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?

And it came to pass, when Joram {H3088} saw {H7200} Jehu {H3058}, that he said {H559}, Is it peace {H7965}, Jehu {H3058}? And he answered {H559}, What peace {H7965}, so long as {H5704} the whoredoms {H2183} of thy mother {H517} Jezebel {H348} and her witchcrafts {H3785} are so many {H7227}?

When Yoram saw Yehu he said, "Are you coming in peace, Yehu?" He answered, "Peace? With your mother Izevel continuing all her cult prostitution and witchcraft? What a question!"

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?”

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?

Commentary

2 Kings 9:22 captures a pivotal and dramatic exchange between King Joram of Israel and Jehu, the newly anointed commander, at the outset of Jehu's divinely ordained mission to eradicate the house of Ahab. Joram's question, "Is it peace, Jehu?", is met with a stark and uncompromising reply that exposes the deep moral corruption at the heart of the kingdom due to Jezebel's influence.

Historical and Cultural Context

This verse is set against a backdrop of intense political and spiritual turmoil in ancient Israel. Jehu had just been anointed by a prophet sent by Elisha with the specific charge to destroy the wicked dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel, fulfilling earlier prophecies of judgment. Joram, Ahab's son, was on the throne, but the spiritual rot introduced by his mother, Jezebel, through her promotion of Baal worship and persecution of God's prophets, had permeated the nation. Joram's question about "peace" reflects a desire for stability, perhaps unaware of the immediate, violent judgment about to fall upon his family.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Nature of True Peace: Jehu's response profoundly redefines "peace." For Joram, it might have meant the absence of war or rebellion. But Jehu declares that true peace (Hebrew: shalom, encompassing wholeness, well-being, and harmony) is impossible as long as profound spiritual and moral corruption persists. This highlights that genuine peace cannot coexist with widespread wickedness.
  • Consequences of Persistent Sin: The "whoredoms" and "witchcrafts" of Jezebel are explicitly named as the reason peace is unattainable. This underscores the biblical principle that unrepentant sin, especially idolatry and occult practices, leads to divine judgment and societal instability. Jezebel's notorious wickedness and promotion of false gods had brought Israel to a breaking point.
  • Divine Judgment and Zeal: Jehu acts as an instrument of God's righteous wrath. His blunt reply signals that the time for superficial pleasantries is over; a period of severe accountability and cleansing has arrived. His zeal for the Lord's command is evident in his refusal to acknowledge any peace in the presence of such deep-seated evil.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrases in this verse carry significant weight from their original Hebrew:

  • "Peace" (shalom): More than just the absence of conflict, shalom signifies complete well-being, prosperity, health, and harmony. Jehu's retort implies that such wholeness is utterly absent where profound sin reigns.
  • "Whoredoms" (zenunim): While it can refer to literal sexual immorality, in a prophetic context, this term is frequently used metaphorically for spiritual unfaithfulness, idolatry, and rebellion against God. Jezebel's promotion of Baal worship was the ultimate act of spiritual "whoredom" against the true God of Israel. The prophets often condemned Israel's idolatry as spiritual adultery.
  • "Witchcrafts" (keshaphim): Refers to sorcery, magic, and occult practices. These were abhorrent to God and strictly forbidden (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Jezebel's influence undoubtedly involved such dark arts to maintain her power and promote her pagan religion.

Practical Application

This dramatic encounter serves as a powerful reminder that true peace, whether personal, familial, or national, cannot be built on a foundation of unaddressed sin and rebellion against God. It challenges us to:

  • Examine Our Foundations: Are we pursuing a superficial peace or genuine well-being rooted in righteousness and truth?
  • Confront Systemic Evil: Like Jehu, we are called to recognize and confront the spiritual and moral "whoredoms" and "witchcrafts" in our own lives and society that hinder true peace.
  • Understand God's Justice: God is not indifferent to persistent evil. While He is patient, a time of reckoning will come for those who refuse to repent, as seen in the severity of His judgment against unrighteousness.
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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 2 Chronicles 21:13

    But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, [which were] better than thyself:

  • Nahum 3:4

    Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

  • 1 Kings 16:30

    And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that [were] before him.

  • 1 Kings 16:33

    And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

  • Revelation 18:23

    And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

  • Revelation 2:20

    Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

  • Revelation 2:23

    And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.