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Commentary on 2 Kings 9 verses 1–10
We have here the anointing of Jehu to be king, who was, at this time, a commander (probably commander-in-chief) of the forces employed at Ramoth-Gilead, Kg2 9:14. There he was fighting for the king his master, but received orders from a higher king to fight against him. It does not appear that Jehu aimed at the government, or that he ever thought of it, but the commission given him was a perfect surprise to him. Some think that he had been anointed before by Elijah, whom God ordered to do it, but privately, and with an intimation that he must not act till further orders, as Samuel anointed David long before he was to come to the throne: but that it not at all probable, for then we must suppose Elijah had anointed Hazael too. No, when God bade him do these things he bade him anoint Elisha to be prophet in his room, to do them when he was gone, as God should direct him. Here is,
I. The commission sent.
1.Elisha did not go himself to anoint Jehu, because he was old and unfit for such a journey and so well known that he could not do it privately, could not go and come without observation; therefore he sends one of the sons of the prophets to do it, Kg2 9:1. They not only reverences him as their father (Kg2 2:15), but observed and obeyed him as their father. This service of anointing Jehu, (1.) Had danger in it (Sa1 16:2), and therefore it was not fit that Elisha should expose himself, but one of the sons of the prophets, whose life was of less value, and who could do it with less danger. (2.) It required labour and was therefore fitter for a young man in his full strength. Let youth work and age direct. (3.) Yet it was an honourable piece of service, to anoint a king, and he that did it might hope to be preferred for it afterwards, and therefore, for the encouragement of the young prophets, Elisha employed one of them: he would not engross all the honours to himself, nor grudge the young prophets a share in them.
2.When he sent him, (1.) He put the oil into his hand with which he must anoint Jehu: Take this box of oil Solomon was anointed with oil out of the tabernacle, Kg1 1:39. That could not now be had, but oil from a prophet's hand was equivalent to oil out of God's house. Probably it was not the constant practice to anoint kings, but upon the disturbance of the succession, as in the case of Solomon, or the interruption of it, as in the case of Joash (Kg1 11:12), or the translation of the government to a new family, as here and in the case of David; yet it might be used generally, though the scripture does not mention it. (2.) He put the words into his mouth which he must say (Kg2 9:3) - I have anointed thee king, and, no doubt, told him all the rest that he said, Kg2 9:7-10. Those whom God sends on his errands shall not go without full instructions. (3.) He also ordered him, [1.] To do it privately, to single out Jehu from the rest of the captains and anoint him in an inner chamber (Kg2 9:2), that Jehu's confidence in his commission might be tried, when he had no witness to attest it. His being suddenly animated for the service would be proof sufficient of his being anointed to it. There needed no other proof. The thing signified was the best evidence of the sign. [2.] To do it expeditiously. When he went about it he must gird up his loins; when he had done it he must flee and not tarry for a fee, or a treat, or to see what Jehu would do. It becomes the sons of the prophets to be quick and lively at their work, to go about it and go through it as men that hate sauntering and trifling. They should be as angels that fly swiftly.
II. The commission delivered. The young prophet did his business with despatch, was at Ramoth-Gilead presently, Kg2 9:4. There he found the general officers sitting together, either at dinner or in a council of war, Kg2 9:5. With the assurance that became a messenger from God, notwithstanding the meanness of his appearance, he called Jehu out from the rest, not waiting his leisure, or begging his pardon for disturbing him, but as one having authority: I have an errand to thee, O captain. Perhaps Jehu had some intimation of his business; and therefore, that he might not seem too forward to catch at the honour, he asked, To which of all us? that it might not be said afterwards he got it by speaking first, but they might all be satisfied he was indeed the person designed. When the prophet had him alone he anointed him, Kg2 9:6. The anointing of the Spirit is a hidden thing, that new name which none knows but those that have it. Herewith,
1.He invests him with the royal dignity: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, whose messenger I am, in his name I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord. He gives him an incontestable title, but reminds him that he was made king, (1.) By the God of Israel; from him he must see his power derived (for by him kings reign), for he must use it, and to him he must be accountable. Magistrates are the ministers of God, and must therefore act in dependence upon him and with an entire devotedness to him and to his glory. (2.) Over the Israel of God. Though the people of Israel were wretchedly corrupted, and had forfeited all the honour of relationship to God, yet they are here called the people of the Lord, for he had a right to them and had not yet given them a bill of divorce. Jehu must look upon the people he was made king of as the people of the Lord, not as his vassals, but God's freemen, his sons, his first-born, not to be abused or tyrannized over, God's people, and therefore to be ruled for him, and according to his laws.
