TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
They went to bury her but found no more of her than her skull, feet and hands.
Berean Standard Bible
But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.
American Standard Version
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.
World English Bible Messianic
They went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And they went to burie her, but they foud no more of her, then the skull and the feete, and the palmes of her handes.
Young's Literal Translation
And they go to bury her, and have not found of her except the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.
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In the KJVVerse 9,792 of 31,102
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Commentary on 2 Kings 9 verses 30–37
30 ¶ 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 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
32 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 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 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 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 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 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.
The greatest delinquent in the house of Ahab was Jezebel: it was she that introduced Baal, slew the Lord's prophets, contrived the murder of Naboth, stirred up her husband first, and then her sons, to do wickedly; a cursed woman she is here called (Kg2 9:34), a curse to the country, and whom all that wished well to their country had a curse for. Three reigns her reign had lasted, but now, at length, her day had come to fall. We read of a false prophetess in the church of Thyatira that is compared to Jezebel, and called by her name (Rev 2:20), her wickedness the same, seducing God's servants to idolatry, a long space given her to repent (Kg2 9:21) as to Jezebel, and a fearful ruin brought upon her at last (Kg2 9:22, Kg2 9:23), as here upon Jezebel. So that Jezebel's destruction may be looked upon as typical of the destruction of idolaters and persecutors, especially that great whore, that mother of harlots, that hath made herself drunk with the blood of saints and the nations drunk with the wine of her fornications, when God shall put it into the heart of the kings of the earth to hate her, Rev 17:5, Rev 17:6. 16. Now here we have,
I. Jezebel daring the judgment. She heard that Jehu had slain her son, and slain him for her whoredoms and witchcrafts, and thrown his dead body into the portion of Naboth, according to the word of the Lord, and that he was now coming to Jezreel, where she could not but expect herself to fall next a sacrifice to his revenging sword. Now see how she meets her fate; she posted herself in a window at the entering of the gate, to affront Jehu and set him at defiance. 1. Instead of hiding herself, as one afraid of divine vengeance, she exposed herself to it and scorned to flee, mocked at fear and was not affrighted. See how a heart hardened against God will brave it out to the last, run upon him, even upon his neck, Job 15:26. But never did any thus harden their hearts against him and prosper. 2. Instead of humbling herself, and putting herself into close mourning for her son, she painted her face, and tired her head, that she might appear like herself, that is (as she thought), great and majestic, hoping thereby to daunt Jehu, to put him out of countenance, and to stop his career. The Lord God called to baldness and girding with sackcloth, but behold painting and dressing, walking contrary to God, Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13. There is not a surer presage of ruin than an unhumbled heart under humbling providences. Let painted faces look in Jezebel's glass, and see how they like themselves. 3. Instead of trembling before Jehu, the instrument of God's vengeance, she thought to make him tremble with that threatening question, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? Observe, (1.) She took no notice of the hand of God gone out against her family, but flew in the face of him that was only the sword in his hand. We are very apt, when we are in trouble, to break out into a passion against the instruments of our trouble, when we ought to be submissive to God and angry at ourselves only. (2.) She pleased herself with the thought that what Jehu was now doing would certainly end in his own ruin, and that he would not have peace in it. He had cut her off from all pretensions to peace (Kg2 9:22), and now she thought to cut him off likewise. Note, It is no new thing for those that are doing God's work to be looked upon as out of the way of peace. Active reformers, faithful reprovers, are threatened with trouble; but let them be in nothing terrified, Phi 1:28. (3.) She quoted a precedent, to deter him from the prosecution of this enterprise: "Had Zimri peace? No, he had not; he came to the throne by blood and treachery, and within seven days was constrained to burn the palace over his head and himself in it: and canst thou expect to fare any better?" Had the case been parallel, it would have been proper enough to give him this memorandum; for the judgments of God upon those that have gone before us in any sinful way should be warnings to us to take heed of treading in their steps. But the instance of Zimri was misapplied to Jehu. Zimri had no warrant for what he did, but was incited to it merely by his own ambition and cruelty; whereas Jehu was anointed by one of the sons of the prophets, and did this by order from heaven, which would bear him out. In comparing persons and things we must carefully distinguish between the precious and the vile, and take heed lest from the fate of sinful men we read the doom of useful men.
II. Jehu demanding aid against her. He looked up to the window, not daunted at the menaces of her impudent but impotent rage, and cried, Who is on my side? Who? Kg2 9:32. He was called out to do God's work, in reforming the land and punishing those that had debauched it; and here he calls out for assistance in the doing of it, looked as if there were any to help, any to uphold, Isa 63:5. He lifts up a standard, and makes proclamation, as Moses (Exo 32:26), Who is on the Lord's side? And the Psalmist (Psa 94:16), Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Note, When reformation-work is set on foot, it is time to ask, "Who sides with it?"
