2 Kings 9 Study Notes: Jehu Anointed and Jezebel Falls
Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint the army commander Jehu as Israel’s king, charging him to wipe out Ahab’s family for Jezebel’s murder of the prophets. Jehu races to Jezreel, kills King Joram on Naboth’s land, and has Ahaziah of Judah struck down. Jezebel is thrown from a window and dies, as Elijah foretold.
General
What happened to Judah’s King Ahaziah when he fled from Jehu (2 Kings 9:27-28)?
Answer: He was wounded, died at Megiddo, and was buried in Jerusalem
Seeing Joram fall, Ahaziah of Judah fled. Jehu chased him and ordered him shot as well. Ahaziah was hit in his chariot near Ibleam, got as far as Megiddo, and died. His servants brought his body back by chariot, and he was buried with his ancestors in David’s city (9:27-28). Ahaziah had bound himself closely to Ahab’s family: he followed its ways, did evil like it, and was related to it by marriage (2 Kings 8:27). His father Jehoram had married one of Ahab’s daughters (2 Kings 8:18). He fell in the same revolt that killed Joram, the king of the house he had joined himself to.
- 2 Kings 9:27-28 (BSB)“When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.”Ahaziah of Judah flees, is shot, dies at Megiddo, and is buried in Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 8:27 (BSB)“And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.”Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab’s house and was related to it by marriage.
- 2 Kings 8:18 (BSB)“And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.”His father Jehoram had married a daughter of Ahab, tying Judah’s royal line to Ahab’s house.
Theological
What is the fate of Ahaziah of Judah after Joram falls (2 Kings 9:27-28)?
Answer: He was wounded, died at Megiddo, and was buried in Jerusalem
Ahaziah flees but is struck at Jehu’s order near Ibleam, dies at Megiddo, and is buried by his servants in Jerusalem (9:27-28). His death is tied to his alignment with Ahab’s house: he walked in its ways and was its son-in-law (2 Kings 8:27), his father Jehoram having married Ahab’s daughter (2 Kings 8:18). He falls in the same revolt as Joram, alongside the house he had joined himself to.
- 2 Kings 9:27-28 (BSB)“When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.”Ahaziah of Judah flees, is shot, dies at Megiddo, and is buried in Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 8:27 (BSB)“And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.”Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab’s house and was related to it by marriage.
- 2 Kings 8:18 (BSB)“And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.”His father Jehoram had married a daughter of Ahab, tying Judah’s royal line to Ahab’s house.
General
How did the army commanders respond once Jehu told them he had been anointed king (2 Kings 9:13)?
Answer: They spread their cloaks under him and hailed him as king
The commanders acted at once. Each man quickly laid his cloak on the steps beneath Jehu, they sounded the ram’s horn (a trumpet made from an animal horn), and they announced that Jehu was king (9:13). Sounding the horn and shouting was how a new king was publicly proclaimed, as when Solomon was anointed (1 Kings 1:39). Spreading garments in front of someone was a sign of honor for a king; crowds did something similar when Jesus rode into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8).
- 2 Kings 9:13 (BSB)“Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!””The commanders spread their garments under Jehu, sound the horn, and proclaim him king.
- 1 Kings 1:39 (BSB)“Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!””At Solomon’s anointing the horn was blown and the people proclaimed him king, the same ritual of accession.
- Matthew 21:8 (BSB)“A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.”The crowd spread cloaks on the road before Jesus, a similar act of royal honor.
Theological
What is the commanders’ response to the news of Jehu’s anointing (2 Kings 9:13)?
Answer: They spread their cloaks under him and hailed him as king
The commanders immediately acknowledge Jehu: they spread their garments beneath him on the steps, blow a horn, and proclaim him king (9:13). The horn blast and acclamation are the customary marks of a royal accession, as at Solomon’s anointing (1 Kings 1:39), and laying down garments is an act of homage to a king, comparable to the crowd’s gesture at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8).
