CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Kings 9
Chapter 9 of 25
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Kings 9
Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu as king of Israel with orders to destroy the entire house of Ahab. Jehu rides furiously to Jezreel, kills King Joram and King Ahaziah, and brings about the gruesome death of Queen Jezebel.
Scripture
2 Kings 9
Jehu Is Anointed King
Study note
Elisha sent a young prophet to Ramoth-gilead to anoint Jehu, a military commander, as the new king of Israel. God's purpose was to have Jehu destroy the wicked house of Ahab and avenge the blood of the prophets that Jezebel had murdered. The young prophet poured oil on Jehu's head, delivered God's message, and fled. When Jehu told his fellow officers what happened, they enthusiastically proclaimed him king, blowing trumpets and spreading their cloaks on the steps for him.
1 Meanwhile, the prophet Elisha summoned one of the young prophets and gave him instructions: "Get yourself ready to travel. Take this flask of olive oil and hurry to Ramoth-gilead." 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:
2 "Find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, grandson of Nimshi, when you get there. Pull him away from the other officers into a private room." 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;
3 "Pour this oil over his head and say, 'The Lord declares: I am making you king over Israel.' Then fling the door open and run. Do not wait around." 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.
4 So the young prophet headed out to Ramoth-gilead. So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.
5 When he arrived, the army commanders were all sitting together. He announced, "Commander, I need to speak with you." Jehu asked, "Which one of us do you mean?" The prophet said, "You, commander." 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.
6 Jehu stood up and went inside with him. The young prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, "The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: 'I am anointing you king over the Lord's people, Israel.'" 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.
7 "You will wipe out Ahab's entire family. Through you, I will settle the score for the blood of my prophets and all my other servants that Jezebel murdered." 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.
8 "Every last male in Ahab's family will be destroyed. It does not matter if they are slave or free anywhere in Israel." 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:
9 "I will make Ahab's family end up like the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah." 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:
10 "And Jezebel's body will be eaten by dogs on the land at Jezreel. Nobody will give her a burial." Then the young prophet threw open the door and ran. 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.
11 When Jehu came back out to the other officers, one asked, "What was that all about? Why did that wild-eyed man come talk to you?" Jehu deflected, "You know how those types of people talk." 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.
12 They pressed him, "Come on, tell us the truth. What did he say?" Jehu admitted, "He told me, 'The Lord says: I am making you king over Israel.'" 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.
13 Without a second of hesitation, each officer whipped off his cloak and spread it on the steps under Jehu. They blasted the trumpet and cheered, "Jehu is king!" 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.
Jehu Kills King Joram
Study note
Jehu rode furiously toward Jezreel, where King Joram was recovering from battle wounds. King Ahaziah of Judah was also there visiting. A watchman on the tower reported the approaching riders, noting that the leader drove like Jehu -- furiously. When Joram rode out to meet Jehu and asked if he came in peace, Jehu replied that there could be no peace as long as Jezebel's wickedness continued. Jehu shot Joram with an arrow through the heart and had his body thrown onto the field of Naboth, fulfilling God's prophecy about Ahab's family.
14 That is how Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, grandson of Nimshi, began his revolt against Joram. At that time, Joram and the whole army of Israel had been posted at Ramoth-gilead. They were defending it against King Hazael of Syria. 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.
15 King Joram, though, had gone back to Jezreel to recover from battle wounds. Jehu told his supporters, "If you are truly with me, do not let anyone slip out of this city to warn the people in Jezreel." 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.
16 Jehu got in his chariot and rode hard toward Jezreel. King Joram was there resting, and King Ahaziah of Judah had also come to visit him. 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.
17 A lookout posted on the tower in Jezreel spotted Jehu's group approaching. He called out, "I see a company of soldiers coming!" Joram ordered, "Send a horseman to meet them and find out if they come in peace." 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?
18 The horseman rode out and asked Jehu, "The king wants to know -- do you come in peace?" Jehu shot back, "Peace is none of your concern. Get behind me." The lookout reported, "The messenger got to them but is not coming back." 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.