III. Her own attendants delivering her up to his just revenge. Two or three chamberlains looked out to Jehu with such a countenance as encouraged him to believe they were on his side, and to them he called not to seize or secure her till further orders, but immediately to throw her down, which was one way of stoning malefactors, casting them headlong from some steep place. Thus was vengeance taken on her for the stoning of Naboth. They threw her down, Kg2 9:33. If God's command would justify Jehu, his command would justify them. Perhaps they had a secret dislike of Jezebel's wickedness, and hated her, though they served her; or, it may be, she was barbarous and injurious to those about her, and they were pleased with this opportunity of being avenged on her; or, observing Jehu's success, they hoped thus to ingratiate themselves with him, and keep their places in his court. However it was, thus she was most shamefully put to death, dashed against the wall and the pavement, and then trodden on by the horses, which were all besmeared with her blood and brains. See the end of pride and cruelty, and say, The Lord is righteous.
IV. The very dogs completing her shame and ruin, according to the prophecy. When Jehu had taken some refreshment in the palace, he bethought himself of showing so much respect to Jezebel's sex and quality as to bury her. As bad as she was, she was a daughter, a king's daughter, a king's wife, a king's mother: Go and bury her, Kg2 9:34. But, though he had forgotten what the prophet said (Kg2 9:10, Dogs shall eat Jezebel), God had not forgotten it. While he was eating and drinking, the dogs had devoured her dead body, the dogs that went about the city (Psa 59:6) and fed upon the carrion, so that there was nothing left but her bare skull (the painted face gone) and her feet and hands. The hungry dogs had no respect to the dignity of her extraction; a king's daughter was no more to them than a common person. When we pamper our bodies, and use them deliciously, let us think how vile they are, and that shortly they will be either a feast for worms under ground or beasts above ground. When notice was brought of this to Jehu, he remembered the threatening (Kg1 21:23), The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Nothing should remain of her but the monuments of her infamy. She had been used to appear on public days in great state, and the cry was, "This is Jezebel. What a majestic port and figure! How great she looks!" But now it shall be said no more. We have often seen the wicked buried (Ecc 8:10), yet sometimes, as here, they have no burial, Ecc 6:3. Jezebel's name nowhere remained, but as stigmatized in sacred writ: they could not so much as say, "This is Jezebel's dust, This is Jezebel's grave," or "This is Jezebel's seed." Thus the name of the wicked shall rot - rot above ground.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 30–37. Public domain.
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Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 9:32
Jehu, who had seen the woman who had spoken to him and had recognized her to be Jezebel, ordered the eunuchs who were beside her to throw her out of the window, and they immediately threw her with force and spattered the wall with her blood. Horses passed there and trampled her corpse, and, a little later, dogs lacerated her flesh, so that nobody could say, This was Jezebel.[Let us see] the symbolic meaning [of this passage]. Ahab was struck in battle and fell, and after his fall, his servants came to mourn and weep over him, and they placed him into the tomb of the kings with honor. But the same thing did not happen to Jezebel. After the eunuchs had thrown her to the ground and her bones were broken in the fall, horses trampled her and dogs lacerated her. The reason for this difference is that Ahab, even though he committed many crimes, showed repentance now and then. Jezebel, by contrast, did not only violate justice and cause rage with her abominable behavior but also drove her husband to crime and exhorted him to commit iniquities. And later, she never repented in the times of her prosperity or in those of calamity, nor [did she turn] away from her path of perversity. Even in the very time of her condemnation to death, she became furious like a madwoman. Therefore there were many reasons why justice should be particularly harsh against her.