2.He instructs him in his present service, which was to destroy all the house of Ahab (Kg2 9:7), not that he might clear his own way to the throne, and secure to himself the possession of it, but that he might execute the judgments of God upon that guilty and obnoxious family. He calls Ahab his master, that the relation might be no objection. "He was thy master, and to lift up thy hand against his son and successor would be not only base ingratitude, but treason, rebellion, and all that is bad, if thou hadst not an immediate command from God to do it. But thou art under higher obligations to thy Master in heaven than to thy master Ahab. He has determined that the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and by thy hand; fear not: has not he commanded thee? Fear not sin; his command will justify thee and bear thee out: fear not danger; his command will secure and prosper thee." That he might intelligently, and in a right manner, do this great execution on the house of Ahab, he tells him, (1.) What was their crime, what the ground of the controversy, and wherefore God had quarrel with them, that he might have an eye to that which God had an eye to, and that was the blood of God's servants, the prophets and others, faithful worshippers, which they had shed, and which must now be required at the hand of Jezebel. That they were idolaters was bad enough, and merited all that was brought upon them; yet that is not mentioned here, but the controversy God has with them is for their being persecutors, not so much their throwing down God's altars as their slaying his prophets with the sword. Nothing fills the measure of the iniquity of any prince or people as this does nor brings a surer or a sorer ruin. This was the sin that brought on Jerusalem its first destruction (Ch2 36:16) and its final one, Mat 23:37, Mat 23:38. Jezebel's whoredoms and witchcrafts were not so provoking as her persecuting the prophets, killing some and driving the rest into corners and caves, Kg1 18:4. (2.) What was their doom. They were sentenced to utter destruction; not to be corrected, but to be cut off and rooted out. This Jehu must know, that his eye might not spare for pity, favour, or affection. All that belonged to Ahab must be slain, Kg2 9:8. A pattern is given him of the destruction intended, in the destruction of the families of Jeroboam and Baasha (Kg2 9:9), and he is particularly directed to throw Jezebel to the dogs, Kg2 9:10. The whole stock of royal blood was little enough, and too little, to atone for the blood of the prophets, the saints and martyrs, which, in God's account, is of great price.
The prophet, having done this errand, made the best of his way home again, and left Jehu alone to consider what he had to do and beg direction from God.
“Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, ‘Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.’ ” Here the Scripture reports the just sentence that befalls the house of Ahab. Immediately it speaks about the choice of the judge and executor of the judgment. And this was Jehu, the son of Nimshi, who, on the word of the Lord, anointed one of the prophets for the royalty. And this was the disciple of Elisha who was sent by his master to the city of Ramoth-gilead, which was under the siege of the Israelites. He entered their camp and went to the tent where the commanders of the army gathered and standing before them, he naively said, “I have a message for you, commander.” Jehu said in reply, “For which one of us?” The servant realized that he was the one indicated by Elisha. In fact, he did not know his name, but even though the son of the prophet did not know him nor had ever seen him, he saw the importance of this situation, and his mind was troubled, so that he said, “For you, commander.” He showed that through the revelation of God he had realized that he was the one chosen by God. And immediately he took him into an inner chamber, according to the order of his master. And two things were also hidden: Jehu understood that that affair had to remain secret and that the news [of the anointing] should not be divulged at that time among the people. Therefore he anointed him and ordered him to take revenge against the house of Ahab. Then the prophet fled at once from the camp, and shortly later the entire assembly was in an admirable unanimity before king Jehu against Israel.So he went out with a group of select men. But he met Joram, king of Israel, in the course of his journey, and little later Ahaziah, king of Judah. He was able to defeat them after the first attack and killed them both. Jehu said to Bidkar, “ ‘Lift him out, and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite,’ because last night I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his children.” He is thinking here about what had been said to him at night, or maybe he believes that this vengeance and the fact that he would kill Joram had been predicted to him at night through a vision. Jehu had also indicated to Bidkar another reason for killing Joram in his place and for ordering him to throw him on the plot of Naboth, saying, “When you and I rode side by side behind his father Ahab how the Lord uttered this oracle against him: ‘For the blood of Naboth and for the blood of his children that I saw yesterday, says the Lord, I swear I will repay you on this very plot of ground,’ ” that is, outside the walls of Jezreel where the goods of Naboth were. After this action accomplished outside the gates of Jezreel, he entered the city to complete what he had successfully begun.