- 2 Kings 9:13 (BSB)“Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!””The commanders spread their garments under Jehu, sound the horn, and proclaim him king.
- 1 Kings 1:39 (BSB)“Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!””At Solomon’s anointing the horn was blown and the people proclaimed him king, the same ritual of accession.
- Matthew 21:8 (BSB)“A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.”The crowd spread cloaks on the road before Jesus, a similar act of royal honor.
General
After the young prophet anointed Jehu at Ramoth-gilead, what had Elisha told him to do next (2 Kings 9:1-3)?
Answer: Hurry out of the house and flee without lingering
Elisha sent a member of the prophetic company (a group of prophets who served under Elisha’s leadership) to Ramoth-gilead with a flask of oil. He was to find Jehu, take him away from the other officers into a private room, anoint him with the oil, and announce that the LORD was making him king over Israel. To anoint means to pour oil on someone to mark them out for a task God has given. Then he was to leave immediately and run (9:1-3). This carried out the commission the LORD had given Elijah at Horeb years before, to anoint Jehu as Israel’s king (1 Kings 19:16). Kings do not rise by chance: God is the one who deposes rulers and installs them (Daniel 2:21).
- 2 Kings 9:1-3 (BSB)“Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!””Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu privately and then flee.
- 1 Kings 19:16 (BSB)“You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.”At Horeb the LORD told Elijah that Jehu would be anointed king, so this anointing fulfills that earlier word.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God is the one who sets up and removes kings, which is what happens through this anointing.
Theological
What were Elisha’s instructions for the young prophet once Jehu had been anointed (2 Kings 9:1-3)?
Answer: Hurry out of the house and flee without lingering
Elisha dispatches one of the prophetic company to Ramoth-gilead with oil, telling him to take Jehu aside into a private room, anoint him, pronounce the LORD’s word making him Israel’s king, and then flee at once (9:1-3). The scene carries out the commission given to Elijah at Horeb to anoint Jehu as Israel’s king (1 Kings 19:16). The LORD who deposes and installs rulers (Daniel 2:21) is directing the change of dynasty through His prophetic word.
- 2 Kings 9:1-3 (BSB)“Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!””Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu privately and then flee.
- 1 Kings 19:16 (BSB)“You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.”At Horeb the LORD told Elijah that Jehu would be anointed king, so this anointing fulfills that earlier word.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God is the one who sets up and removes kings, which is what happens through this anointing.
General
True or False: The young prophet said Ahab’s dynasty would end the way the royal families of Jeroboam and Baasha had ended.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD’s message said that Ahab’s whole family would perish, with every male in it cut off, and that it would become like the families of Jeroboam and of Baasha (9:8-9). Both of those earlier royal families had been wiped out just as prophets foretold: Baasha destroyed Jeroboam’s household as the prophet Ahijah had said (1 Kings 15:29), and Zimri destroyed Baasha’s household as the prophet Jehu son of Hanani had said (1 Kings 16:11-12). Elijah had already announced this same comparison to Ahab after the murder of Naboth (1 Kings 21:21-22). Now that word was about to be carried out.
- 2 Kings 9:8-9 (BSB)“The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah.”The oracle announces the end of Ahab’s house and compares it to two earlier dynasties.
- 1 Kings 21:21-22 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’”Elijah had already pronounced this very sentence and comparison over Ahab.
- 1 Kings 15:29 (BSB)“As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,”Jeroboam’s house was destroyed exactly as the LORD had said through Ahijah.
- 1 Kings 16:11-12 (BSB)“As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend. So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.”Baasha’s house was likewise destroyed according to the prophetic word, the pattern Ahab’s house would follow.
Theological
True or False: The oracle to Jehu compares the coming end of Ahab’s dynasty to the fall of the royal families of Jeroboam and Baasha.
