Verae 17. Lord, — open hie eyw] Where i« heaven 1 Is it not above, beneath, anund ual And were our eyes open as were tboae of the prophet's servant, we aboun see die heavenly host in all directions. The horaea and chariots of fire were there, before the eyes of BUsha's servant wen opetied.
Verse 18. Smite thia people — mih blindneee.] Confound dieir sight, ao that they may not know what they sect and so mistake one place for another.
Verae 19. / leiU bring you to the man tehom ye eeek.1 And he did 80: he waa their Ruide to Samaria t and Aowed himself to them fiiUy in that city.
Verse 20. Open the eye* iff tiuae men] Take away their oonfusion of vision, that they may discern dtiogs as th^ are, and distinguish where they arc.
Verse 21. JM^yalAer,aAaU/snitfe1Thiswaa dastardly; the utmost he could have done with these men, when thas brougbt into his hand, was to make ibem prisoners of war.
Verse 22. Whon thou hast taken ct^rttM] Those who^ in open batUe, eidier lay down their arms, or are sur* rounded, and their retreat cut off, are entitled to their lives ] much more those who are thus providentially put into diy hand, without havine been in actual hostility against thee. Give them meat ana dnnk, and send them home to their master; and let him Ihua know that thou fearest him no^ and art incapable of doing an ungenerous or unmanly action.
Verse 23. Bepr^paredgrtatprovisionforOuml Thes^ on Uieir return to weir master, eould tall him strange things about diepowerofthsGodofbmsliandtbsmagiMntanigr
So the oande <ff Syria eame no nuire\ Blarauding par* ties were no mon permitted by the Syrian king to nabs inroads upon IsnM. And it is very lately (hat, §at some
25 And there was a great famine id Samaria: and, behold, they besicf ed it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of eilver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove'a dung for five pieces of silver.
36 IT And as the king of Israel -was passine by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto mm, saying. Help, my lord, O king.
27 And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barn-floor or out of the wine-press 1
28 And the king said unto her. What aileth thee? And she answered. This woman said unto me. Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we jviH eat my son to-morrow.
29 So * we boiled my son, and did eat him; and I said unto her on tne ' next day, Give thy Bon, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
30 T And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he f rent bis clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked^ and, benola, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 Then he said, ■ God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32 But Elisha sat in his house, and ' the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from be- ' lore him: but, ere the messenger came to him,
he said to the elders, ^ See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to teike away mine head 1 Look, when the messenger cometli, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: it not the sound of his master's feet behind him 1
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Loan} ^ whatstuioldl wait for the Loan any longer 1
cOTunderable time after this, there was no war betwaen these two nations. What ia mentioned in the next verse was more than a year afterward.
Ve«o2B. AndfiahaldtthtabesUgedit] They had clewed it on mnr ride, and reduced it to the greatest neoBsri^.
An atrt head was ttiA far foaraoart pieces swsrl I BUppoae we are to take the <ua'« hbod hterally: and, if the hAod sold for so much, what must other parts sell for, which were much Id be preferred 1 The taniiiie must be ereat tliat could oblige them to eat any part of an animal that was proscribed)^ the law: and it moat be itill greater that could oblige them to purchase so mean apart of thia undeon animal, at so Mgh a price. The pCtM sitter WM mkatbly the tirac&m, worth about teten penes three farthings of our money: the whole amounting to about ttoo pounds nine shillings.
And the fourth part ^aeabqf dmia dunr] The cab was about a quart or thret pints. Dove's dung D^im-m Mriyonim. Whether this means pigeon's tiufu', literally, or a kind of piUse, has been varioualy disputed oy learned meiL After having written much upon the subject, illus- InUed with quotations from east, west, north, and south, I choose to spare my readers the trouble of wading throu^ them; and shall content myself with asserting that it is probable a sort qf peas are meant, which the Arabs to this day call by this name. " The garvaneos, deer, or Aiclcpea,** saya Dr. Shaw, "have bmn taken for the pigeon's duDg, mentiooed in the siege of Samaria; and, as the deer vt'poinied at one eoA, and acquires an ash cotour in parching, the first of which circumstances answers to diK figure, tile aecond to the usual colour of dovtie dung, die suppo- Ktion is by DO means to be disregarded."
I should not omit saying, that do9^s dung is of great value in die East, for its power in producing eueumosrs, meUms, &c. which has ioouced many learned roea to take the words lUeraUy. Bodutrt has exhausted this auliiieel, and eondudea that a kind ofpiiisi is meant. HoMlMrnea men are of his ojnnion.
Verae 27. ff&s Loan dp im< &e4> Oes] Some read diis as an immteaHoHf Mug Qod muss thss tuCt how eon 1 save thee?
Terse 29. So we boilsd my son} Thia is horrible s but, tot the sake of humani^, we must allow that the children died through hunger, and then became food for their starved, desperate parents.
She hath kid ha- son.} He was already dead, says Jarthi; and she hid him, that she might eat him alone.
This very evil Moses had foretold should come upon them if they forsook God. See Deut xxviii. 63, 67. The same evil came upon this wretched people, when besieged by Nebuchadnezzar. See Ezek. 10. And also, when l^tus liesieged Jerusalem. See Jostphus De Bell. Judaic libivi. cap. 3.andmynolea«iBlatt,xxiv. 19.
TerseSO. He had «aci(leA wilfcte upon The nng was in deep mouraing fw Uie distNMea or the peopto.
THEN Elisha said, Hear ye the ^^nj* word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, • "To-morrow, about this time, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
2 f Then t a lord, on whose hand the IdiMc leaned, answered the man of God, and said. Behold, >■ if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see i£ with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof,
Verae 31. iff the head of EliAa—AaU stand on Ami] Either he attributed these calamities to the prophet; or else he thought he could remove them, and jet vnU noC The miaeraue king was driven to deraeraiioB.
Varae32. aon f/" a nuirdspBr j Jdwnm, iha MB tA Ahab and Jexriiel. Bnt Afaab ii oalled a wmdtrwr, because of the murder of Naboth.
The sound of his master's feet behind Aim! Thai is^ king Jehoram is following his messenger, that oe may m him take off fuy bead.
ISatt the door} He was Obliged to make use cf this method for his personal saC^, as the king was U^dy incensed.
Verse 33. Behold, this tvii is ^t^Loao] It is difienh to know whether it be the pn/phtt, the msssmgtr, or the Mnf. that saya these words. It might be tbeanswerof dia pnmfiet from within, to the messenger who was witboa^ and who sought for odmtnion, and gave bis reason. To whom Eliilia might have replied, "1 am not the caiiss at these calamities, they are from die Lord; I have baaa praying for their removal; but vhy should I fstj to dw Loid any longer, fbr the time of your delhrefanee ta at huid." And then EliAa said — See the following chapter, where the removal of the calamity is ftvetold in tbe most explieit manner; and. indeed, the chaoier is uobsffMhf divided from this. Tbie viith ofaapter would bavs bi^u with ver. 24. of diis chapter; as, by the pre— T di«' the story is unnaturally inteirupUd.
How natural is it for men to li^lbeeaiiMof Ihdri ings on any thing or person wt themselveal Ahafe^s imquity was nifficient to have brousht down Ood's displeasure on a whole nation; and yet be takes no blane ta nimself, but lays all on the prophet who was tbe odItmA that preserved the whole nation from comiption. How few take their sins to themsdsisi and till ibey do ihii^ th(7 cannot be tme penitentsi nor can tfa^aneet GodTa wradi to beavorted, till they foal themselves AedMaCtf ■inneis. _ NOTES ON CHAPTER VIL
Verse 1. To-morrow about (Us Hme} Thia was a reply to die desponding language of the king; and to dicate himself from the chaige of being author of this i mi^. See die end of the preceding cbapter.
Amsasitrei^flnsfhuT^orasheka} AseakMt^ms flour: the seah was about two gallons aod a kmifi Aekd, too MiUngs and fourpenee, at the l^railonaaiputation. A wide difference between this and tbe pace oC the ass's head, mentioned above.
Versed TTien a lord] vh9 AaHsh. TMaym^ mm the name of an qfiee, occurs (rften; and seems to peiot eat one of the hiriiest offices in die state. So unlikely was Ona prediction to be fulfilled, that be thought God nmat pov oat wheat and barley from beavM!^ JniofB it eooUha'W* literal aceoraplishmeot.