19 Joram dispatched a second horseman. He too asked, "The king wants to know -- do you come in peace?" Jehu answered, "Peace is none of your concern. Get behind me." 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.
20 The lookout announced, "The messenger reached them but is not returning. And judging by the wild driving, it must be Jehu, Nimshi's grandson -- he drives like a maniac!" 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.
21 Joram shouted, "Get my chariot ready!" Both King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out in their own chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face at the very piece of land that had once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. 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.
22 Joram called out, "Jehu, do you come in peace?" Jehu fired back, "How can there be peace when your mother Jezebel keeps filling the land with idol worship and witchcraft?" 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?
23 Joram yanked his chariot around to escape and screamed to Ahaziah, "It is a trap, Ahaziah!" And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.
24 But Jehu drew his bow back with full force and shot Joram right between the shoulder blades. The arrow went straight through his heart, and he collapsed in his chariot. 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.
25 Jehu told his officer Bidkar, "Pick up his body and throw it on Naboth's field. Remember when we were both riding behind his father Ahab and the Lord made this announcement about him?" 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;
26 "'I saw what happened to Naboth and his sons yesterday,' the Lord declared, 'and I swear I will make you pay for it on this exact piece of ground.' So throw him onto the field, just as the Lord said." 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.
Ahaziah of Judah Is Killed
Study note
When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what happened to Joram, he fled. Jehu's men pursued him and wounded him at the hill of Gur near Ibleam. Ahaziah managed to escape to the city of Megiddo, where he died. His servants brought his body back to Jerusalem for burial.
27 King Ahaziah of Judah saw all this and fled toward Beth-haggan. Jehu chased him and shouted, "Get him too!" They wounded him in his chariot on the road near Ibleam going up to Gur. He managed to escape to Megiddo but died there. 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.
28 His men put his body in a chariot. They brought him to Jerusalem. They buried him in the royal tombs in the City of David. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.
29 Ahaziah had begun ruling Judah in the eleventh year of King Joram's reign. And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
The Death of Jezebel
Study note
When Jehu arrived at Jezreel, Jezebel had put on makeup and arranged her hair, looking out from an upper window. She taunted Jehu by referring to Zimri, another man who had murdered his king but only lasted seven days. Jehu looked up and asked who was on his side. Two or three servants threw Jezebel down from the window. Jehu ordered her buried since she was a king's daughter, but when they went to bury her, dogs had already eaten most of her body. This fulfilled Elijah's prophecy that dogs would eat Jezebel in the plot of land at Jezreel.
30 When Jehu reached Jezreel, Queen Jezebel got the news. She painted her eyes, fixed up her hair, and positioned herself at a window to watch. 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.
31 As Jehu came through the gate, she taunted him, "Did Zimri have any peace after he killed his own king?" She was mocking him by comparing him to Zimri, who assassinated a king but only held power for seven days. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
32 Jehu looked up toward the window and shouted, "Is anyone up there on my side?" Two or three servants peeked out at him. 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.
33 Jehu commanded, "Throw her down!" They pushed her out the window. Her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as Jehu drove his chariot right over her body. 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.
34 Jehu went inside the palace and sat down to eat and drink. Then he said, "Somebody go deal with that cursed woman and give her a proper burial -- after all, she was a king's daughter." 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.
35 But when they went out to bury her, they could only find her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. 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.
36 They reported back to Jehu. He said, "This is exactly what the Lord predicted through his servant Elijah: 'Dogs will eat Jezebel's body on the property at Jezreel.'" 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:
37 "Her body will be scattered like manure on the ground at Jezreel. No one will ever be able to point to a spot and say, 'This is Jezebel's grave.'" 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.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Kings 9
God's judgment on persistent wickednessThe fulfillment of prophetic warnings spoken long agoZeal for God that carries out divine justiceThe downfall of those who abuse power
Apply This Today
Living 2 Kings 9
Every word spoken by Elijah against Ahab's house came true through Jehu. God is patient, but His warnings are never empty. The downfall of Jezebel, who had seemed untouchable for decades, reminds us that no one can escape accountability before God forever.
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