Answer: True
This is true. The oracle declares that every male of Ahab’s house will be cut off and that his house will be made like those of Jeroboam and Baasha (9:8-9). Both precedents were dynasties ended exactly as prophets foretold: Jeroboam’s by Baasha, as Ahijah had said (1 Kings 15:29), and Baasha’s by Zimri, as Jehu son of Hanani had said (1 Kings 16:11-12). Elijah had pronounced the same comparison over Ahab after Naboth’s murder (1 Kings 21:21-22), and the anointing of Jehu sets that word in motion.
- 2 Kings 9:8-9 (BSB)“The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah.”The oracle announces the end of Ahab’s house and compares it to two earlier dynasties.
- 1 Kings 21:21-22 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’”Elijah had already pronounced this very sentence and comparison over Ahab.
- 1 Kings 15:29 (BSB)“As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,”Jeroboam’s house was destroyed exactly as the LORD had said through Ahijah.
- 1 Kings 16:11-12 (BSB)“As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend. So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.”Baasha’s house was likewise destroyed according to the prophetic word, the pattern Ahab’s house would follow.
General
What did Jehu call up toward Jezebel’s window, and who responded (2 Kings 9:32-33)?
Answer: He asked who would side with him, and a few eunuchs did
Jehu did not answer Jezebel’s insult. He looked up and called out, asking who would take his side. A few eunuchs (palace servants) leaned out to see him. At Jehu’s command they threw Jezebel down from the window, and she died there (9:32-33). Jezebel had killed the LORD’s prophets (1 Kings 18:4), and the LORD’s word at Jehu’s anointing had named her guilt for their blood (9:7). Elijah had foretold her end at Jezreel years before (1 Kings 21:23), and the LORD’s judgment on her came exactly where He had said.
- 2 Kings 9:32 (BSB)“He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.”Jehu calls up to the window, and two or three eunuchs look down at him.
- 1 Kings 18:4 (BSB)“for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)”Jezebel had slaughtered the LORD’s prophets, the guilt for which judgment now falls.
- 2 Kings 9:7 (BSB)“And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.”The LORD’s word at Jehu’s anointing named Jezebel’s guilt for the blood of His prophets and servants.
Theological
How does Jehu answer Jezebel’s taunt, and who responds (2 Kings 9:32-33)?
Answer: He asked who would side with him, and a few eunuchs did
Ignoring the taunt, Jehu appeals to anyone in the palace who will side with him; a few eunuchs answer, and at his command they cast Jezebel down to her death (9:32-33). The persecutor of the LORD’s prophets (1 Kings 18:4), whose guilt for their blood the anointing oracle had named (9:7), falls at Jezreel exactly as Elijah had announced (1 Kings 21:23).
- 2 Kings 9:32 (BSB)“He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.”Jehu calls up to the window, and two or three eunuchs look down at him.
- 1 Kings 18:4 (BSB)“for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)”Jezebel had slaughtered the LORD’s prophets, the guilt for which judgment now falls.
- 2 Kings 9:7 (BSB)“And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.”The LORD’s word at Jehu’s anointing named Jezebel’s guilt for the blood of His prophets and servants.
General
According to the LORD’s message to Jehu, why was Ahab’s dynasty to be destroyed (2 Kings 9:6-7)?
Answer: To repay Jezebel’s killing of the LORD’s prophets and servants
The young prophet anointed Jehu and declared the LORD’s word: Jehu was now king, and he was to destroy the family of Ahab, his former master. The reason the LORD gave was justice for blood already shed, because Jezebel had killed the LORD’s prophets and many of His servants (9:6-7). Earlier, while Jezebel was murdering the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden a hundred of them in caves (1 Kings 18:4). Moses had sung that God brings justice for His children whose blood has been shed (Deuteronomy 32:43). Vengeance belongs to God, not to private individuals (Romans 12:19). Here God Himself names the crime and appoints the one who will carry out His sentence.