But shali not eat thsrf^l This was a mer*
9 IT And there were four leproOB men > at the utM-inff in of the gate; andf they said one to another, Why ait we here until we die?
4 Ifwe say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die mere: and if we sit stilt twre we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall onto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall lire; and U they kill us, we shall but die.
5 And they rose up in the twilif ht, to go unto the caoip of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, t/iere was no man there.
6 For the Lord had made the host of the SyrianB ^ to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the ooiee of a great host: and thenr said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us ■ the kings of the Hittitea, and the kings of the Egyptians to come upon aa.
T Wherefore they " arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, ana fled for their lUe.
8 And when these lepers oame to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, Wkd did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, •ad gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; ana came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
Then they said one to another. We do not w«U: this day t« a day of ^ood tidings, and we hflid fiur peace: if we tarry ml the monung light, ■some mischief will come upon as: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king*s household.
10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, We
cl bis daath, but not as a judgment for his unbelief; sny person, in hii oircumauuic«B, might have spoken as he did. H« suile^ in effect, ihu itotliinK but s miracle could procore the plenty predicted: and, by a miimcie aloae waa it doae: anil any poreon, in hia place, might have been trodden to daath^ the crowd in the gale of Samaria.
Verse 3. Tnerewrejbur Itproiumtn] Haa Qmtara, in Soto, H. Sot, Jarthi, and othera, oay, that these iour Ispen ware Qcbaxi and Ais three eon*.
AtthteHitringin^lhcgaf] Tbey were not permitted b> mingle in dvil society.
Verse 5. Tite uitemutt pari qf the camp] Where the Syriao advanced guardi should n&ve been.
Verse 6. Tfu hono had made the — Syriam to hear a naise\ Thie threw them into confusion | they imagined ih&t toey were about to be attacked by power&il a^lxiliaries, vhioh toe Icing of Israel bad hired against ihem.
Verse i'i. flu king aro»e in lha night] This king bad made a noble defence t he seems to have shared in ail du waSvingu of the besieged, ond to have been ever at his posL Kven in vile Ahata thtte were some good things I kn«ic thai im be hungry] Thia was a very natural conclusioa. The Syrians, hy the closest blockade, eould not induca them lo give up the city { but, knowing tbat they were in a starving oonditioD, they might make use of sueh a stratagem as that imagiaml by uia king, in order lo oat possession of the eity.
Verse 13. And one qf his envanU snstMretf] Hus is a very iliiHcult verse; and the eraat variety of eicplanatioM given of it cast but liltls linit on the subject. 1 am inelined to believe, with Dr. &nnieoU, tliat there is on igUtrpolation here, which puzzles, if not destroys, the asnse. "Several inataoce^ says he, "have been given of wmb improper^ rtpeaitd by Jewish transcribers, who hiK«e boen coiwm aoou^ to make such mistakes, siidyet cattlious not to alter or eross, for fear of disoovery. This vane furnishes another instanoe ia aasrslsn rfpMfim ttf smpen Bebrew words, tbus t mn 1VH 'ttnm pon ^» Bin ra rwtvi
13ie exact English of this verse i% And the ssrmuU-said, Zrff Otsm take note Jl»e <if the ramofntftf Aorsss, ishidi TsemtUninitibAskltheuareasaUlkimuUliitdstif&rael, vbkk [mmain in it; benidd diey ara as all ^ mtdtitude of laaal idiiobj ars e&nsumsd j and tst us send and sse.
came to the camp of the riens, and, behold, th^re -waa no man there, neither voice « man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tenta as
11 And he called the pOTters; and they tddil to the king's house within.
12 ir And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry \ therefore are they gone out of the camp to nide themselves in the fleld, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catu them alive, and get into the city.
13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left " in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, /«av, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see,
14 They took therefore two chariot-horses; and the king sent after the host of the SyriauS) saying. Go and see.
15 And they went afler them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the waywoj MI of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and totd the king.
16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine floor was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel f according to the word of the Lobd.
17 ^ And the king appointed the lord on Whose hand he leaned to nave the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
words is neither ia tlie iS^ito^ni nor Syriac veraioai^ and that those tranelatoni who su|^Mee those words to be eenuine. alter tbem to make them look like sense, will probaUy allow them to have beenat first an improper ri^etittant consequently, lo be now an interpol<Uion, strangely con. tinned in the Hebrew text" They are wanting in more fha^ forty oi Kennicott e sxA De Awst'<MSS. In some Others they are left without points; in oitttrs, tbey have been written in, and afterward bMUd out; and in others /our, in others Jiwe, of lt\e seven words are omitted. Ds iifo«n concludes thus, Nec verba hacleguni LXX., Vulg^ Synu simplsx Syrus, Heptaplaris Parisiensii, Targum. They ataiK) on little authority t and the text should be read, omitting the words encloaea by bradtets, as above.
Utat are coruvnutfl The words ^sn -vgm asksr tamu, should be translated, taiich are perfect; i. e. fit for service, "nie rest of the horase were either dead of the fom^ kiUed for the subeistenoe of the besieged, or so mains not to be able to perifbrm such a joamey.
Verse 14. 7\ey took—two ehari^t-horses] Tbey had, at first, iotanded to send Jive; probably tbey nund, on ezaotination, that only two were efliBctiTe. But if they sent two chariots, each would have two hoiaes i and prob^y a nngle horse for crossing the coontiv.
Verse. 16. AU the was full <ff garments and vessels] A manifest proofof ihe otirrya^ pieeipitaney with which Ihey fled.
Verse 17. Aiut the people trode upon him] Hiaoffieer being appointed by the bng to have the eommaod of the gate, the people lusbing out to gel spoil, and in to cany k to their lunises. be waa borne cawa by the imiltitude, aiid trodden to death. Hue also was foreseen by the spirit of pro|4iecy. The literal and exact fulfilment m such prediiy tioBs must have aoqiured tbs pnqibet a greet dcaJ <n eredik inlmel.
Da. lAghtfoot remarks that, between die firtl and last year of Jeboram, tea of Jebosbaphat, there are very many ocourrenoes mentioned, which are not referred imr fixed to tbeir proper year; and, therefore, they most be calculated io a gross sum, as coming to pass in «u ^ these years. These are the stories contained in chapters iv, v, v^ and vit.ortbtsboak,andtn2Chron.xzi.6— 19. "nM^maybe calculated ibos ^— In tbsjtrsf year of Jehoram, Eliaha, rebimincont of Hoab into the land of larael, multjaMps the widovrs oil; hs is lo4|sd in Shoaem, and aasnrea ras bos' tessof achtld. Tbesmnyaart' famine was then bagun, and begiTss the Wn—umaiie wwoiaa of its eoatiawsaefc
18 And it came to pau em the man of Ood had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of iMirle; for a Bhekel, and a measure of fine flour for a sheket, shall be to-morrow ^>out this time in the gate of Samaria:
19 And that lord aoiwered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, i/ the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
SO And BO it fell outunto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died. CHAPTER Vm.
1MI is ViiLl iBiit.anl iIbwi UJin Ihr MngUairtnh tawiW oWKnu^, >'>~I4. HkueI prTiinu: nil nLuLrrvkdi ■ iret claik, madnMn In liif x'-i-l. IS.
soever thou canst sojourn: fqr the Lobd * hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven year&
3 And the woman arose, and did afler the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
tt'c w!* 3 Ana it came to pass at the seven ^h^L^' years' end, that the woman returned *£^rSS^ out of the land of the PhiliBtines: and f^''-, she went forth to cry untothekingfor her house, and for her land.
The aecond year, she bears her child in the laitd of the PbiluiiDei, chop. viiL 2. And Eliihii residea unonE the disciples of the prodiete at Oilgal, heals the Mrisoneapottsge, and feeds me hundrtd men with Ascnty barley loaves ana some ears of eora. Tliat summer bseuresNaantan of hii leprosy, the only cureof this kind done till Chriet came.
The mnf year, he makee iron to awim, prevents the Syrian's ambushments, strikes those with blindness who were sent to seize bim, and sends them beck to their master.
llie./fnirAyew, JdMshapbat dies^ and Edcnn rdieli^ and ahalns off yoln Isidapon them Ij David: Libiah also rebels.
