A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Commentary on 1 and 2 Kings · Chapter 9
2 Kings CHAP. IX.
THIS Chapter brings in Jehu's anointing to be King of Iſrael, whom God raiſed up to deſtroy Ahab's Houſe; for the accompliſhing of which his Generation-work, God gave him a fiery and a furious Temper.
Remarks, Firſt upon his being anointed by a Prophet, as, Firſt, Eliſha muſt not go himſelf to anoint Jehu, either becauſe be was now grown old, or for privacy-ſake (ſaith Menochius, &c.) he being too well known among the Captains, but he calls one of the Sons of the Prophets, ver. 1, &c. whom the Rabbins over-curiouſly determin to be Jonah the Son of Amittai, Jon. 1.1. who, they ſay, was the Widow's Son of Sereptah, whom Eliſha raiſed from the dead, 1 Kings 17.22. However, he was one unknown to Jehu; had Eliſha himſelf gone, it would have made Joram's Party jealous, &c.
Remark the Second; This Young Prophet Eliſha orders not to fetch the Sacred Oil from the Temple, (ſaith P. Martyr) but took that which was at hand, becauſe the Matter admitted of no delay; nor did he take an Horn of Oil, wherewith both David and Solomon were anointed, 1 Sam. 16.1. and 1 Kings 1.39. (which intimated a perpetuity of their two Kingdoms) but a Glaſs Vial or Box. as 1 Sam. 10.1. (the ſame Hebrew word in both places) to ſhew a deficiency or failure in Saul's and Jehu's Kingdoms. Jehu was anointed (ſaith P. Martyr) that in an extraordinary way he might ſucceed Ahab's Sons, whom he was utterly to extirpate.
Remark the Third; This Young Prophet obeys Eliſha, though in peril of his Life for High-Treaſon, becauſe Joram was ſtill living: He goes to Ramoth, which Cajetan, P. Martyr, &c. think) was now won from the Syrians by Iſrael's Army, though Jorant was gone to Jezreel, leaving Jehu his General in his abſence. This they gather from the mention of the inner Chamber, ver. 2. and the top of the Stairs, ver. 13. and the Charge, [Let none go out of the City] ver. 15. Here the Prophet anointed Jehu, and in God's name told him of Royal-work, &c. ver. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. This was done according to the command of Elijah to Eliſha, 1 Kings 19.16. and now of Eliſha to this Young Prophet.
Remark the Fourth; This Act, though ſecretly managed, did ſtartle at the firſt the other Captains under Jehu the General: They ask, [Wherefore came this mad Fellow? &c.] ver. 11. N. B. Thus thoſe prophane Captains flouted the Lord's Prophets for their declaiming againſt their Debauchery and Idolatry; and thus the Lord's Miniſters are counted and called by a mad World (always beſide it ſelf in Matters of Salvation) even in all Ages, as Jerem. 29.26. Hoſ. 9.7. Acts 26.24. 2 Cor. 5.13. yea, Chriſt himſelf was ſuppoſed to be beſide himſelf by his Carnal Kindred, Mark 3.21.
Remark the Fifth; However, thoſe rude Ruffians knew him by his Habit and Geſture to be a Prophet, and that he came upon ſome great Errand, which they were more eager to know, becauſe Jehu modeſtly endeavoured to conceal it, ver. 12. And when they knew it, partly from expected Preferment, partly from humane Nature that deſires Novelties, but principally from God's Providence inclining their Hearts, they conſented and confirmed what this mad Man had done, ver. 13. making uſe of the top of the Stairs for Jehu's Throne, and their own Garments inſtead of a Cloath of State for him to tread upon.
Remark the Sixth; Joram's abſence from his Army (becauſe of his Wounds) made very much for Jehu's Advantage (ſaith P. Martyr) Jehu immediately marcheth to Jezreel, where Joram was, and where Jehoaaz or Ahaziah King of Judah was come to viſit his Couſin King of Iſrael, ver. 15, 16. which is marked as a marvelous Act of God's Providence, 2 Chron. 22.6, 7. N. B. That as theſe two wicked Kings had join'd themſelves together in ſinning; ſo God ordered it, that they ſhould both be joined together in ſuffering; Joram came thither to be cured of his Wounds, and Ahaziah came thither to condole with his wounded Couſin-King; at this juncture comes Jehu, and catches them both in his Net.
The Second Part, is, what Jehu acted after he was thus Anointed.