- 2 Kings 9:6-7 (BSB)“So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.”The young prophet anoints Jehu and gives the LORD’s reason for judging Ahab’s house.
- 1 Kings 18:4 (BSB)“for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)”This records Jezebel’s slaughter of the LORD’s prophets, the bloodshed God now avenges.
- Deuteronomy 32:43 (BSB)“Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.”Moses’ song promises that God will avenge the blood of His children, as He does here.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Vengeance belongs to the Lord, so the judgment on Ahab’s house is God’s own sentence, not Jehu’s private revenge.
Theological
What reason does the LORD give for commissioning Jehu against Ahab’s dynasty (2 Kings 9:6-7)?
Answer: To repay Jezebel’s killing of the LORD’s prophets and servants
The oracle anoints Jehu as king of the LORD’s people and assigns him the destruction of Ahab’s house, with an explicit rationale: the LORD will bring justice for His prophets and servants whom Jezebel killed (9:6-7). Her persecution of the prophets is recorded earlier (1 Kings 18:4), and the Song of Moses promises that God will vindicate His children whose blood was shed (Deuteronomy 32:43). Since vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19), Jehu’s commission is not private revenge but a judicial sentence that God Himself pronounces and assigns to His chosen instrument.
- 2 Kings 9:6-7 (BSB)“So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.”The young prophet anoints Jehu and gives the LORD’s reason for judging Ahab’s house.
- 1 Kings 18:4 (BSB)“for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)”This records Jezebel’s slaughter of the LORD’s prophets, the bloodshed God now avenges.
- Deuteronomy 32:43 (BSB)“Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.”Moses’ song promises that God will avenge the blood of His children, as He does here.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Vengeance belongs to the Lord, so the judgment on Ahab’s house is God’s own sentence, not Jehu’s private revenge.
General
When Jehu entered Jezreel, what did Jezebel call him from her window (2 Kings 9:30-31)?
Answer: Zimri, killer of his own master
When Jehu arrived, Jezebel painted her eyes, arranged her hair, and watched from a window. As he entered, she asked him whether he came in peace and called him Zimri, the murderer of his master (9:30-31). The name was a pointed insult. Zimri had been an army officer who plotted against King Elah, killed him, and took the throne (1 Kings 16:9-10), but he reigned only seven days (1 Kings 16:15). Jezebel threw the name at Jehu as a traitor who had killed his king.
- 2 Kings 9:30-31 (BSB)“Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?””Jezebel prepares herself and taunts Jehu from her window as he enters the gate.
- 1 Kings 16:9-10 (BSB)“However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place.”Zimri conspired against King Elah and killed him, the deed Jezebel’s insult recalls.
- 1 Kings 16:15 (BSB)“In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines,”Zimri reigned only seven days, which makes the comparison a pointed taunt.
Theological
By what name does Jezebel taunt Jehu as he enters the gate of Jezreel (2 Kings 9:30-31)?
Answer: Zimri, killer of his own master
Jezebel meets Jehu with painted eyes and adorned head, greeting him from a window with the mocking peace-question and the epithet Zimri, murderer of his master (9:30-31). The allusion is pointed: Zimri, a chariot commander, conspired against and killed King Elah and seized the throne (1 Kings 16:9-10), only to reign seven days (1 Kings 16:15). She brands Jehu a regicide in the same mold.
- 2 Kings 9:30-31 (BSB)“Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?””Jezebel prepares herself and taunts Jehu from her window as he enters the gate.
- 1 Kings 16:9-10 (BSB)“However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place.”Zimri conspired against King Elah and killed him, the deed Jezebel’s insult recalls.
- 1 Kings 16:15 (BSB)“In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines,”Zimri reigned only seven days, which makes the comparison a pointed taunt.
General
Why was King Joram of Israel in Jezreel when Jehu rode out against him (2 Kings 9:14-16)?