The J\flh year, Samaria is besieged byBen-hadad; the city is most grievously afflicted; and, after being nearly destroyed by ramine, it is suddenly relieved by a miraclous intertBrenee of Ood, which bad been distinctly foretold bv Elisha.
Hm ttxtk year, the PhiliatiiMs and Arabians oppntm Jahonun, king of Judah, and taks eaptire his wives and ehildrea, leaving only one son behind.
The ssiMnlk year, Jshoram fiills into a grierous sieknesa, so tbathisbowels&Uoat, 2Cbron. XXI. 19. Audio the sane year the sewn yean famiiu eruU about the time of hameti and, at that harvest, the Shuoammite's son dies, and is restored to life by EUan^ though the story of Us birth and death is related loeeiber: and yet some TCMs must have passsd betwssn them. Not long aftsr Otis the Shunammite goes to the king to petition to be restored to her own land, wtutdt she hid left in the time of the fiuoin^ and had sajjoumsd in the land of iha Philistines.
lUa year Elisha is at Damasoos i Ben-haded blU ntk) Haaael stifles him with a wet cloth, and reigns in his stead. All those things Dr. Lightfoot supposes happened between Ad. Mundi 3110 and 3117. Sea L^AofsWwks, vol. i. p. 88. In examining the facts reoorded in ihwe books, we shall always find it difficult, aitd sometimes imponible, toasoertainibeexactchroRology. Thediffieultyisinoeased W a custom common among these fcnMfi-fT^ the givtw the whole of a story at once, Uhm^ several inoidents lo^ place at the diManct <^ motm yean from At commencem4nt iif Uu story! astheyseemunwilUogtohavslorecur to the same history in the chnmologieal order at its faols. NOTES ON CHAP^R Tin.
Vens 1. Tfim spake Eli^} As this is the relatiwt ^■m event far past, the words liunild be tnmalated, " But ElidM had spHnn. tmto the woman whose son be had rtMtor*d UDto Ufe; and the woman kad oHmn, and acted
4 And the kmg talked with 'Gefaaxt the Mrvant of the man of God, saying, Telt me, I prajr thee, all the great things that Elisha hath aaob.
5 And it came to pass, as he was teUkis the king how he had " restored a dead bodj to Uii, that, behold, the woman, whose son he bad r«- ettH-ed to life, cried to the king for her house and for her lajui. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this ia the wonutn, and this i» ber sail, whom Bliriia reibMvd to life.
6 And when the king asked the woman, die told him. So the king appointed onto Iwr a certain * officer, saying. Restore all that «a« hers, and all the fruits of the field since the da/ that she lefl the land, even nntU now.
7 1[ And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhad ad the kiiw of Svria was sick, and it was told him, sayinff, The man of GknI is eone hither.
8 And the king said unto ' Haxael. ' Take a
Sesent in thine hand, and go, meet the man ot od, and ■ inquire of the Lord by him, saying. Shall I recover of this disease 7
9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a
E resent • with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' harden, and came and stood before bim, and said. Thy son Beo-hiulad king of Syria bath sent me to thee, sayaiff. Shall I recover of this disease?
10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him. Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath showed me that be shall sorely die.
11 And he settled his couotenaDce 'steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man oT
aceording to tlie saying of ihe man of Ood, and had mm virith her family, and Aocf w/oumedinthelandof the Philistinea seven years." What is mentioned in these two verses happened several years before the time specified ia the third verae. See the observations at ths nd «( lbs prceeding chapter.
Verse 4. The king talked wWi <3diaxi\ TUsiaaapposed to have happened before the cleansing of Naaman, for, ia it likely that the king would hold conversatica with a leprous man } or that, knowing CMiazi had been dismissed with the highest diagraee from the pnqilMt'B service, ha eonid hoM ai^ oonveraatton with faun eoDcaniis bis ute master, relative to whom hs could not expect fain to give either a true or impartia] aeeotmt?
Some think that this conversation might have taken place after O^iazi became leprous; the king having an insatiable euriorfly to know the private hislo^ of a nan who had done such astonishing thii^: aad froax wboas could he set this inlomutioo, except from the prOfhe^s own confidential SMrvantl It agrees betlsr with die diR^ nology to coniider what is bare related as haviag tsksa pisoe q/1er the cure of Naaman. Ai to the circtuuaisiies of Oehazi's diseMe, he might overtook that, and coavcsas with him, keeping at a rewionablediatanei^ as nodiing bat actual contact could defile.
Elisha restored to TUs was a veiy occurrenoe in bdislf sf the Shonanunita. ' eiven by Gdiasi was now eorrtAwmted by the herself; the king was duly selected, and gave immediais orden for the restoration of her land.
VeiseT. £ti«hacainetoZ>amasicua] That he night lead Oehaxitorepentanoe; according to./ardU and aomeodMBK
Terse 6. T<Un apreseniinthinehand\ But what aa immense present was this, jSmb eamii^ burdtfi ^ food thing of Daimataul Tbe prophet wouU lave a very uugs eatabliahnent at Damascus to of so much proper^.
Teroe 10. Tnott nayrnl esrtaitUy rteooer: AowMt Ika Lord hath tho%ead me V\at A< ahaU tvrdy dU.} Hist ia^ God has not defarsuned thy death, nor will it be a maasvaary amsequente of the dtMOse by which thou art nmr affltolsd; but this wicked man will abuse the power aad mat dum hast reposed in bim, and take nwav lift. Even when God has not desigrtad, tM ampe6u»it tfaa death of a person, hs m» nevertheless duL tboa^ not without the perm£stton of Ood. lliis is a fardHr proof of thedoctrinsof conhiu^sMnlt.- he nai^ live Mr all his skknasi^ but thm wut |iul an «d to his dfc
13 And Huael »aid, Why weepeth my lord 7 And he anowered, Because I know ■ the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their atrong-holds wilt thou set on fire, and their roans men wilt thou slay with the sword, and ■ wilt dash their childrsn, and rip up their women with child.
13 And Hazael said. But what I > tvthr servant a doe, that he should do this freat thing? And Elisha answered, ^ The Lord fiatb showed me that thou shall be King over Syria.
14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master: who said to him. What said Elisha to thee 7 And he answered. He told me that thou shooldest surely recover.
15 Ajid it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
kciIm 16 T And in the fifth year of Joram AM Lot. lit. the son of Ahab laag of Israel, Je- S^TttaT hoshaphat being then kiiw of Judah,
(••f^ i Jehoram the son of JehosEaphat kins of Judah k began to reiga
^J&S." " ' Thirty and two years old was ■.cM-m he when he began to reign: and he i^o^gMH reined eight years in Jerusalem.
-f^ 18 And he walked in the way of the
Vene 11. He aetiUd kU etMnienanoe «tea4<a«%] Of wbom dOM tha audior apeak 1 Of Haza«L or of Eliaha? Several apply this action to die prophet; oe bad a mar- 4ler«r before mm, and he aaw tha bloMV acta he waa about to commit, and was greatly difltresaed j out he endeavoured to eOBoeal hia feelingaj at laat hia &c« reddened vilh anguish, hia feeliuga overcome him^ oud he burst out and wepL
The iS^rfiwffinf, as it atanda in the Complulennan and Antwerp Polfgioam, make the text very plain: Kw tsy Al^cvX Mra sjpanmn mtm, mi wmfthinw ipttwrnr MTV* Sttf Utt vxsMn* KM ssXcMW i mtSp^tw^ raa etn, Ajut Mumtt »t9§dh^nU»Jhe«, oiidAc srMmlatf b^ort him giflt UU b* was oatomarf; and the matt ^ Ood
THs Codex Vatkmruu, mod the Codex Alsx&ndrimu, •n aesrly «■ the Hebnv. Hie AUUiu edition agrees in •one napeeti with the Camy/ufnutan; but all die twr- •1dm fiiUsw the mbrm.