In addition, observe and understand how Jezebel, who had terrified prophets and enslaved kings, was thrown by slaves into shame and dishonor and was lacerated by the teeth of dogs. That happened so that the mouth of liars might be stopped, and they might not say, “Why does the way of the guilty prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Second Kings 9:35 presents a chilling and graphic account of the discovery of Queen Jezebel's remains, revealing that only her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands were found. This gruesome detail serves as the stark and undeniable fulfillment of the divine prophecy delivered by Elijah, underscoring the absolute certainty of God's judgment upon persistent wickedness and idolatry, leaving no doubt about the finality of her ignominious end.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. Irony is prominent, as the attempt to provide a burial, a customary act of respect, is thwarted by the divine judgment already executed. The very act of seeking to honor her inadvertently reveals the depth of her dishonor. Foreshadowing from Elijah's earlier prophecy in 1 Kings 21:23 is brought to a brutal fulfillment, demonstrating the unwavering certainty of God's word. Symbolism is rich in the specific body parts mentioned: the skull (seat of intellect/power), feet (movement/path), and hands (action/control) are reduced to mere fragments, symbolizing the complete dismantling of Jezebel's identity, power, and capacity for evil. The dogs, as agents of this consumption, symbolize the instruments of divine judgment, often associated with impurity and scavengers, thus adding to the profound dishonor. The overall effect is one of pathos and horror, evoking a visceral reaction to the grim reality of God's unyielding justice against persistent rebellion.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The gruesome scene in 2 Kings 9:35 powerfully underscores several profound theological truths. Primarily, it stands as an undeniable testament to the absolute certainty and precision of God's prophetic word. What Elijah declared years earlier, seemingly impossible for a queen of Jezebel's stature, came to pass exactly as foretold, down to the detail of her body being consumed by dogs. This demonstrates that God's decrees are not mere suggestions but infallible declarations that will be fulfilled in His timing and according to His will. Furthermore, this event highlights the severity of divine judgment against persistent and defiant wickedness. Jezebel's life was characterized by extreme idolatry, persecution of God's prophets, and the shedding of innocent blood. Her ignominious end serves as a stark warning that while God is patient, His justice will ultimately prevail, and there are severe consequences for those who continually reject His authority and righteousness. It affirms that God is a God who sees, remembers, and acts to uphold His moral order, even against the most powerful human adversaries.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The stark reality of 2 Kings 9:35, while unsettling, offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It serves as an unwavering reminder of the infallibility of God's word. Just as Elijah's prophecy against Jezebel was fulfilled to the letter, so too will all of God's promises and warnings come to pass. This should instill both deep comfort in His faithfulness for those who trust Him and a solemn, urgent warning for those who disregard His commands. The narrative powerfully affirms that God is a God of justice. While evil may seem to triumph for a season, and the wicked may appear to prosper, this passage assures us that ultimately, every action has its consequence, and divine reckoning will occur. It calls us to live with an awareness of God's ultimate authority and to align our lives with His righteous standards, knowing that true peace and security are found only in obedience to Him. It implicitly challenges us to examine our own hearts for any areas of rebellion or idolatry, urging us to turn to God in repentance and humility, for His mercy is available to those who seek it.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why were only these specific parts (skull, feet, hands) left?
Answer: The specificity of the remaining body parts—the skull, feet, and palms of the hands—is highly significant. These are typically the hardest, least fleshy, or least palatable parts of the human anatomy. Their presence indicates that the dogs had thoroughly consumed the rest of her body, leaving only what was difficult to devour. This gruesome detail emphasizes the completeness of the dishonor and the thoroughness of the divine judgment, leaving no doubt that the prophecy of 1 Kings 21:23 was fulfilled to its most horrific extent.
What was the cultural significance of a proper burial in ancient Israel?
Answer: In ancient Israel and the broader Near East, a proper burial was of immense cultural and religious importance. It was considered a fundamental act of respect for the deceased, a sign of dignity, and a necessary step for the spirit's peace in the afterlife (from a cultural perspective). To be denied burial, or to have one's body left exposed to scavengers, was the ultimate curse and a profound dishonor, signifying divine disapproval and utter contempt. This is why the discovery of Jezebel's dismembered remains, preventing a proper burial, was such a powerful and symbolic act of judgment.
How does Jezebel's character and life connect to her gruesome death?
Answer: Jezebel's death is a direct and fitting consequence of her life of extreme wickedness and defiance against God. She was a foreign queen who aggressively promoted Baal worship in Israel, persecuted and murdered God's prophets (1 Kings 18:4), and orchestrated the murder of Naboth to seize his vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16). Her life was marked by arrogance, idolatry, and a complete disregard for God's law and justice. Her ignominious and dismembered end, consumed by dogs, perfectly symbolizes the utter destruction and dishonor that await those who persistently rebel against the Almighty God. It underscores the biblical principle that while God is merciful, He is also just and will not allow unrepentant evil to go unpunished.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 2 Kings 9:35 describes a specific act of divine judgment in Old Testament history, its Christ-centered fulfillment is found not in a direct parallel, but in the ultimate demonstration of God's justice and the triumph over evil that culminates in Jesus Christ. Jezebel's death signifies the certain demise of all that opposes God, a truth perfectly embodied in Christ's victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness. Where Jezebel's body was dismembered and consumed, signifying utter defeat and dishonor, Jesus' body, though crucified, was raised incorruptible, triumphing over decay and death (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). He is the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy, not merely in judgment, but in salvation, offering a way of escape from the judgment due to sin. The certainty of God's word, so vividly displayed in Jezebel's fate, finds its most profound expression in the prophecies concerning Christ's first and second comings. He is the righteous Judge to whom all judgment has been committed (John 5:22), who will ultimately bring all evil to account. Yet, He is also the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering mercy and eternal life to all who turn from their own "Jezebel-like" rebellion and trust in His atoning sacrifice. Thus, Jezebel's gruesome end points to the absolute necessity and certainty of divine justice, a justice perfectly and redemptively administered through Christ.