Answer: He was healing from wounds received fighting the Arameans
Joram and the army of Israel had been guarding Ramoth-gilead against the forces of Hazael, Aram’s king. Joram was hurt in that fighting and had gone back to Jezreel so his wounds could heal (9:14-15; 8:28-29). Ahaziah, Judah’s king, had come down to visit him there (9:16). Jehu ordered that nobody slip out of the city to warn Jezreel, then drove there himself. Each king had his own reasons for being in Jezreel, yet God’s providence, meaning His wise ordering of all events, brought both of them to the very place where the man He had anointed was coming. People make their plans, but the LORD directs their steps (Proverbs 16:9).
- 2 Kings 9:14-16 (BSB)“Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.” Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.”The narrator explains why Joram was in Jezreel and why Ahaziah of Judah was with him.
- 2 Kings 8:28-29 (BSB)“Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.”The previous chapter records Joram’s wounding at Ramoth-gilead and Ahaziah’s visit to Jezreel.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their own way, but the LORD directs where their steps lead.
Theological
What had brought King Joram to Jezreel at the time of Jehu’s revolt (2 Kings 9:14-16)?
Answer: He was healing from wounds received fighting the Arameans
Joram, wounded by the Arameans while holding Ramoth-gilead against Hazael’s army, had withdrawn to Jezreel to heal (9:14-15; 8:28-29), and Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit him (9:16). Jehu sealed the camp so no word could reach Jezreel ahead of him. Providence is at work in the ordinary movements of both kings: their own plans placed them together in Jezreel just as the LORD’s anointed instrument against Ahab’s house arrived, for the LORD determines the steps of those who plan their course (Proverbs 16:9).
- 2 Kings 9:14-16 (BSB)“Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.” Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.”The narrator explains why Joram was in Jezreel and why Ahaziah of Judah was with him.
- 2 Kings 8:28-29 (BSB)“Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.”The previous chapter records Joram’s wounding at Ramoth-gilead and Ahaziah’s visit to Jezreel.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their own way, but the LORD directs where their steps lead.
General
Where did Jehu order Joram’s body to be thrown, and why (2 Kings 9:25-26)?
Answer: On Naboth’s field, to fulfill the LORD’s word against Ahab
Joram turned to flee, warning Ahaziah of treachery, and Jehu shot him with an arrow (9:23-24). Jehu then told Bidkar, his officer, to throw the body onto the field that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. He reminded Bidkar that when the two of them rode behind Ahab, the LORD had pronounced a solemn sentence against Ahab: because of the murder of Naboth and his sons, the LORD would repay Ahab on that very piece of land (9:25-26). Ahab had gone to seize Naboth’s vineyard after Naboth was murdered, and the LORD sent Elijah to meet him there (1 Kings 21:17-18) and pronounce His judgment on Ahab for the murder (1 Kings 21:19). When Ahab humbled himself, the LORD said He would bring the disaster on Ahab’s house in his son’s days instead (1 Kings 21:29). Joram was that son.
- 2 Kings 9:25-26 (BSB)“And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.””Jehu orders Joram’s body thrown onto Naboth’s plot and recalls the LORD’s word against Ahab.
- 1 Kings 21:17-18 (BSB)“Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it.”The LORD sent Elijah to confront Ahab in Naboth’s vineyard, which Ahab had gone to seize, and the sentence on Ahab followed in the next verse.
- 1 Kings 21:29 (BSB)““Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.””Because Ahab humbled himself, the LORD said the calamity would fall on his house in his son’s days.
Theological
Where does Jehu have Joram’s body cast, and on what basis (2 Kings 9:25-26)?
Answer: On Naboth’s field, to fulfill the LORD’s word against Ahab
After shooting the fleeing Joram (9:23-24), Jehu orders Bidkar to cast the body onto Naboth’s plot, recalling the prophetic burden the LORD pronounced against Ahab when they rode behind him: the LORD would repay Ahab on that plot for the killing of Naboth and his sons (9:25-26). The LORD had sent Elijah to confront Ahab in the vineyard he had gone to seize (1 Kings 21:17-18) and to pronounce judgment on him for the murder (1 Kings 21:19), and after Ahab humbled himself the LORD deferred the calamity to his son’s days (1 Kings 21:29). Joram’s death on Naboth’s land is that deferred sentence arriving.