Varae 13. But vhatl is thy utnant a dag, that Aa whoulti da great thing T] I believe this verse to be wmmgly interpreted by the general nin of oommentatora. It is geiiersUy underalood, tmt Hezsel mm Mmek wiifa Jmmvot at the predietfamt dnt these enieltias were noat alien from his mind i that he Am felt distressed and offended at the impntaties of such evils to him t and yet, so little did be know his own heart, that, vrlten he got power, and had opportuBitfi he did the whole with a willing heart and a ready luind. On the contraiy, I think he was dMg^iUd at the prospect i and his question rather implies ft d^tkt, whether a person so inoonaidenble as he is, ihaU ever have it in his power to do such gr«at, not sum evU things t fbr, in hia sight, die^r had no turpitude. The H»- taww text studs thus:— Vvw^ymnsTroaVan-ps)' "0^3 nrri ki ma Abdeea haJteleb, ki yaiaeh ha-dabar ha-gadol koMzeh? But, whati thy servant, ihiadogi thatAeehould da this rreat work! Or, " Can aneh a poor worthleaa fellow, ouen a dead dag, [i mMv i nimmt, Sept.} perfmn sioeh stij^ity aetions 1 thou fillest me with surprise." And, that this is the true aense, bie immediate morder of his nintrr on his return, fully proves. Our common veraion of these words of Hazael, as Hr. Patten obaerrea, has stood in tbe front of many a fine deelamation utterly wide <rf him rml sentimenL His exclamation waa not the remit of Wrvr; bia expreaskm haa no tincture of it, but ti dM ttoezpecttd glimpee of a crown I Tbe prephe^s aaawar is plainly calealated to satisfy tbe astoniamwot be had exettod: a dog bears not. in Seripture, the diaraeter of a enuL but of a denieabU aBimalt nor does be vrbo is aboeked widi barban^ eaU it a osbat deed. David wtndieaUd.
kiners of Israd, as did the house of Ahab: for the daugbter of Ahab was hia wife: and he did evil in the sight oi' the Lord.
19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, "as he promised him to give him always a « light, and to his children.
20 1[ In his days 'Edom revolted iVom under the hand of Judah, ^and made a king over themselves.
21 So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people Sed into their tents.
22 • Yet Edom revolted frtHn under the hand of Judah unto this day. ' Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 IT And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, ore ihey not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?
34 A nd Joram slept with \m ikthers, ^^Jjf" and was buried with his fathers in the a cjwji city of David: and 'Ahaziah " his son l ^m. m reurned in his stead. —=9= —.
25 IT In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahabk ing of Israel, did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judwi begin to reign.
26 * Two and twen^ years old was Ahaziah
So that he ditd\ He was smothered, or suffocated. Verse 16. In the Jf/HA war ^ Joram} Thin verse, as itstanda in the present Hebrew text, mur be thus read t "And in the fifth vear of Joram. son of Anob, king of Israel, [and of Jehowiaphatktiwof JudohJ reigned Jehoram son of Jeho^ai^ king oT Judah. lite thre^ Hebrew words n-nn» 'fyo Kaarvw [and qf Jeho^aphat king qf Ju- (faA,J greatly disturb the chronolonr in this place. It ia certain that Jdioabaphat reigned twenty-Jive yeara, and that Jdionun his son reigned out eight i 1 Kinn xxii. 42. 2 King* viii. 17. 2 Chron. xx. 31. and xxi. S. ^o that be eoold not have ' " ^' being king hee are wanting in in the Comptittmeian and Aldine editions of the Septttagint, in tbe PeMte Syriac, in the Parisian ffeptaplar Synae. the Arabic, and in many copies of the Vulgate. eollated br Dr. Xemfcott and De Buat, bothprfnlarf and mamueript / to wbieb may be added, fim mS& in my own Ulmry, one of tbe 14th, the other of the lltb century, and what I judge to be tbe Bdilio Pruicepa of tbe Vulgate. And, it ia worthy of remark, that in mis latter work, after tbe I5th verae, ending with Quo morteo f r^navit Axahtl pro so.' tbe following words are in a smaller dianeier, ^<mt«M>AMHjWi.ddw n«bbr«M,fvi«<» J»nmjulm»AfrlMrw»Mm. lytg^Oo, dfcc. We have already aeen tint it ia supMsed tGat Jebodmphal aaaoeiated hia son with bim in the Idngdom; and that the Mhyear in thti place only r^arda Joram king of larael, and not Jehaehaphat king of Judah. See tbe notes on eh^p. i. 17.
Verse 17. Be retgned eightyeare in Jenualem] Beginning widi tha Btn year of Jonun, king of larMf. He reigned Are* yeare with MtoAmihat his fttber, aad j8m years alonei i. e. from A. M. 3112 to 3119, aeebrding to ' rehbUhop Usriwr. Verse IS. The daugttr ^ AAoi vaa Ua v^e\ TUa as the in&moua Amaiieh: and, throu^ this mwrriagfl^ Jehoahaphat and Ahab were confederates) and ibii frkod* ship was ecmtinued after Abab's death.
Versa 21. Jbrom io«nf over ta ZatrJ This is the same as SHr, a diief city of Idumea. So uaiah xxi. 11. 7^ harden ^ Dvcmeh, (Idumea:) he calteth to me out qf Seir. Tbim eity had ila name fimn iSrir, one of tbe sona of lAmael, Oen. zxv. 14.
fitaMfs »s Bdomitem} It appears diat dte Israelites wstesiimiiiHledliyihsIdumeBnat nod diat,tntfaaniriit, Joiam and bis men eat their way througb them, and so got eveiy nan to bis lent, for they were not able to make any fertner bead against these enemies i and iberefbre it is said, that Edom revoUed from tuicier ihe hand of Jadahunto Ihie day.
Verse 23. An Suy not written in Oie book of the CVmiletee) Several remvkable panieulara relative lo Jona^ nay bs ttaad in 3 ChroD. xxi when he be^n to reign; and he reigned one year io Jeniaalem. And his mother's name wag Athaliah, the * daughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 ' And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in ihc sieht of the Lord, aa did the house of Ahab: for ne ira* the aoain-law of the house of Ahab. Vc.^ 23 TI And he went Jv/'ith Joram the *»ei. 01. iM son of Ahab to the war asainst HazacI ArSuTiKi' king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead; and f^"-, the Syrians wounded Joram. 29 And 'King Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds ■ which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. ' And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was ■* sick.
I unninL Jrtiii
AND Elisha the prophet called ODe of • the children of the prophets, _i>qpw.a. jjjjjj gj^jj ^Gird up thy loins,
and take this box of oil in thine hand, < and go to Ramoth-^lead:
2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jebu the eon of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. and go in, and make him arise up from among >>hia brethren, and carry him to an i inner chamber;
3 Then ^ take the box of oil, and pour on bim head, and say, Thus shid the Lord, i have anointed thee King over lerad. Then open the door, and flee, and birry not.
4 1[ So the young man, even the yonng man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.
5 And when he came, behold, the c^wtaina of the host teere sitting; and he said, I nave an erriuid to thee,' O captain. And. Jehu said. Unto which of all us? And he Eaid, To thee.
6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he iwured the oil on hia head, and aaid onto him,
1 Thus saith the Lonn Qoa of Israel, 1 hare anointed thee king over the people of the Loan, even over Israel.
7 And thou ahalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my acrvants the prophets, and the blood of all the eervants of the Lord, " at the hand of JezebeL
8 For the whole house of Ahab ahall perieh: and ° I wilt cut off from Ahab " him that piseeth against the wall, and r Mm that ia shut up and left in Israel:
9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of 4 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the houae of ' Baaaha the aon of Ahijah:
10 * And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bm7 her. And he opened the door, and fled.
11 H Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and otie said unto him. Is all well? wherefore came ' this mad fellow to thee? And he aaid unto them, Ye know the man, and hie communication.
12 And they said, /(ts false; tell ua now. And
Terse 26. Tteo and tweniy years old was Ahaziah acAen he began to reign] In 2 Chron. xxii. 2. it is said, forty and t\co yeart old Ahaziah whm he began to r^gni diia ia a heavy dif&cuUy, to remove wfaich several BZpedients have faeoi used. It ie most evident that, if we follow the reading in GmmicUs, it makes the aon two yeart alder than hU own falkerl fur his father begui to reign vheQ he was thirly-tvio years old, and Teigaeae^U years, and so died, b^iog forty years old: see ver. 17. Dr. lAghifoot says, *' original meaneth thus; Ahaziah iam iht son ^ tm> and forty years; namely, of the house of Omri, of whom seed he was by the mothw's side: and hs mdked in the ways of that house, and cams to ruin at the some time with it. This the text directs ua to look after, when it calteih hia mother the daughUr vf Omri, who was indeed thcdaughter of Ahab. Now, theae foriy-itco years are easily reckoned, by any that will courU Sack in the Chronicle to the second Omri. Such another reckoning diere is about Jedioniah or Jehoiachin, 2 Kings xxiv. 8. Jelunaldn was eiglUeen years old vhen he began to reign. Bat 2 Chron. xxxvi. 9. Jehoiachin tnu the aon qf the aght years; that ia, the beginning of his reicn (ell in the ei^Uh year of Nebuchadnezzar, and of Judah'a firat captivity." Works, vol. i. p. 87.
