We see, from this, that Jehu was not the only captain of the hosts. Some believe that he was the leader of all the captains. There seemed to be no designation, except they were captains, however. It appeared, the captains were having some sort of meeting. The young prophet looked directly at Jehu and called him captain. He, then, told him he needed to see him privately.

2 Kings 9:6 "And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, [even] over Israel."

Notice, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel". This leaves no doubt that this was the will of God being carried out by this young prophet. This is not an appointment by the people, or by the preceding king, but by the LORD.

2 Kings 9:7 "And 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 the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel."

There were no descendents of Ahab to ever rule the house of Israel, again. Not only, was Jehu to kill the king, Joram or Jehoram, but all who might try to take his place as king from the house of Ahab. The time had, now, come for the vengeance of the LORD on Jezebel, as well. Ahab and Jezebel had been terrible leaders. They had brought in the worship of Baal and Astarte. They were a threat to all the prophets. They had really been a threat to all, who worshiped the One True God.

2 Kings 9:8 "For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:"

This just means that all of the males in the family of Ahab will be killed. The statement "whole house" indicates women and children, too, will perish.

2 Kings 9:9 "And 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:"

God had given Ahab and his family plenty of time to change. He even showed them who was truly God, with the fire that came from heaven on mount Carmel. They did not take heed. He is one of the worst kings Israel had, but, he was not quite as evil as Jezebel. God will wipe out this evil in Israel with the death of Ahab’s entire family. The same thing had happened to Jeroboam, and Baasha. They were all involved in the same type of sin.

2 Kings 9:10 "And 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."

We see a promise of the same thing in the following Scripture. 1 Kings 21:23 "And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel." When a person was not buried at death, this was another humiliation for them.

2 Kings 9:11 "Then 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 his communication."

Jehu comes back into the area, where the captains were gathered. They inquired if all was well. They, possibly, thought something had happened to the king. The young man was not dressed like the young man of the day, that was why they called him a mad man. He was, possibly, dressed in a prophets garment. Jehu thinks, perhaps, they knew the young man’s mission. It appears, to me, that they might have been already wondering what would happen, if the king died.

2 Kings 9:12 "And they said, [It is] false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel."

They tell Jehu, they had not sent the young man. Jehu was reluctant to tell them what he said, but does, when they continued to ask him. He admitted to them that the young man brought him the message, that the LORD had anointed him king of Israel.

2 Kings 9:13 "Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put [it] under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king."

These captains seemed to favor this idea. It seems, to me, the captains were relieved. They immediately recognized Jehu was king by placing their garments for him to walk on. The blowing of the trumpets was a proclamation that he was king.

2 Kings 9:14 "So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria."

Just the fact that the king was still living, when the captains declared Jehu king, made it a conspiracy. At Ramoth-gilead, the sight of the battle, Joram won, and the city was kept by Joram. It was, now, a place of defence against Syria.

2 Kings 9:15 "But 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 it be your minds, [then] let none go forth [nor] escape out of the city to go to tell [it] in Jezreel."

If these captains had really declared Jehu king, along with the LORD having him anointed king, then the news must not get back to Joram at this time. The captains must keep this among themselves, until this was established. It was very important for it to be a secret at this time. If Joram found out, he would declare war against them now, and they would be greatly outnumbered. They must go at this systematically.

2 Kings 9:16 "So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram."

We see that Jehu went directly to Jezreel, where the king was. It appears, that he had taken a company of skilled men with him. He wanted to arrive before any news leaked to the king that he had been anointed king, himself. The king of Judah, Ahaziah, was there visiting Joram.

2 Kings 9:17 "And there stood a watchman 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 an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, [Is it] peace?"

This watchman had been set here, to warn the king of anything that might be a problem. The scout that was to be sent out was to determine, whether these people were enemies, or friends. Joram was not suspecting, that someone from his own country would be a problem to him.

2 Kings 9:18 "So 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 again."

This is just another way of saying, that he would not tell the messenger what his business was. He did tell him not to go back to Jezreel, but just keep on going away from the city. The scout realized there was something not just right here, and he went on behind Jehu. He did not go back to the city. The watchman, who had reported this to Joram, told him about this latest event.

2 Kings 9:19 "Then he sent out a second on horseback, which 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."

2 Kings 9:20 "And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving [is] like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously."

The second man sent out to find out if this visit was peaceful, or not, did the same thing as the first. He just kept going, instead of taking back a word to Joram. The chariot of Jehu was getting closer now, and the watchman thought he recognized Jehu. It appears, that Jehu had been a very aggressive captain, because the watchman recognized him by the speed of his chariot.

2 Kings 9:21 "And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite."

The king of Judah and the king of Israel went out to meet the newly anointed king of Israel. They, probably, were not expecting a fight, but were just anxious to hear of the reason for the hurry. The portion of Naboth was very near the town. They were just outside the walls of the city. This had to be, because the LORD wanted them to die where they had committed the sins. All of this, of course, was God’s plans.

2 Kings 9:22 "And 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?"

Jehu, we must remember, was doing exactly what the LORD had told him to do through the prophet. It was the LORD that wanted the house of Ahab destroyed. It appears, Joram realized, before he got to Jehu, that something was wrong, and called out to see if there was peace between them. The answer 227 that Jehu gave was as if he was saying, that the vengeance of the LORD has come on the house of Ahab, and especially on Jezebel. The whoredoms, spoken of here, was the harlotry in the church. She had men and women prostitutes, that worked for the church. She was a very evil woman.