Remarks upon it are, Firſt, no ſooner had Joram's Watchman diſcovered Jehu by his furious Marching, but he ſends firſt one Scout, and then another, ver. 17, 18, 19, 20. both which Jehu detained, telling them, That he would himſelf give an Anſwer to Joram: Upon this Diſcovery Joram, though ſick and wounded, goes in his Chariot to meet Jehu, ver. 21. never dreaming of an Enemy, but rather thinking (tho' his Meſſengers were detained) that Jehu came with good Tidings from the Army, whereof he had left him the General, and that Jehu himſelf was reſolved to be the firſt Meſſenger of their Succeſs againſt the Syrians. Thus God infatuates whom he deſigns to deſtroy.
Remark the Second; When Joram ſaw Jehu, ver. 22. he ask'd. If he came in Peace, ſuſpecting ſome Treachery when it was too late: Jehu anſwers briskly and bravely again (ſaith P. Martyr) [What Peace? &c.] His Anſwer was as fierce and furious as his March was. He mentions not Joram's, but his Mother Jezebel's Sins▪ who was a notorious Adultereſs and Idolatreſs, partly becauſe ſhe was the Original of all the Miſchiefs, and partly becauſe Joram had made his Mother's Sins to be his own, ſeeing he had not reſtrained her according to his Royal Duty, and as pious Aſa had reſtrained, yea and depoſed his Mother, 1 Kings 15.13. whereas Joram rather promoted Jezebel's matchleſs Villany, and was himſelf an Idolater, if he were not an Adulterer alſo.
Remark the Third; Jehu ſlays Joram in the Field of Jezreel, ver. 23, 24, 25, 26. Joram's Carcaſs muſt now ſerve to Manure that Vineyard, which his Father Ahab had ſo bloodily wrung from Naboth, by Butchering both him and his Sons (as is expreſſed here) that he might have a clearer Poſſeſſion of it, yea, and Jezebel, the principal Promoter of the Slaughter of the Lord's Prophets, as well as of the Murder of Naboth, even her ſtinking Carcaſs, both alive and dead, notwithſtanding all her Perfumes and Paintings, ſhall become manure alſo to this ſame Vineyard: How dear was this Garden of Herbs bought, and how richly Dung'd even with Royal Corps?
Remark the Fourth; Ahaziah was wounded alſo by Jehu's Order, but not ſo mortally as Joram was by Jehu's Arrow, who ſank down dead by it; for Ahaziah fled to Megiddo, ver. 27. but hid himſelf in Samaria, as thinking it the ſafer place, 2 Chron. 22.9. or he died at Megiddo in the Country of Samaria, yet Jehu ſuffered his Servants to carry his Corps to Jeruſalem, ver. 28. for Jehoſaphat's ſake.
Remark the Fifth; Jehu comes to Jezreel and executes Jezebel, ver. 30, to 37.
Mark 1. She painted her Face either to affright Jehu with her Majeſtick Looks, ſaith Lavater, or to allure him from Murder to Adultery, ſaith Vatablus; but ſhe was too old for that now, ſaith P. Martyr, and mourning Weeds had been more meet for her in the loſs of her Husband and of her Son, &c.
Mark 2. Jezebel expoſtulates with Jehu, ver. 31. wherein ſhe calls him a Second Zimri, his Maſter's Murderer. She thought that, being a Woman, ſhe might wag her wicked Tongue at will, and that Jehu durſt not meddle with her; not knowing that he had a particular Charge from God about her, ver. 7, 10.
Mark 3. Jehu crys [Who is on my ſide?] ver 32. and her Eunuchs (that commonly attended the Queen, being mercenary Creatures) did quickly comply with Jehu's command, of caſting her out at the Window, ver. 33. N. B. Behold (ſaith P. Martyr) how Court-Paraſites change their Minds with their Conditions.
Mark 4. See how God writes her Sin upon her Puniſhment; her Brains that had deviſed Miſchief againſt God's Servants, are now ſtrewed upon the Walls; and ſhe that had inſulted over the Lord's Prophets, is now trampled under Foot by Horſes heels: She, that out of her dogged Diſpoſition, had flown upon ſo many that feared God, is now juſtly devoured by Dogs.
mark 5. Jehu had for the preſent forgot Elijah's Prophecy of her, 1 Kings 21.23. when he bad to bury her, becauſe ſhe was the Daughter of Ethbaal King of Sidon, 1 Kings 16.31. whom he was loth to incenſe in his unſettled Eſtate; but when word was brought him, the Dogs had devour'd all her Fleſh, and left nothing but Bones (a fair warning to foul dogged Perſecutors) then he remembred what he heard Elijah ſay, ver. 36, 37. Where he relates more than was recorded, 1 Kings 21.23. which now is made Scripture, as if before related.