After alt, here is a most manifest contradiction, that cannot be removed but by having recourse to violent modes offlolutfan. I am satisfied the reading in 2 Chron. xxii. 2. ia a mistake; and that we should read there, aa her^ tmnijf-itBO instead <dforfy-tieo years; see the note there. And may we not say with Calaut, Which is most dangeroui^ to acknowledge that tran^a^ers have mode some miat^tea in copying the sacred books; or to acknowledge that there are con'nuiu^uiaa in them, and then to have reeourae to Bolutiona (hat can 3rield no satisfaction to onv unjmijudiced mind 7 I add, diat no mode of solution yet found out has succeeded in removing the difficult: and of all the MS8. which have been collated, and they amount to several hundrd, not one conftrma ibe reading of forty-tico war*. And to it all the ancient versions an equally unfriendly.
Verse 29. TTu Syrians vounded Jbram.] Abaxiah vent with Joram to endeavour to wrest Ramom-gilead out of the hands of the Syrians, which belonged to Israel and Judah. Abob bad endeavoured to do this befoie, and was dain therst we 1 Kius zxiL 3, &c and the notes there.
ver«e29. WenibaiAto bekealedatJexretlJ Aoddiera ba continued nil Jahu conspired againrt and slew him
there. And thus the blood of the innocents, which had been shed by Ahab and hia wife Jezebel, was viated am them in Ihe total extinction of their &mily. See the tallowing oht^ter^ where the bk»dy tale of Jmu^ cBaiyuscy ia tolaat luge^
I have alruuly had to remark on the chronological dificultiea which occur in the historical books t difficulties for whidi copyiata alone are reaponsible. To remove then hf iJm plan 01 reconciliation, ia in many csaea impnicticaUe i to conjeciurel eriiiciam we must have reconne. And is there a single ancient author of any kind, but particularly those who nave wrinan on matters of Atatory and db»- no^offy, whose works have bean tnnsmiued to as free of ■imiuu' errors, owing Io the neglinnoe of tmwnbani NOTES ON CttAPTBR IX.
Verse 1. OneqfthetAildr<n<fthepraphelo] Ite Jewa say that this was Jonah the profrfiet, the aon or Ani"^
Verse 4. TheyotLng man—the prcphO] Tbisifcowldba translated. Tit* senarU qf the prophet; tbal ia, llse tmvant which Eli^ now had in plaee of Gehaoi.
Verse 6. i&ng over the people qf tte Loao] Has pointed out to Jehu diat he was to nde that peopla a«ess^ mg to Ood'a law; and, conaectuently, thai be waa to resMfs the Dure wonhip of the Uost High in Inael.
Verse 7. ThouahaltsmiUthe house <^ Ahab] For 6mr most cruel murders, th^ have forfeited their own liissi according to that immiUable law; " Hx that dMddeib iwa'a blood, by man. shall his blood be shed." lliis, and the twe following verae^ contain the eommieoion wnicfa Jdn rw oeived from the Lord against the bloody house of Ahab.
Verse 10. The dogs shaU eat Jexebei] How msM mnutely was ihisnropheoy fulfilled: see ver. 33, &.e.
Verse U. Wher^ore eame IhU mad feltow ts ttea 7] Was il because he was a holy man of God, thai be waa reputed by a club of irreligious officers to be a madman t In vain do auoh pretend that they fif^ for rcKnoi^ and are the guardians of the publio weuue and taonU, if Omj persecute religion, and sooff at holy meo. ftu tkua hsH been an old custom with all die smo, the am of ffcaasr pait. Am to reliRiouB Boldi»% tluf ar*,fiir lo'tetk^ oMrf ill to _find, aooonung to dte old proTCrhh y< fmou the and hio eaiwifianicaftow.] Teka^w that he is a madman, and diat hia measaga must beai aageof folly. Jehu did not ■ratearwiUilig to lalllbes what leot it abooU proowM jnhlWay lai awy* he said. Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thua satth the Lobd, I have anointed thee king over Israel.
13 Then they hasted, and "took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of Che stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu * is king.
14 So Jeha. the bod of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ranioth-gilead, he and aU Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.
15 But * King 'Joram was returned to be healed in Jezrcel of the wounds which the Syrians ' had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said. If it be your minds, then ' let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel.
16 TT So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. 'And Ahaziah King of Judah was come down to see Joram.
17 And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram eaid, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said. Thus aaith the king, h it peace? And Jehu said; What hast thou to do with peace t turn thee behind me. And the watchmen told, saying, The messen^r came to them, but he Cometh not again.
19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, which camo to them, and said, Thus saith the kiu^, /itt peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.
30 And the watchman told, saying. He came
eveoTinto them, and cometh not again: and the " driving is like the driving of Jenu the son of Nimehi; for he drivelh * furiously.
21 And Joram said, ' Make ready. And his chariot was made read^. And * Joram king of Israel, and Ahaziah kmg of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and ^ met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said. Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witehcraniB are so manj' t
23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahazinhr There is treachery, O Ahaziah.
S4 And Jehu < drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain. Take up, and cast him in the portion of the neld of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, i the Lord laid this burden upon him;
26 Surely I have seen yesterday the * blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord; and 'I will requite thee in this "plat, saith the Lord. Now therefore take atid cast him into the plat ground, according to the word of the Lord.
27 1[ But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him, and eaid. Smite him also in the chariot. And thev did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he ned to " Megiddo, and died there.
thou liut. Or, peritRpa, it might be thue undentood i " We know be has eaid nothing but folly and lies; oeyerthftleae, let us heer what he haa said."
Verse 13. 7^x>ft entry man Ata Barmenf] This vaa a oercmony by which they acknowledged him ea /dng; and it wtu ^ such a ceremonj that the multitudes acknow- Ie«^ed JerniB Chriat for the Mctiah and King of hratl, • hole bsfors his passion: see Hatt. zxi. 7. ancf the note dure. The eeremoiqr was ezpressrve t "As we put our garmenta under his wt; ao ve place every thing under hia aathority, and acknowledge ouraetvea hia servants."
On ttu tap <tf &u ttaJrs] The Chaidte, the rabbins, and Mveral interpreters, wuteistasd thia of the pub/ie aundial i which, in those ancient timea, was formed of Hepa like steirs, eadi Hqt serving to indicUe, by itt thadote, oriA krar, or "ii^ division of tinw as was commonly used in that eountry. Thia dial was, no doubt, in the most ptiblie ploes; aiw upon the top of it, or on the platform oq the top^ would be a very proper place to set Jehu, while they blew their trumpets, anti proclaimed him iting. The Hebrew maaloth. m^o is the same word which ia uaed ohap. xz. 9, 10, 11. to aignify the dial of Ahaz; and thia was probably the very aame dial on which that miracle W«a afterward wrmtght: and this dial, niVvD maaioOt, from itvt alah, 10 go up, ascend, was most evidently made of ^tpa t the ^ladoiBs projected on whidi, by a gnomen, at die different elevations of the aun, would serve to ahow the popular diviaioiu of time. See the notes on chap. xjc. 9, Ac- and the diagram at the end of that chapter.
Verse 14. Joram had kept Jiamofft'gHead^ 'I>ie eon- Csderale anaies appear to nave taken this ci^ j but Hwy were obliged lo watch their conqoestL as they peroeived fbat Hszael was determined to retake it if possAle.
Verse IS. Jehu — wtnt Ut Jexred ifor Joram. lay tktre\ From the preoeding verse we learn, that Joram had been wound«l in his attack on Ramoth-gilead, and had gone tb Jezreel to be cured; and neither he nor Ahaziah knew any Aing of the conspiracy in Kamoth-gilead, beeanse Jehu uktlus captains took care to ^veni any person from leaving the tAXyt w that die two kings ai Jasreel knew Boihing of what bad takea place.