2 Kings 9:23 "And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, [There is] treachery, O Ahaziah."

"Turning the hands" meant turning the chariot around, and going as fast as they could back to Jezreel. We must remember, that Ahaziah had connections to Jezebel and Ahab, as well. Joram shouted and warned Ahaziah.

2 Kings 9:24 "And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot."

It appears, the arrow went completely through the body of Joram. He was shot in the heart. This arrow was a fatal strike. He fell into the bottom of the chariot.

2 Kings 9:25 "Then 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, the LORD laid this burden upon him;"

It seems, that Jehu chose Bidkar to carry him to the very spot, where the LORD said he was to be judged. 1 Kings 21:19 "And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." 1 Kings 21:29 "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: [but] in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house."

2 Kings 9:26 "Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take [and] cast him into the plat [of ground], according to the word of the LORD."

The Word of the LORD is absolute. Whatever He says, He will do.

2 Kings 9:27 "But 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 did so] at the going up to Gur, which [is] by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there."

The LORD, in a sense, had told him to kill Ahaziah, as well, because he was descended from Ahab. Ahaziah saw what happened to Joram and turned his own chariot toward his home. It is not said who killed him, only that he was killed under orders of Jehu.

2 Kings 9:28 "And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David."

Ahaziah reigned for a very short period of time {one year}. He had already prepared himself a sepulchre to be buried in. Jehu did not try to stop his servants from carrying him to Jerusalem to be buried. Jehu had no quarrel with the servants of Ahaziah. The servants carried him home for burial.

2 Kings 9:29 "And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah."

This is stressing the short period of time he reigned.

2 Kings 9:30 "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard [of it]; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window."

The painting of her face meant that she put on eye shadow and put color on her cheeks. She put her hair up. She was trying to make herself appealing to Jehu. She looked out the window to see Jehu.

2 Kings 9:31 "And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had] Zimri peace, who slew his master?"

She was calling Jehu, Zimri. Perhaps, she meant by this, that he was like Zimri. Zimri was a captain of hosts, like Jehu. He had taken the kingdom from Elah, but he only lasted 7 days. She could have been implying that Jehu would last just 7 days, because he killed his master.

2 Kings 9:32 "And 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."

The LORD had commanded Jehu to destroy Jezebel. All of her beauty would have no effect on eunuchs. She was, probably, wicked to her slaves, as she was to everyone else. They would, probably, be happy to see her dead. The eunuchs were on Jehu’s side.

2 Kings 9:33 "And 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 trode her under foot."

It appears, that Jehu does not just want her killed, but humiliated in the process. This had been the most evil woman in all history. Her death must fit the crime. Even the treading of the horses over her, was to show Jehu’s total disgust of her.

2 Kings 9:34 "And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed [woman], and bury her: for she [is] a king’s daughter."

Her death did not curb his appetite. It was appropriate for Jezebel to be called {cursed woman}. She had been the daughter of a neighboring king, as well as being queen of Israel. He would have her buried out of respect for the office, not out of respect for her.

2 Kings 9:35 "And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of [her] hands."

She had been torn apart by the chariot, when it went over her, but the dogs had eaten the edible parts of her. This was all done very publicly, to show what the LORD thought of her.

2 Kings 9:36 "Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This [is] the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:"

The following is the Scripture which prophesied that very thing. 1 Kings 21:23 "And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel."

2 Kings 9:37 "And the carcase 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."

There would be no tomb, where people could go and raise a monument to her. She was not to be glorified in death, since she lived such a horrible life.

2 Kings 9 Questions

1. Who did Elisha call to run an errand for him?

2. Why did Elisha not go himself?

3. Where was Ramoth-gilead?

4. Who was he to go to see?

5. Who had first been told to anoint Jehu?

6. Jehu was actually the ____________ of Nimshi.

7. He was to be anointed ________ of Israel.

8. What was the young man to do, as soon as he has delivered the message to Jehu?

9. What did the young man call Jehu, in 2 Kings 9:5?

10. What did the young man do, when he had Jehu alone?

11. What was Jehu to do, when he took over as king?

12. Who had Jezebel been a threat to?

13. What did Ahab, Jeroboam, and Baasha have in common?

14. What will happen to Jezebel?

15. What did the other captains ask Jehu?

16. Why did they call the young prophet a mad man?

17. What did Jehu tell the captains?

18. What did they do, that showed they accepted him as king?

19. Why did they blow the trumpet?

20. What made this a conspiracy?

21. Where had Jehoram gone, to get over his wounds in battle?

22. Why is it important for the news to be withheld now?

23. How did Jehu get to Jezreel?

24. Who is in Jezreel visiting Joram?

25. Who told Joram, that Jehu was coming?

26. What does he do, to see if they are friendly or not?

27. Who went out to meet Jehu?

28. How was Joram killed?

29. Where did they carry Ahaziah’s body, after he was killed?

30. How long had Ahaziah reigned in Judah?

31. What does Jezebel do, when she sees Jehu coming?

32. Why does she call him Zimri?

33. What happens to Jezebel?

Verse 1

2Ki 9:1