2 Kings 9:2

And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) And when thou comest thither.—Rather, And enter into it—i.e., into the town of Ramoth. This makes it clear that the Israelites had retaken Ramoth from the Syrians (comp. also the mention of “chambers” and “the door” in 2Kings 9:3, and the order, 2Kings 9:15, to “let no man escape out of the city”) probably before Joram returned to Jezreel (2Kings 9:14). Josephus expressly asserts this.

Jehu.—Probably left in supreme command of the forces at Jehoram’s departure, as being the ablest of the generals (so Josephus).

The son of Jehoshaphat.—It is curious that the father of Jehu who executed the sentence of Jehovah upon the house of Ahab should have borne this name (“Jehovah judgeth”). Nothing is known of Jehu’s origin. He is twice mentioned by Shalmaneser II., king of Assyria, as one of his tributaries. In a fragment of his Annals relating to the campaign against Hazael, undertaken in his eighteenth year (see Note on 2Kings 8:15), the Assyrian monarch states that, after besieging Damascus, and ravaging the Haurân, he marched to the mountains of Baal-rôsh, the foreland of the sea (Carmel?), and set up his royal image thereon. “In that day the tribute of the land of the Tyrians (and) Sidonians, (and) of Ya’ua (Jehu), son of Omri, I received.” On the Black Obelisk there is a representation of Jehu’s tribute-bearers, and, perhaps, of Jehu himself, kneeling before Shalmaneser. The superscription is: “Tribute of Ya’ua, son of Humrì (Omri)—(ingots of) silver and gold, a bowl of gold, ewers of gold, goblets of gold, buckets of gold, (ingots of) lead, a rod of the hand of the king, spears—I received it.”

Go in.—Into Jehu’s house.

From among his brethren—i.e., his comrades in arms; his fellow-captains.

Carry him.—Literally, cause him to enter. The object was secrecy.

An inner chamber.—Literally, a chamber in a chamber. A phrase which occurred in 1Kings 20:30; 1Kings 22:25. Thenius thinks this a mark of identity of authorship.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 9:2-3. Make him arise up from among his brethren — From the other officers of the army, 2 Kings 9:5. Carry him to an inner chamber — This he orders, partly that the work might not be hindered, and partly for the security of the young prophet’s own person. And say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed &c. — This was not the whole message he was to deliver: but the rest of it is particularly declared 2 Kings 9:7-10, and is to be understood here. “According to the Jews, none of the kings of Israel were anointed but those of the house of David, and these only when there was a question about their succession; as Solomon, they say, needed not have been anointed, had it not been for the faction of Adonijah. But in the case of Jehu, in whom the succession of the kingdom of Israel was to be translated out of the right line of the family of Ahab into another family, which had no right to the kingdom, but merely the appointment of God, there was a necessity for his unction, in order both to convey to him a title, and to invest him in the actual possession of the kingdom.” — Dodd.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:1-10 In these and the like events, we must acknowledge the secret working of God, disposing men to fulfil his purposes respecting them. Jehu was anointed king over Israel, by the Lord's special choice. The Lord still had a remnant of his people, and would yet preserve his worship among them. Of this Jehu was reminded. He was commanded to destroy the house of Ahab, and, as far as he acted in obedience to God, and upon right principles, he needed not to regard reproach or opposition. The murder of God's prophets is strongly noticed. Jezebel persisted in idolatry and enmity to Jehovah and his servants, and her iniquity was now full.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Box - Rather, "flask," or "vial" 1 Samuel 10:1. Oil and ointment were commonly kept in open-mouthed jars, vases, or bottles made of glass, alabaster, or earthen-ware. Many such vessels have been found both in Egypt and Assyria. The "oil" was the holy oil, compounded after the receipt given in Exodus Exo 30:23-25.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. carry him to an inner chamber—both to ensure the safety of the messenger and to prevent all obstruction in the execution of the business.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Partly that the work may not be hindered, and partly for the security of thy own person. See 2 Kings 9:3.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when thou comest thither,.... To Ramothgilead; but from whence he went is uncertain, doubtless where there was a school of the prophets, perhaps that which was erected near Jordan, on the other side of which lay Ramothgilead, 2 Kings 6:1,

look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi; the same that Elijah was ordered to anoint, but it was deferred till now, a reprieve being granted to Ahab upon his humiliation, 1 Kings 19:16,

and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren; the captains of the army:

and carry him into an inner chamber; a chamber within a chamber, as in the original; this he was to do for secrecy, that it might not be seen what he did to Jehu; and lest he should be prevented doing it by the captains, or be exposed to danger for doing it; since that might be deemed treason to do what he was to do, and did, as follows.

Geneva Study Bible

And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi] Jehu was no doubt well known both in the army and elsewhere, and his afterlife shews that he was a man of action and with very slight scruples. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel knows his manner of riding, and there seems to have been little hesitation on the part of the messengers whom Joram sent out about obeying Jehu’s order ‘Turn thee behind me.’

and go in] We see from this that the troops and officers of Israel were within the city, and holding it against the Syrians.

from among his brethren] i.e. His fellow officers, his brothers in arms.

to an inner chamber] Literally ‘a chamber within a chamber’. See note on 1 Kings 20:30. The design of this privacy was no doubt that Jehu might be at liberty to take his own measures for carrying out his commission, without the interference of any but comrades of his own choice.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - And when thou comest thither, look out Share Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi. Jehu had been in a high position under Ahab (ver. 25), and had been pointed out to Elijah, by Divine revelation, as the future King of Israel (1 Kings 19:16). Elijah had been bidden to anoint him king, but apparently had neglected to do so, or rather had devolved the task upon his successor. Meantime Jehu served as a soldier under Ahaziah and Jehoram, Ahab's sons, and attained such distinction that he became one of the captains of the host (infra, ver. 5), according to Josephus (l.s.c.) the chief captain. Jehu was commonly known as "the son of Nimshi" (1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 9:20), either because, his father having died young, he was brought up by his grandfather, or perhaps simply "because Nimshi was a person of more importance than Jehoshaphat." And go in - i.e., seek his presence, go into his quarters, wherever they may be, have direct speech with him - and make him arise up from among his brethren (comp. vers. 5 and 6). Jehu's "brethren" are his brother-officers, among whom Elisha knows that he will be found sitting. And carry him to an inner chamber. Persuade him, i.e., to quit the place where thou wilt find him sitting with the other generals, and to go with thee into a private apartment for secret conference. Secrecy was of extreme importance, lest Joram should get knowledge of what was happening, and prepare himself for resistance. Had he not been taken by surprise, the result might have been a long and bloody civil war. 2 Kings 9:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

2 Kings 9:1-3 contain the instructions which Elisha gave to the pupil of the prophets. השׁמן פּך as in 1 Samuel 10:1. יהוּא שׁם ראה, look round there for Jehu. וגו הקמתו, let him (bid him) rise up from the midst of his brethren, i.e., of his comrades in arms. בּחדר חדר: the true meaning is, "into the innermost chamber" (see at 1 Kings 20:30). 2 Kings 9:3 contains only the leading points of the commission to Jehu, the full particulars are communicated in the account of the fulfilment in 2 Kings 9:6. "And flee, and thou shalt not wait." Elisha gave him this command, not to protect him from danger on the part of the secret adherents of Ahab (Theodoret, Cler.), but to prevent all further discussions, or "that he might not mix himself up with other affairs" (Seb. Schmidt).