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SUMMARY
Second Kings 9:2 meticulously records the urgent and highly specific instructions delivered by the prophet Elisha to one of the "sons of the prophets." This divine directive concerns the anointing of Jehu, a prominent military commander, as the divinely appointed king of Israel. This pivotal command initiates a dramatic and divinely orchestrated coup, setting in motion God's long-prophesied judgment against the deeply entrenched idolatry and wickedness of the house of Ahab and Jezebel, thereby marking a decisive and violent turning point in the history of the northern kingdom.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse masterfully employs several significant literary devices that amplify its meaning and impact. Divine Command is the primary driving force, with Elisha's precise instructions serving as the direct manifestation of God's sovereign will, propelling the entire narrative forward. The detailed nature of the command, from identifying Jehu by his extended lineage to the specific location of the anointing, highlights the Precision and deliberate nature of God's meticulously planned intervention. The mention of the "inner chamber" functions as potent Symbolism, representing not only the absolute necessity of secrecy and protection but also the sacred, set-apart nature of the divine appointment, distinct from public political machinations. Furthermore, the entire instruction acts as powerful Foreshadowing, hinting at the dramatic, swift, and violent events that are about to unfold as Jehu, divinely appointed, will execute God's long-delayed judgment. The unnamed "son of the prophets" also serves as a literary device, emphasizing the Obedience required of God's faithful servants, as he carries out a momentous and dangerous task without personal recognition or glory.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully illustrates God's active and sovereign involvement in the affairs of nations and the lives of individuals. It demonstrates unequivocally that political power is ultimately derived from and subject to divine authority, with God raising up and pulling down leaders according to His righteous purposes and perfect timing. The anointing of Jehu, though a human act performed by a prophet, is explicitly a divine commission, highlighting the prophetic office as a crucial conduit for God's will in the world. This moment is a profound testament to God's long-term memory regarding His promises and judgments, fulfilling a decree made years prior to Elijah concerning the wicked house of Ahab. It serves as a powerful reminder that God's justice, though sometimes delayed, is never denied, and He will use chosen instruments, even unlikely ones, to bring His plans to fruition and uphold His holy character.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The detailed and urgent instructions given to the young prophet in 2 Kings 9:2 offer profound and enduring insights for contemporary believers. It underscores that God often calls individuals to significant tasks in unexpected places and through seemingly ordinary means. Jehu was "among his brethren," engaged in his daily military duties, when a divine summons dramatically interrupted his routine. This narrative powerfully reminds us to cultivate attentiveness to God's voice and leading, recognizing that His call may come through unconventional channels or require us to step away from our familiar surroundings and associations for a specific, divinely ordained purpose. The emphasis on the "inner chamber" highlights the critical importance of private preparation, spiritual solitude, and confidential communication with God before embarking on public or consequential assignments. Indeed, many of God's most significant works begin in quiet, unseen moments of divine encounter and instruction. Our faithful obedience to these private promptings is absolutely crucial for the successful execution of God's larger purposes, trusting that His appointments are always for a greater, divine end, even if the full scope is not immediately clear to us.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Jehu chosen, and what was the significance of his anointing?
Answer: Jehu was chosen by direct divine decree, a commission originally given to Elijah by God Himself (see 1 Kings 19:15-17). His anointing was not a mere political maneuver but a sacred act to install him as God's chosen instrument of judgment against the wicked house of Ahab and Jezebel, who had led Israel into deep idolatry and committed heinous acts, such as the murder of Naboth (detailed in 1 Kings 21). The profound significance of Jehu's anointing lies in the direct fulfillment of divine prophecy and the powerful demonstration of God's unwavering commitment to justice and His covenant with Israel, even if it required a violent purge to restore righteousness.
Why was the anointing done in secret and in an "inner chamber"?
Answer: The secrecy surrounding Jehu's anointing was absolutely paramount for several critical reasons. Firstly, anointing a new king while the reigning monarch (Joram, Ahab's son) was still alive constituted an act of treason, punishable by death. Secrecy thus protected both the young prophet and Jehu from immediate reprisal and allowed the divine plan to unfold without premature opposition. Secondly, it emphasized that this was a divine appointment, not a public election or a popular uprising. The "inner chamber" (Hebrew cheder) signified a private, secluded space, underscoring the confidential and sacred nature of the act, ensuring the message was delivered solely to Jehu without interference or premature leaks that could jeopardize the mission's success. It allowed the divine authority to be conferred without the immediate chaos and danger of political opposition.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Jehu's anointing was for a specific purpose of judgment and the establishment of a temporary earthly kingdom, it profoundly foreshadows the ultimate Anointed One, Jesus Christ. Just as Jehu was chosen by divine decree and set apart from his peers in an "inner chamber," so too was Jesus divinely appointed and set apart for His unique mission. His anointing, however, was not with oil in a secret room, but with the Holy Spirit, publicly declared at His baptism (e.g., Matthew 3:16-17 and Acts 10:38). Jehu was commissioned to execute judgment on a wicked dynasty, bringing an end to their reign of idolatry. Christ, the true Messiah (Anointed One), came to execute a far greater judgment—on sin and death itself—and to establish an eternal kingdom that will never be overthrown (e.g., Daniel 7:13-14 and Revelation 19:11-16). Furthermore, the call to Jehu to "arise up from among his brethren" and be set apart for a divine purpose finds its ultimate echo in Christ's call to His disciples to "come out from among them and be separate" (e.g., 2 Corinthians 6:17), being set apart for His service and a kingdom that is not of this world (e.g., John 18:36).