2 Kings9

Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu as king over Israel at Ramothgilead, commanding him to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu is immediately proclaimed king by his captains and rides to Jezreel, where he confronts and kills King Joram in Naboth's vineyard. Subsequently, Jehu orchestrates the death of King Ahaziah of Judah and then Queen Jezebel, whose body is consumed by dogs, fulfilling prophecy.

Listen to this chapter

Elisha Commissions Jehu's Anointing

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!”

So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead,

and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.

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 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.

And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.

Jehu Proclaimed King by the Army

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, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”

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!”

Jehu Executes Joram and Ahaziah

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.

Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”

So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”

So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”

Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi—he is driving like a madman!”

“Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.

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 turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

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.”

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.

(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)

The Death of Jezebel

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?”

He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.

“Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.

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.”

But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.

So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel.

And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”

Study Notes for 2 Kings 9

Verse 1

Elisha instructs a 'son of the prophets' (a student/disciple) with great urgency, indicated by the command to 'Gird up thy loins,' meaning to prepare quickly for travel and action.

Verse 2

Jehu is identified by his full lineage, emphasizing his status as a high-ranking military commander stationed at Ramoth-gilead. The anointing must be done in secret to prevent immediate counter-conspiracy.

Verse 3

The instruction to anoint him and flee immediately underscores the treasonous nature of the act against the reigning house of Ahab; the prophet must ensure the divine mandate is delivered but must not be implicated further.

Verse 6

The prophet confirms that Jehu's kingship is a divine appointment ('Thus saith the LORD God of Israel'), validating the subsequent violent overthrow as execution of God's will.

Verse 7

The primary purpose of Jehu's mission is theological: to execute God’s judgment and avenge the murder of prophets and righteous servants killed under the tyranny of Jezebel (cf. 1 Kings 18).

Verse 8

This command demands the total extermination of Ahab's male lineage. The phrase 'him that pisseth against the wall' is a common, crude Hebrew idiom for every male, signifying complete destruction.

Verse 9

The comparison to the houses of Jeroboam and Baasha references previous Israelite dynasties that were completely wiped out due to their idolatry, setting a precedent for God's severe judgment.

Verse 10

This is a direct repetition of Elijah’s prophecy against Jezebel (1 Kings 21:23). To be eaten by dogs and left unburied was the ultimate curse and disgrace in the ancient Near East.

Verse 11

The captains dismiss the prophet as a 'mad fellow.' Prophets were often viewed as eccentric or deranged due to their unconventional behavior and zeal, especially when operating outside the royal court.

Verse 13

The captains immediately demonstrate loyalty by laying their garments down as an improvised royal carpet on the stairs, an ancient gesture of spontaneous homage and recognition of a new sovereign.

Verse 14

Jehu immediately transitions from being anointed to leading a military coup. Joram’s absence from the war front for recovery provided Jehu with a strategic window to seize power.

Verse 15

Joram was recuperating from wounds sustained while defending Israel against Hazael of Syria. Jehu's first command is to enforce strict secrecy to ensure Joram is unaware of the coup until Jehu arrives.

Verse 20

Jehu was known for his decisive and aggressive nature. The watchman recognizes him by his distinctive, 'furious' style of chariot driving, indicating his reputation for speed and recklessness.

Verse 21

The confrontation occurs precisely at the 'portion of Naboth.' This location is crucial for demonstrating that the execution of Joram is not random political violence but a direct fulfillment of judgment for the murder of Naboth (1 Kings 21).

Verse 22

Jehu refuses the greeting of 'peace.' 'Whoredoms' refers primarily to spiritual infidelity (idolatry, especially Baal worship) and 'witchcrafts' refers to the associated occult practices promoted by Jezebel.

Verse 24

Joram is struck as he attempts to flee, a fatal blow delivered with Jehu's full strength. This decisive action confirms Jehu’s role as God’s appointed instrument of violent justice.

Verse 25

Jehu explicitly links Joram’s death to the prophecy pronounced against Ahab. He recalls being present with Bidkar when Elijah delivered the 'burden' (prophetic judgment) years earlier.

Verse 26

God’s judgment here includes the retribution for Naboth's sons, who were likely also executed to secure Ahab’s claim to the vineyard. Jehu ensures the judgment is fulfilled literally in the same plot of ground.

Verse 27

Ahaziah, King of Judah, was Joram’s ally and nephew (Ahab’s grandson through Athaliah). He is judged due to his close familial and political alliance with the wicked house of Ahab, ensuring the judgment spans both kingdoms.

Verse 30

Jezebel prepares herself not for flight but for a defiant, theatrical confrontation, painting her face and arranging her hair, perhaps attempting to intimidate Jehu with her royal demeanor.

Verse 31

Jezebel references Zimri, who murdered his master (Elah) and reigned only seven days before dying violently (1 Kings 16:9-20). This was a final, audacious challenge to Jehu’s legitimacy.

Verse 34

Jehu initially orders a burial, acknowledging the political dignity due to her status as a 'king’s daughter' (a Phoenician princess), even though she was divinely 'cursed.'

Verse 35

The immediate consumption of her body by dogs prevented a proper burial, ensuring the literal and complete fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy (v. 10 and 1 Kings 21:23).

Verse 37

The final state of Jezebel's remains—as indistinguishable dung—signifies the ultimate disgrace and the total eradication of her memory and influence according to the word of the LORD.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

2 Kings9

Elisha Commissions Jehu's Anointing

Jehu Proclaimed King by the Army

Jehu Executes Joram and Ahaziah

The Death of Jezebel

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options