Verse 17. AwUchmantmAeUma^ "ntese watchmen, ftx»d OQ elevated places, and generally within heariiuf of •WW oiber, aerrsd as akinJ oT td^ropAa, 10 Mnmuoicate inMlligsnoa through ibe whole country. But, in some cases, it appears that the intelligence was conveyed by a Aoraeman to the next stage, as in the ease before ua. At this time, when the armies were at Ramoth-gilead, they were, no doubt, doubly watchful to observe the a^le of the country, and to notice every movement. See on 2 Sam. ziii. 34.
Verse 18. WiathaH thm to do \Bi&ipeace\ "WhatU it to thee whether there be peace or war 1 Join my com-. pany, and &I1 into the rear."
Verse 20. Me driveih /urimuh/l Jehu waa a boM, daring, prompt, and precipitate ^neral. In his various mllitai7 operations he had eatabbahed hia dtsnetert and now it was almost proverbial.
Verse 21. Joram — and Ahaziah — went oufl TTicy had no suspicion of what was done at Ramoth-gilead i elae Ihey would not have ventured their persona as dwy now did.
Verse 22. WhvA peace, so tong m the letuntdomtl "niough die words whoredom, adiutergj mAJomicaiionj ore frequently used to express idolatry, mifcute religion, in general! yet here they may be aafely taken in their common and moat obviouM serue, aa there ia much reoaon to believe that Jezebel was the patroness and supporter of a very impure aystem of reli^on; and to this Jehu might rather refer than to the co//'-iror«ftip, to which hiniaelf was moat favourably disposed.
Verse 23. There is treachery, O AhaxiahA This was the flrat intimation he had of it; he feela for the safety of his friend Ahaziah, and now they fly for their lives.
Verse 24. Drew a boui vith ki9 full strength] The marginal reading is correct; He filed hit kand with a boa. l^at ia, " He immediately took up hia bow, set his arrowt and let fly." This is the only meaning of the passase.
Between hit onns] "Riat is, between his thouidera; fbr he was BOW turned, and was flying yh>m Jehu.
Verse 26. Cast him in the portion the field] This was predicted, I Kings zxi.; and what now happened to the son of Ahab, ia foretold in ver. 29. of that chapter.
Verse 26. Th« blood ({f Ntaoth,and 0u blood tifhi* tont] We are not informed in 1 Kings xxi. that any of Nhboih'B family was alain but himstif: but as the ot^sct both of Amb and Jesebel vas to ham Haboth's vinejard entirely, and fyr ever; it is not likely diat they wouH leave uiy of nis posterity, who might, at a ftttive time, reclaim it as their inheritance. Again, to secure diia point, Jezebel had N^th tionvicted of trtatoit and atheim / in ordv that his whole bmily ^ involved in his rnia.
28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and burled him in his Bepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.
ofna"* 29 And in the eleventh year of.^lommi. Joram the sod of Ahab began Aha- ^^Sf" ziah to reien over Judah. ni:^.-B.c.Bei 30 TFAnd whenJehuwaecometo ^aS^ Jezreel, Jezebel heard t^f it; " and Anh.Au>!>.' she P painted her face, and tired her. — head, and looked out at a window.
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, " Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
32 And he lided up his face to the window, and said, Wlio U on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three ' eunuchs.
33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was
TerM 27. FUd by Oe vaj/ qfthe garden] Hie account of the death of Ahaiuah, u givM in 2 Chron. xzii. ^ 9. ia mrj diflbrent from that given here: When JAu wu exteming judgment upon the hotue <if JUu^ — ke tougkt Ahaxiah; and tkey caught him, (/or he vxu hid in Sawtaria) and broughi him la Jehu; and vhm Aey had ^ain hint, thty buried him. " The current of the mory at large ia thiii" says Dr. Lightfoot, "Jehu alayelh Joram in the jScU <^ JtzreeL m Ahaziah and Joram were togetbo: i AlMiziBli wBing mii, fliei, and gets into Samaria, and hides himself there. Jehu marcheth to Jezreel, and makes Jezebel dogs' meat: from thence he sends lo Samaria for the heads of Ahab's children and posterity; which are brought him by night, and showed to the people in the morning. Then he marcheth to Samaria, and by the way iriayeth fort^tveo of Ahab's kinsmen; and findeih Jehonathe fittlur of the Rechabites. Coming into Samaria, he raakeih aearch for Ahaxiah: they find him hid, brine him 10 Jehu, and he eomroanda to carry htm up towara Our, by Rleam, and ^re to slay him. It may be, his father Joram had alatn hia brethren there, as Ahab had done Naboth in Jezreti: They do so; smite him there in hia charioL and his charioteer driveth away to Megtddo befbre be oies. The story in the Book of Kings is short j but the Book of Chronicles shows [he order." Idghtfoota Works, vol. i. p. 88.
Terse 29. In DU eltvmth year qf Joram] The note in our nuirgin contains as good an account of this chronolo- Kteal difflciiUy as can be reasonably re<juired: Then he oe^an to reign as viceroy to his Jaiher m his sickness, 2 Chron. xxi. Id, 19. Bultn Joram' s ttoefflh year he began to reign alono, chap. viii. 26.
Yerae 30. jSne paiiUed harfaee, and tired her head] she endeavoured to improve tne mpeanauo of her pUxion by paint; and the general effect of her countenance by a tiara, or turban head-dress. Jonathan, the OuUdee 7\irrumist, bo often quoted, translates this irTJ*jl MTiua ronsi veeachalath bitsdida eynaha; " She stained her eyes with stibium, or antimony." Th'ia ia a custom in Asiatic countries to the present day. From a late traveller in Peraia, I borrow the following aeeoonti —
"Hie Peraiana differ as much from us in their notions of beauiy, as they do in those of taste. A large, sqft, and languishing black eye. with them, constitutes the perfection of beau^. It is chiefly on this account that the women use the powder qf antimony, which, althou^ it adds to the vivaeit^ of the eye, throws a kind of voluptuous languor over tt, which makes it appear (if I may use the expression) dissolving in bliss. The Persian women have a curious custom of making their eyebrows meet.- and if this charm be denied them, they paint the Jbrehead with a kind of preparation made fur that purpose." E. S. Waring's Tour to Sheeraz, 4to. 1807. page 62.
This casts light enougli on Jezebel's painting, &c and shows sufficiently with what design she did it; to conquer and disarm Jehu, and induce him, to take her for wife, as Jarthi supposes. This staining of the eye with stibium, and painting, was a universal custom, not only in Asiatic oountriea, but also in all those that bordered on them, or had connexions with them. The prophet Ezekiel mentiooa dtepainting of the eyes, chap, xxiii. 40.
Tnat the Romrnns painted their eyes, we have the moat poaitivs evidence. Pitny says, 7^?i7a est deeoris affeeta^ UoutUnguantur oculiqtwque. Hist NaL lib. xi. cap. 37. " Such is their affectation of ornament, that they paint their «ye8 also." That this painting waa with stibium or
34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said. Go, see now this cursed vx/man, and bury her: for • she ia a king's daughter.
35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms oi her hands.
36 Wherefore they came agam, and told him. And he said, "This w the word of the Loan, which he spake * by his servant Elijah the Tishl>ite, saying, " In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the fleeh of Jezebel:
37 And the carcass of Jezebel shall be 'as dung upon the face of the field in the portion ttf Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This it Jezebel.
anttmony, is plain, from these words of Sl Cyprian, Do Cpere et Eleemotynie, hmnge oculot tuos nan stibia dtaboli, ted coUyrio Christi, " Anoint your eyes, not wUh the devil's antimony, but with the eye-salve ot OuiiC" Juvenal is plain on the same subject Men as well wm women, in Rome, practised it:
The manner in which the women in Baibary do it, IV. Russel particularly describes: — " Upon the principle of strengthening the sight, as well as an ornament, it is become a general practice among the women, lo biack the middle^ their a/elids, by wtplyiiw a powder called timed. Their method ofdoing it is W a cylindrical piece of «tlr«r, oteel, or ivory, about two indna IcWft made very Knooth; and about (he aizeof a eomntonproie. litis they wet with water, in order tluU the powder may stick to it; and applying the middU part horixoniaiiy to the eye, they skat the eyes upon it, and so drawing it through between them, it blacks the inside, leaving a narrow blade rim ail round the edge. This is sometimes practised by the but is then r^arded as foppiah." Rossbl's KoL Sitt, </ Aleppo, page 102. See Parkhurst, suB. voc 1».