- 2 Kings 9:25-26 (BSB)“And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.””Jehu orders Joram’s body thrown onto Naboth’s plot and recalls the LORD’s word against Ahab.
- 1 Kings 21:17-18 (BSB)“Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it.”The LORD sent Elijah to confront Ahab in Naboth’s vineyard, which Ahab had gone to seize, and the sentence on Ahab followed in the next verse.
- 1 Kings 21:29 (BSB)““Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.””Because Ahab humbled himself, the LORD said the calamity would fall on his house in his son’s days.
General
When Jehu’s fellow officers asked about the visitor who had just run off, how did Jehu first answer them (2 Kings 9:11-12)?
Answer: He brushed the man off as a talker of nonsense
The officers called the young prophet a madman. Jehu at first brushed off the question, saying they knew that sort of man and how he rambles. The officers did not accept that answer and pressed him, so Jehu told them the truth: the prophet had announced in the LORD’s name that he was anointed king over Israel (9:11-12). Prophets were often treated as crazy by the people around them. In Jeremiah’s day Shemaiah, a man who prophesied without being sent by the LORD, wrote a letter urging that Jeremiah be locked up as a madman pretending to be a prophet (Jeremiah 29:26-27). Hosea says that because of Israel’s great sin, people regarded the prophet as foolish and the man moved by God as insane (Hosea 9:7).
- 2 Kings 9:11-12 (BSB)“When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied. “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, saying, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’””The officers question Jehu about the prophet, and Jehu first deflects before telling them.
- Jeremiah 29:26-27 (BSB)“‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons. So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?”Shemaiah wrote urging that Jeremiah be punished as a madman posing as a prophet.
- Hosea 9:7 (BSB)“The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.”Hosea says Israel called the LORD’s prophet a fool and insane.
Theological
How does Jehu initially answer the officers’ question about the prophet who has just fled (2 Kings 9:11-12)?
Answer: He brushed the man off as a talker of nonsense
The officers dismiss the young prophet as a madman, and Jehu first deflects, saying they know such men and their babble. When they insist, he reports the oracle of his anointing (9:11-12). The scorn reflects a familiar pattern: Shemaiah, prophesying without the LORD’s sending, demanded that Jeremiah be confined as a madman posing as a prophet (Jeremiah 29:26-27), and Hosea says Israel counted the prophet foolish and the one moved by God mad on account of its vast iniquity (Hosea 9:7).
- 2 Kings 9:11-12 (BSB)“When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied. “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, saying, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’””The officers question Jehu about the prophet, and Jehu first deflects before telling them.
- Jeremiah 29:26-27 (BSB)“‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons. So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?”Shemaiah wrote urging that Jeremiah be punished as a madman posing as a prophet.
- Hosea 9:7 (BSB)“The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.”Hosea says Israel called the LORD’s prophet a fool and insane.
General
When Joram asked Jehu whether he came in peace, what reason did Jehu give for saying there could be no peace (2 Kings 9:22)?
Answer: Jezebel’s idol worship and sorcery still filled the land
The same question came three times. Two horsemen rode out asking whether Jehu came in peace; Jehu asked each one what he knew about peace and ordered him to fall in behind, and neither returned. Then the watchman recognized Jehu by his wild driving (9:17-20). When Joram himself asked, Jehu answered that there could be no peace while the idolatry (worship of false gods) and witchcraft of Joram’s mother Jezebel went on everywhere (9:22). Jezebel had drawn Ahab into the worship of Baal, a Canaanite god (1 Kings 16:31), and Ahab gave himself over to evil with her urging (1 Kings 21:25). The LORD declares that the wicked have no peace (Isaiah 48:22).
