Now Joram had been in Ramoth Gilead with the whole Israelite army, 1 guarding against an invasion by King Hazael of Syria. 9:15 But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians 2 when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. 3 Jehu told his supporters, 4 “If you really want me to be king, 5 then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go and warn Jezreel.” 9:16 Jehu drove his chariot 6 to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating 7 there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit 8 Joram.)
9:17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and saw Jehu’s troops approaching. 9 He said, “I see troops!” 10 Jehoram ordered, 11 “Send a rider out to meet them and have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’” 12 9:18 So the horseman 13 went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’” 14 Jehu replied, “None of your business! 15 Follow me.” The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but hasn’t started back.” 9:19 So he sent a second horseman out to them 16 and he said, “This is what the king says, ‘Is everything all right?’” 17 Jehu replied, “None of your business! Follow me.” 9:20 The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi; 18 he drives recklessly.” 9:21 Jehoram ordered, “Hitch up my chariot.” 19 When his chariot had been hitched up, 20 King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah went out in their respective chariots 21 to meet Jehu. They met up with him 22 in the plot of land that had once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel.
9:22 When 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?” 23 9:23 Jehoram turned his chariot around and took off. 24 He said to Ahaziah, “It’s a trap, 25 Ahaziah!” 9:24 Jehu aimed his bow and shot an arrow right between Jehoram’s shoulders. 26 The arrow went through 27 his heart and he fell to his knees in his chariot.
1 tn Heb “he and all Israel.”
2 tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
3 sn See 2 Kgs 8:28-29a.
4 tn The words “his supporters” are added for clarification.
5 tn 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 BDB 660-61 s.v.
6 tn Heb “rode [or, ‘mounted’] and went.”
7 tn Heb “lying down.”
8 tn Heb “to see.”
9 tn 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).
10 tn The term שִׁפְעַת (shifat) appears to be a construct form of the noun, but no genitive follows.
11 tn Heb “said.”
12 tn Heb “Get a rider and send [him] to meet him and let him ask, ‘Is there peace?’”
13 tn Heb “the rider of the horse.”
14 tn Heb “Is there peace?”
15 tn Heb “What concerning you and concerning peace?” That is, “What concern is that to you?”
16 tn Heb “and he came to them.”
17 tc The MT 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.
18 tn Heb “and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi.”
19 tn The words “my chariot” are added for clarification.
20 tn Heb “and he hitched up his chariot.”
21 tn Heb “each in his chariot and they went out.”
22 tn Heb “they found him.”
23 tn 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.
24 tn 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.
25 tn Heb “Deceit, Ahaziah.”
26 tn Heb “and Jehu filled his hand with the bow and he struck Jehoram between his shoulders.”
27 tn Heb “went out from.”
28 tn Heb “to him.” The referent (Hosea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
29 tn Heb “I will visit.” The verb פָּקַד (paqad, “to visit”) has a very broad range of meanings: (1) “to pay attention to; to look at” (a) favorably: to look after; to provide for; to care for; (b) unfavorably: to seek vengeance for; to punish for; (2) militarily: (a) “to muster; to enroll”; (b) “to inspect; to review”; (3) leadership: (a) “to rule over; to oversee”; (b) Hiphil: “to appoint an overseer” (see BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד; HALOT 955-58 s.v. פקד). In this context, the nuance “to punish” or “to take vengeance” (see 1b above) is most appropriate. Cf. KJV, ASV “I will avenge”; NAB, NASB, NRSV “I will punish.”
30 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV “family”; CEV “descendants.”
31 tn The plural form of דָּם (dam, “blood”) refers to “bloodshed” (BDB 196 s.v. דָּם 2.f). This is an example of a plural of abnormal condition (GKC 400 §124.n). The plural is used to represent natural objects which are found in an unnatural or abnormal condition. The plural is used because the natural object is normally found as a whole or in one unit, but in the abnormal condition the object is found in many parts. Normally, blood is contained as a whole within the body. However, when a brutal murder occurs, blood is shed and literally spilled all over the place. Cf. NIV “the massacre”; TEV, CEV, NLT “the murders.”
32 tn Heb “I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.”
33 tn Heb “the kingdom of the house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
34 sn The proper name יִזְרְעֶאל (yizré’e’l, “Jezreel”) sounds like יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”). This phonetic wordplay associates the sin at Jezreel with the judgment on Israel, stressing poetic justice.