Verse Sf Had Zimri peace, who slew hi* muta-f] Jarchi paraphrases this place thus:— "If thou hast sl.sin thy master, it is no new thing j for Zimri also slew Elah, the son of Boasha:" which words were rather intended to conciliate than to provoke. But the words are uncle rstood by most of the vereicnu thus:— Health lo Ziairi, the akja of his master I
Verse 33. So they threw her down} What a temUe death! She was already, by the fall, almort dastied to pieces; and the brutal Jehu trampled her already mangled ixtdy under his horse's feet I
Verae 34. Sft« is a king's daughter] Jezebel was certainly a woman of very A*gA /ineae-e. She was rfow^Waof the AiBi- of Tyre [ tei/e of Ahab, king of Israel; mother of Joiam, King of Israel; mofJkcr-»i-/aw of Joiam, kingol Judah; and grandmother to Ahaziah, king of Judah.
Verse 36. The skuU—the feet, ontf the palms qfhtr hajide) The dogs did not eat those parts, say Jarthi and Kimchi, because m her festal dances she danced like a dog^ on her bands and feet; wantonly moving her bead. What other meaning these rtd>bina had, I do not ia()uire. Sbs was, no doubt, guilty of the louleat aeu'oMi and was almost too bad to be belied.
How lit^ally was the prediction delivered in the prendiag book, (1 Kings zzi. 33.) 7^ dogs sAoll oat Jezt*d bythewaU(^Jezrtattui6lUAl.^od how deariy did she and her busbaod Ahab pay for the murdor of innoetnt Naboth I
Verae 37. ilnd the carcass qf Jezebd Aatl be aedunf] Am it was luit buried under the eardi, but waa eaten ty «« dogs, this saying was also literally fulfilled.
Tney shaU not say, 7%w is Jexebel] As she conldaot be buried, she could have no funeral monument. Tboa^ so great a woman by her birth, connexions, and alliances, she had not the honour of a tomb! There was not e\-cn a solitary stone, to aw Here lies Jezebel I Not even a mound qf earth to designate the place of her sepdiorcl Judgment is Qod'a atrange work; but when be contends how terrible are hia judgments! and when he ariseth to execute judgment, who shall stoy his hand! How deep an hia counsels, and how terrible arc hia workings 1
X M, 3m A jji> Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. AndJehu wrote letters,
p-HM-a- of Jezreel, to the elders, and to • them that brought up Ahab's children, saying, ' 2 Now as BOon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, afeaced citv also, and armour '>
3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set Aimon his father's throne, and Sght for your master's house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before nim; how then shall we stand 1
6 And he that wa* over the house, and he that iDas over the citv. the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are tny servants, and will do all that thou shaJt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that vhwA is good in thine eyes.
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying. If ye be ^ mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the beads of the men vour master's sons, anu come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
7 And it came to pass, when the letter came
VerM 1. Ahab had Kveniy ton*} Aa he bad sevenl vive% be might have many cnildren. The Israelite^ front strlieat part uf their hiatorv, were remarkably friutfuL Uow amazingly did they multiply in Efypt, even under ibe hand of the aevereat oppraaaion I Ana aa to the individuals of irttoee fomiliea we have account, they are quite remaAable: Rekobaam bad thirty-eiglU boom t Abdmhad forty! Tola had Ihirtyi Afiab seventy! and Gid«m aeveniy-one.
Unto Ike ruUra ^ JiuTMJ] It Mrtainly abould be, unto the ralen of Satwtria: for, to than and to that cMh Ihewholeeontextihowsuatbelettanwereaent. Seever.&
"To them that brought up Ahab't children] It i^pean ihat the royal children of Israel and Judah were enmuted to ihe eare of the nobles, and were brought up by them; (see v«r. 6.) and to ifaew, therefore, Jeou'i letters are directed. It is suppoMd Isaiah (zlix. 23.) alludes to this euatom: kinge mul ht thy nar»it^fatha-»; andqueea* tim mirring vtotkert.
VerseZ. Afmetd city alao\ All here teems to reier to Samaria aTone; in it were the magazines and implemetita of war, &c. No reader need be told that these lettera were all ironieal. It was the same as if he had said, "Ye have no means of defence I Israel is with ma.- if you.yield not up yourselves and the «ty, I will pot you all to the nrord."
VerM 4. 7^ ktngt atood not before him] That is, Joram and Aharaab.
Verse 6. He thai was aver the houae, Ac} Thus all the constituted authorities agreed to aubmiL tVill do aU ihat thou, ahaU bid us] "niey made no conditions i and stood pledged to commit Ihe horrid murder* which this most execrable man afterwaid commanded.
Verse 6. Oma to me to Jtgrtdi nierefore, the letten were not written to Jezreel, but Gram Jezreel to Samaria.
Verse 7. Put their heada in baaketa} What coldblooded wretches were the whole of these people '.
Verse B. Lay ye them in two keapa} It appears that the heads of these princes had arrived at Jezreel in the nighl time: Jehu oroend them to be left at the gale of the cuy, a jploce of public resort, duU all die pet^ mi^t see them,
to them, that they took the king's sons, and ' slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him mem to Jezreel.
8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying. They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he saki, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate imtil the morning.
0 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people. Ye be righteous: behold, ^ I conspired agamst my master, and slew him: but who slew all these t
10 Know now, that there shall < fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord^ which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath done which he spake 'by <his servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew nil that remained of the house of Ahab, in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his ■> kinsfolks, and nis priests, until he left him none remaining.
12 If And he arose and departed, and eamo to Samaria. And as he ibos at the i shearing house in the way,
13 ^ Jehu 1 met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said. Who are ye? And thev answered. We are the brethren of Aha* zian; and we go down "to salute the childrea of the king, ana the children of the queen.
14 And ne said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-hoose, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
15 ^ And when he was departed thence, he " lighted on ■> Jehonadab the son of f Rechab coming to meet him: and he ^ saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart i* with thy heart 7 And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, 'give me thine hand. Andhegava
and be struck with terror, and conculde that all reilatanee to such authority and power would be vain.
Verse 9. Ye oe rirhteoual Another ironj; intended partly to exeuea himself and to involve Ihem in the odium of this massacre; and, at tbe same tim^ to justify the conduct of both, by showing that all was done according to the commandment of the Lord.
Verse 11. Jehualev alt] So it appeara that the great men, who had so obsequiously taken on tbe beads of Anab'e aeventy aoita, fell also a sacrifice lo tbe ambition of thiB incomparably bad man.
Verse 12. 7^ slksaHiij—Aeiifl8} Probably the plaee where tbe sbedherds met fbr the aumal sheep-idiearing.
Verse 13. The brethren <if AhaxiahJ The relativee of his family { for it does not appear that he had any brethren^ properly so called; but we know that tbe term brethrei^ among the Jews, aignified the relatives of the same bimilyt and eapeeially brother^ and aiater^ children] utd diat these were mii, see 2 Chron. xxii. 8.
Wegadown to aalu/«^ Ac] So promptly faad Jeba executed all his meaauies, that evoi ibe nearest relatives of the murdered kinga baa not beard of their deadi t wad^ conaequently, had DO lime to eaeape. lliey were all lakea as in a net
Verse 14. The pUqflhe thearing-houae} Probably the place where they waalied the ihe^, previously to shearii^) or the fieieta after they were shorn off.
Verse 15. Jdtanadtut Ota am qf Redtab'y For pnrtiealara concerning this man, his aiKe^ry, and poaterity, see the notes on Jerem. xxxv.
Ja thine heart right] With me, io the prosecution of a reform in Isnel; aa my heart is mth thy heart in the true religion of Jehovah, and the destruction of Baal.
Jtia.'i I wiab a reform in the religion of the GODOHyi I am his firiend iriio riiall endeavour to promote it.