- 2 Kings 9:22 (BSB)“When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?””Joram asks if Jehu comes in peace, and Jehu names Jezebel’s idolatry and witchcraft.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.”Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel led him into Baal worship, the idolatry Jehu names.
- 1 Kings 21:25 (BSB)“(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.”Ahab did evil incited by Jezebel, showing her role in Israel’s sin.
- Isaiah 48:22 (BSB)““There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.””The LORD says the wicked have no peace, the principle behind Jehu’s answer.
Theological
On what ground does Jehu answer Joram that there can be no peace (2 Kings 9:22)?
Answer: Jezebel’s idol worship and sorcery still filled the land
Joram’s repeated question about peace, carried first by two riders whom Jehu absorbs into his column (9:17-20), receives a theological answer: there can be no peace while the idolatry and sorceries of Jezebel abound (9:22). Jezebel had led Ahab into Baal worship (1 Kings 16:31) and incited him to evil (1 Kings 21:25). The LORD’s word that the wicked have no peace (Isaiah 48:22) stands behind Jehu’s reply.
- 2 Kings 9:22 (BSB)“When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?””Joram asks if Jehu comes in peace, and Jehu names Jezebel’s idolatry and witchcraft.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.”Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel led him into Baal worship, the idolatry Jehu names.
- 1 Kings 21:25 (BSB)“(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.”Ahab did evil incited by Jezebel, showing her role in Israel’s sin.
- Isaiah 48:22 (BSB)““There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.””The LORD says the wicked have no peace, the principle behind Jehu’s answer.
General
When the men sent to bury Jezebel found almost nothing left of her, how did Jehu explain it (2 Kings 9:34-37)?
Answer: It fulfilled what the LORD had said through Elijah
Jehu went inside, ate and drank, and then ordered that Jezebel be buried, since she was a king’s daughter (9:34). Her father was Ethbaal, who ruled the Sidonians (1 Kings 16:31). But the men found only a few remains. Jehu recognized that this was what the LORD had foretold by Elijah about Jezebel’s end on the land at Jezreel (9:35-37). Elijah had foretold it years before (1 Kings 21:23), and it came true just as spoken; Jehu soon declared that the LORD had carried out everything He promised through Elijah (10:10). God does not speak and then fail to act (Numbers 23:19).
- 2 Kings 9:34 (BSB)“Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.””Jehu orders that Jezebel be buried because she was a king’s daughter.
- 2 Kings 10:10 (BSB)“Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.””Jehu later declares that the LORD has done all He promised through Elijah against Ahab’s house.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.”Jezebel was the daughter of a Sidonian king, the reason Jehu ordered her burial.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”God always carries out what He says, as the fulfillment of Elijah’s word shows.
Theological
How does Jehu interpret the report that almost nothing of Jezebel remained to bury (2 Kings 9:34-37)?
Answer: It fulfilled what the LORD had said through Elijah
Jehu orders burial for Jezebel as a king’s daughter (9:34), her father being Ethbaal of Sidon (1 Kings 16:31), but the burial party finds only remnants. Jehu identifies this as the word the LORD spoke through Elijah the Tishbite concerning Jezebel at Jezreel (9:35-37; 1 Kings 21:23), as he later affirms that the LORD has carried out all He promised through Elijah (10:10). The narrative underscores the reliability of the prophetic word: God does not speak without acting (Numbers 23:19).
- 2 Kings 9:34 (BSB)“Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.””Jehu orders that Jezebel be buried because she was a king’s daughter.
- 2 Kings 10:10 (BSB)“Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.””Jehu later declares that the LORD has done all He promised through Elijah against Ahab’s house.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.”Jezebel was the daughter of a Sidonian king, the reason Jehu ordered her burial.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”God always carries out what He says, as the fulfillment of Elijah’s word shows.