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Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, “Put your belt on your waist, take this vial of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.
Verse 1. One. The Rabbins say Jonas; who at this rate, must have been very young, as he prophesied 50 years afterwards, under Jeroboam II. Calmet.—Eliseus did not go himself, to avoid giving umbrage, and in obedience to God’s order. Menochius.
When you come there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and make him rise up from among his brothers, and take him to an inner room.
Verse 2. Brethren. The captains, verse 5.
Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘The LORD says, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door, flee, and don’t wait.”
Verse 3. Bottle. See 1 Kennicott. 10:1. Elias had received orders to anoint Jehu, 3 Kennicott. 19:16. Calmet.—There. The utmost expedition was necessary, that Joram might be surprised, as well as Ochozias, and their devoted families. Menochius.
So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.
When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. Then he said, “I have a message for you, captain.” Jehu said, “To which one of us?” He said, “To you, O captain.”
He arose, and went into the house. Then he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.
You must strike your master Ahab’s house, 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.
Verse 7. Jezabel, who had persecuted the prophets unto death, 3 Kennicott. 18:4.
For the whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, both him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.
Verse 8. Israel. See Deuteronomy 32:36 and 3 Kennicott. 14:10 for an explanation of these expressions. Calmet.
or, male
I will make Ahab’s house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.
The dogs will eat Jezebel on the plot of ground of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.
Verse 10. Field, between the inner and the outer wall. Her body shall be left exposed to be eaten by the dogs.
When Jehu came out to the servants of his lord and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?” He said to them, “You know the man and how he talks.”
Verse 11. Madman. The extravagant motions of the false prophets caused even the true ones to be treated with contempt. Warriors are but too apt to give way to sentiments of irreligion, ( Menochius.) and to despise men who lead a retired and penitential life. Bible.—How often were Ezechiel and Jeremias treated as fools, (Ezekiel 33:30. Jeremias 29:26. Calmet.) as well as our divine Saviour? The pagans looked upon those who were inspired by Apollo in the same light. Bible.—Ut primum cessit furor & rabida ora quierunt, Virg. Æneid vi. “What authority has this fury, which you call divine, that the insane should behold what escapes the observation of the wise, and that he who has lost common (human) sense should possess divine?” ea videat insanus, & is qui humanos sensus amiserit, divinos assecutus sit? Cicero Divin. ii.
They said, “That is a lie. Tell us now.” He said, “He said to me, ‘The LORD says, I have anointed you king over Israel.’”
Verse 12. False. We know not who he was, or what he said; though, from his conduct, we judge that he was one of the prophets. Hence they so readily acquiesced in saluting Jehu king. Bible.
Then they hurried, and each man took his cloak, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king.”
Verse 13. Garment, out of respect, as the multitude honoured Jesus Christ, Matthew 21:7. The pagans sometimes did the like when they carried their idols in procession. Plut. in Alcib. The king of Persia walked on carpets in the court of the guards, who were styled immortal. Athen. 12.—Trumpet, according to custom, 3 Kennicott. 1:40. Calmet.
So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria;
Verse 14. Conspired, with the captains. Menochius.—Besieged, as it is observed above. Calmet. 25:29. Hebrew “had kept ( Bible.) or observed;” watching the motions of Hazael, lest he should return, or succour the citadel.
but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) Jehu said, “If this is your thinking, then let no one escape and go out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel.”
So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.
Now 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.” Joram said, “Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”
Verse 17. Watchman. Such were very common, (2 Kennicott. 18:24. 1 Maccabees 12:26) and as the army was at Ramoth, the attention of the people would be drawn that way. Calmet.—Troop. Septuagint “the dust of the,” and so forth Menochius.
So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, “the king says, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!” The watchman said, “The messenger came to them, but he isn’t coming back.”
Verse 18. Peace? As this expression sufficiently vindicated the designs of Jehu, he would not suffer the messenger to return before him. Bible.
Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them and said, “The king says, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!”
The watchman said, “He came to them, and isn’t coming back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”
Verse 20. Furiously. The Chal. and Arab. say, “he marcheth slowly.” But the whole conduct of Jehu was marked with eagerness and severity, like that of Cato of Utica, (Grotius) and the utmost expedition was requisite.
Joram said, “Get ready!” They got his chariot ready. Then 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 on Naboth the Jezreelite’s land.
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?”
Verse 22. Jehu? The king supposed that he had meet with some defeat, ( Calmet.) of that he wished to announce the good tidings in person. Menochius. Salien, A.Calmet. 902.—Vigour? How can Israel prosper? Bible.
Joram turned his hands and fled, and said to Ahaziah, “This is treason, Ahaziah!”
Verse 23. Hand. Or ordered his charioteer to flee with all speed. Menochius.
Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up, and throw him in the plot of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how, when you and I rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden on him:
Verse 25. Sitting. Hebrew “rode together after,” as if they were two abreast. Calmet.—Burden, or dreadful misfortune. Menochius.
‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will repay you in this plot of ground,’ says the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him onto the plot of ground, according to the LORD’s word.”
Verse 26. Children. We do not read these words before, or that the children of Naboth were slain; but it is very usual to supply in one place what has been omitted in another, and Achab was not required to make restitution, ( Calmet.) as there were no heirs probably left. Menochius. Worthington.
But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. Jehu followed after him, and said, “Strike him also in the chariot!” They struck him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo, and died there.
Verse 27. House. Septuagint retain “Baithgan,” the original term, as if it were the name of that road. Menochius.—Ochozias wanted to reach the palace by the garden, which was the source of the miseries of Achab’s family.—There. Being brought back from Samaria, 2 Chronicles 22:9. ( Calmet.) or lurking in that kingdom, ( Menochius.) and slain by Jehu as being the grandson of Jezabel. Great troubles took place in Juda, in consequence of his death. Calmet.
His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in David’s city.
In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
Verse 29. Eleventh, or rather the twelfth, (Calmet. 8:25. Houbigant) unless he had been associated with his father on the throne a year before his death. Calmet. D.
When Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out at the window.
Verse 30. Stone, or antimony, to make the eyes look black and large. If ( Calmet.) Jezabel thought that she would thus command respect or love, (Abulensis) she was extremely imprudent and rash, in her present condition. Pride might suggest that she ought not to appear unadorned. Calmet. Tirinus.—The women of the Eastern countries delight much in painting, (Pliny xi. 37. and xxxiii. 6.) and some men have not been ashamed to follow their example. S. Cyp.—Sardanapalus had his eyes and his eye-lids painted. Athen. xii. The Arabs, and so forth think that this black colour protects the eyes against the sun-beams. Valle ii. Ep. 17. To express the affection of Jezabel, Hebrew has, “she placed her eyes in antimony,” (fuc, or puc, whence the Latin fucus is visibly derived) as if she plunged them in it. Calmet.
As Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?”
Verse 31. Master. Being convinced that she could not gain the affections of Jehu, ( Bible.) and thinking that he would not lay hands on a woman, ( Menochius.) she insolently, or in despair, ( Bible.) upbraids him as a new Zambri, who might expect a similar fate, 3 Kennicott. 16. Calmet.—The name of Zambri was used proverbially to denote an ungrateful rebel; as with us Judas is used for a traitor. Tirinus.
He lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
Verse 32. This. “Who dares address me with such provoking language?” Hebrew “Who with me, who?” will punish the wretch? The eunuchs, who had hitherto waited upon Jezabel, immediately shewed their readiness to take part with her enemy: so little dependence can be placed on servants in the hour of adversity, when they have long been witnesses of their masters’ crimes.—Hoofs. Hebrew “and the horses, and he trod her under foot.” Bible.—Jehu shewed the example. Menochius.
He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses. Then he trampled her under foot.
When he had come in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.”
Verse 34. Bury. He had forgotten the prediction of Elias, verse 36. Salien.—Daughter of Ethbaal, wife of Achab, mother of Joram king of Israel, and mother-in-law of Joram king of Juda, and grandmother of his son Ochozias. Calmet.—Her great connexions seemed to entitle her to the rights of sepulture. Bible.
They went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.
Verse 35. Hands. All the rest had been presently devoured, or carried off by dogs. Bible.—Her precious jewels had been plundered by the soldiers. Menochius.
Therefore they came back, and told him. He said, “This is the LORD’s word, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘The dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel on the plot of Jezreel,
Verse 36. Field, or space between the walls, 3 Kennicott. 21:23. Calmet.
and the body of Jezebel will be as dung on the surface of the field on Jezreel’s land, so that they won’t say, “This is Jezebel.”’”
Verse 37. Jezabel? So fallen ( Menochius.) and degraded, though once possessed of so much power and beauty! sic transit gloria mundi. Hebrew and Septuagint “that they shall not say, This is Jezabel!” Bible.—No monument shall recall her to the remembrance of men. Calmet.—Her body cannot be recognized. This will be the fate of the greatest mortal beauties, a few days after their departure. S. Francis Borgia durst not take an oath that the corpse which he had to attend, was that of the late beautiful empress Isabella: so much was it already disfigured. This sight was the beginning of his conversion, and of that eminent sanctity to which he attained, by despising all that the world can give or take away. Bible.—The Spanish interpreters call Achab’s widow, Isabella: and she seems to have been the sister, or relation, of Dido, who founded Carthage about this time; ( Tirinus.) Salien says in the 16th year of Jehu. A.Calmet. 887. Bible.