Now Joram had been in Ramoth Gilead with the whole Israelite army,²⁷ guarding against an invasion by King Hazael of Syria. ^9:15But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians²⁸ when he fought against King Hazael of Syria.²⁹ Jehu told his supporters,³⁰ “If you really want me to be king,³¹ then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go and warn Jezreel.” ^9:16Jehu drove his chariot³² to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating³³ there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit³⁴ Joram.)

^9:17Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching.³⁵ He said, “I see troops!”³⁶ Jehoram ordered,³⁷ “Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”³⁸^9:18So the horseman³⁹ went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”⁴⁰ Jehu replied, “None of your business!⁴¹ Follow me.” The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but hasn’t started back.” ^9:19So he sent a second horseman out to them⁴² and he said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”⁴³ Jehu replied, “None of your business! Follow me.” ^9:20The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi;⁴⁴ he drives recklessly.” ^9:21Jehoram ordered, “Hitch up my chariot.”⁴⁵ When his chariot had been hitched up,⁴⁶ King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah went out in their respective chariots⁴⁷ to meet Jehu. They met up with him⁴⁸ in the plot of land that had once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel.

^9:22When Jehoram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is everything all right, Jehu?” He replied, “How can everything be all right as long as your mother Jezebel promotes idolatry and pagan practices?”⁴⁹^9:23Jehoram turned his chariot around and took off.⁵⁰ He said to Ahaziah, “It’s a trap,⁵¹ Ahaziah!” ^9:24Jehu aimed his bow and shot an arrow right between Jehoram’s shoulders.⁵² The arrow went through⁵³ his heart and he fell to his knees in his chariot.

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Footnotes

27 Heb “he and all Israel.”
28 Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
30 The words “his supporters” are added for clarification.
31 Heb “If this is your desire.” נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) refers here to the seat of the emotions and will. For other examples of this use of the word, see 660–61
32 Heb “rode [or, ‘mounted’] and went.”
33 Heb “lying down.”
34 Heb “to see.”
35 Heb “the quantity [of the men] of Jehu, when he approached.” Elsewhere שִׁפְעַה (shif’ah), “quantity,” is used of a quantity of camels (Isa 60:6) or horses (Ezek 26:10) and of an abundance of water (Job 22:11; 38:34).
36 The term שִׁפְעַת (shifat) appears to be a construct form of the noun, but no genitive follows.
37 Heb “said.”
38 Heb “Get a rider and send [him] to meet him and let him ask, ‘Is there peace?’ ”
39 Heb “the rider of the horse.”
40 Heb “Is there peace?”
41 Heb “What concerning you and concerning peace?” That is, “What concern is that to you?”
42 Heb “and he came to them.”
43 The has simply “peace,” omitting the prefixed interrogative particle. It is likely that the particle has been accidentally omitted; several ancient witnesses include it or assume its presence.
44 Heb “and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi.”
45 The words “my chariot” are added for clarification.
46 Heb “and he hitched up his chariot.”
47 Heb “each in his chariot and they went out.”
48 Heb “they found him.”
49 Heb “How [can there be] peace as long as the adulterous acts of Jezebel your mother and her many acts of sorcery [continue]?” In this instance “adulterous acts” is employed metaphorically for idolatry. As elsewhere in the OT, worshiping other gods is viewed as spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness to the one true God. The phrase “many acts of sorcery” could be taken literally, for Jezebel undoubtedly utilized pagan divination practices, but the phrase may be metaphorical, pointing to her devotion to pagan customs in general.
50 Heb “and Jehoram turned his hands and fled.” The phrase “turned his hands” refers to how he would have pulled on the reins in order to make his horses turn around.
51 Heb “Deceit, Ahaziah.”
52 Heb “and Jehu filled his hand with the bow and he struck Jehoram between his shoulders.”
53 Heb “went out from.”

Cross references

29 See 2 Kgs 8:28–29a.