GFissmetUneAaiid.] This bas been genenlly eonsldered as exacting a pnmUae from Jehonadab j—bot does it mean any more than his taking him by the hand, lo help him to step into the chariot, in which Jehu waa then aittin^l Jehonadab was, doubtless a very honourable man in Israel j and by carrying him about with him in his chariot, Jehu endeavoured to acquire the public esteem. "Jehu must be acting right i for Jehonadab is with him, and approves his eonouet. '
him his hand; and he took him up to him into the ctnuriot.
16 And he said, Come with me, and eee my * seal for the Lobd. So they made him rkle in his diariot.
17 And when he came to Bamaria, "he slew aU that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, tUI he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LoBD, * which he spake to Elijah.
18 ^ And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, " Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
19 Now therefore call unlo me all the "prophets ofBaal, all his servants, and alt his priests; let none be wanting: for 1 have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he ■hall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy tfa« worshippers of Baal.
21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all dw worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a mail left that came not. And they came into the ■ house of Baal; and the house of Baal was ' fidl from one end to another.
23 And he said unto him that wotf over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the wor- ■helpers of Saal. And he brought them forth vestments.
23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house ofBaal, and said unto the w«r«fain>ersof Baal, Search, ajid look that there he here with yon none of the servants of the LoRs, but the worshippers of Baal only.
24 Aad when they went in to offer eeerifiees and bnmt-oftiMruigs, Jehu appointed fourscore meo without, oadsEiid, ^any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that l^teth him po, his life ahall be for the life of him.
25 And It came to pass, as soon as he had
Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with ■ the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them oat, and went to the city of the house ofBaal.
26 And they brought forth the ^ image* "oat of the house of Baal, and burned them.
27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the bouse of Baal, 'cmd made it a draught-house unto this day.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israd.
29 TT Howbeit from the sins of Jcro- *-JiJJ* boam' the son ol" Nebat, who made Is- g-«{_y-t. reel to sin, Jehu departed not fVoro lo^JTms after them^ to vit, « (he golden calves ~* that were m Beth-el, ana that tecre in Dan.
30 And the Lord said unto Jehn, V^Sf Because thoa hast done well in exe- am* £t>m cming that which is right in mine eyes, SdKSlJ' and hast done unto the house of Ahab
according to all that veu in mine heart, ^thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
31 But Jehu I took no heed to walk
in the law of the Lord God of Israel a c at-aa withallhisheart: forhedepartednot laSmT^
32 If In those days the Lord began • to cot Israel short: and " Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
33 From Jordan "eastward, all the bnd af Gilead, the Gaditca, and the Reobenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Amon, • even p Gilead and Bashan.
34TNowthere8tof theactsof Jehu. fc!£St and all ^t he did, and all his might, jxit are they not written in the book ofthe iJjiSS' Chronicles of the kings of Israel? p^*-_
35 And Jehu slept with his ikthers; and tbey
Yene 16. Come mth wie, and tee my xnXfor Ou Loss] O thou Mtentattotu and murderous hypocrite 1 Thou have seal for Jcliov*h, and bia pure religion 1 Witneu thy oalvea at Dan and Beth-el, and the genenl proflincy of thy oonduot 1 He who can oall another to witneae nU seoJ for religion, or hi* works of charity, has as much ti both as aerves ma oxtn turn.
Veru 18. Ahab aervtd Baal a lillU} Jehu had deter. Btined to have no wonhip in larael, but that of itw golden calvea at Dan and Beih-el; therefore, be purposes to destroy all the worshipimrB of Baal; and that he may do it vilnsutnenjeten, ne ptoclsias a great aaeriitoe i and that ha may do it the more tatify, hs guhera them all togather into one place.
Verse 19. Wkmoever ahaUbtwnting^lutiiaUnaiiw] Because aa be will thereby show himaelf without zeal for the service of bis god, he will justly forfeit his life; All IhiB was done in the very apirit of deceit.
Terse 22. Mt socd unto him that was eter the vadry] Tbt word votry comes from vesKartum, and that from vnia, Mrmen/f, firom ««f{o, I elolhei aiul aigoifies, pro* pcrly, the place where the taeerdotal robea and potitijkal 9mom*ni» are kept. The priests of Baal had their robea, as well as the priests of the Lord; but the nrmenta were Moh, that OM could be easily diatinguiabed nom the other.
Terse23. iVoiwof <&e««nMnUs4/'lA«LoaD] Though hs was not attacheato that service, yet he would tolemte it! and as ha was led to suppose that ha ma fiilfllling the will of Mavak is what he was doinj;, be would tit ooorse treat his worship and worshippers witti more respect.
Verse 2b. Ai aom a* he had made an end ^oj'ering] Had Jehu been a man of any conscientious principle in fdigfam, he would have finished the tragedy before he ■And the bumt-ofering. But, to a nuw of no religion, As wonhip of Jcfovah and of Bsal are alike. If, as a •lafssmaK, he prefus sttber, it is merely fbr poliiioal parposes.
To Ae nard aad to the eofOaina] D<vStPS^ tyv^ UraUim vM-ehataMm,; to die eauritra, the runnera, and ibfa ahalaahim, the men of ihe third rank: those offeoi who wera next 10 tbs nobles 1 ihaknigsndlhessb^ngoiriy
Tlu dtu of Ike kauae ^ fisn/] Does not ilria Mas a son of holy of holies, where the ntoti saered inuigM if Bui were Kept] A place aqwnUed from the tem^ <( Baal, as the Aofy i^k^ta io tbs temple ef Mmtu «■ separated from what was called The Holy PJIom.
Verse27. Maieaadraught-houaei A place fbr hnsa excrement: so aU the c«ntom mdentAnd iL Nadwc could be more degradiiig than this; be made it a paw nwessary.
VsrseSO. TkyckOdnn^Ae/aw^g^temioBintm fbor deoceadants of Jebn were jUooAos, JAaam, Ja»- boam the seoond, and Zediariah; see efau. xiv. sad n lilts was ail the eompensstion Jehu had m eiiher VorH fn- the recompense of Ma x«al/hr the Lord.
Verse 31. jAu look no keed] He never nmdsitUi study 9 indeed, he never intended to walk in thia way; it neither suited hia diapoaUion nor his politiea.
Verse 33. 1^ Lobd frwsfi to tnU land *ar€[ lis marginml reading is best: the Lord etUofthe enda; ml this he did, by permitting Hazael to seise on ^ csoWi^ ts conquer and occupy the Jrontier bnnu. Thia was Ae commencement of thoae miserable ravagea which Bbifcs predicted; see chw. viii. 12. And we find Iron ifae next verse, that he se^seo maUthe land qf OUtad, aod Aai of Naubattcoi Go^snd the haff tribe Mamamdk.- ias word, whatever Isnal possessed on dte east side of JoHSs. The reader may see Ihe extent of territoty whidi Bmatt had now eonqut^red from Israel, by looking at the miqi « the end of Deuteronomy.
Verse 34. An they not icriUan in the book ^ Aa C^nat' idea) We have no chronicles in which there is any thing farther spoken of ibis bad man. Hia reicB vm leo^ (veniy-e^gAf years; and yet wt know nottung of H bat (he commencement.
Fob barbariiy and hypoertay, Jetm has few pafslklit and the oowardlinese and baseness of the noma t/f 8amaria have seldom been equalled. Atiob'a Uoodj heo* must be cut off:— but did God ever design that it ahoM be doDS by these aieaos? Hie aten were, no dsiiH buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz hii un
xHw-nu 36 And 'the tune th^t Jehu reigned juJ^M^ over Israel io Samaria wo* twenty L off^lw-tt t\nA eiffht years.
VaSf A ND when 'Athaliah, ' the mother AMaLCK MB../x of Ahaziah, saw that her son was ^S^jSSt dead, she arose and destroyed all the
2 But 'Jehosheuu, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took * Joash the son of Aluaiah, and 8t<He him from among the king's •008 which were slain i and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bed-chamber, from Athalia, so that he was not slain.
^JSaJ™ 3 And he was with her hid in the ac. sai-sis. house of the Lord six years. AdcI L^^M Athaliah did reign over the land.
. 4 Tf And " the seventh year Jehoiada
B. snL fetched the rulers over hun- faw L M. Ml dredSiWiththecaptainsaodtheguard, ^I^jSCt and brought tb«n(o him into the nouse ofthe LoBD, and made a covenant with them, and took aa oath of them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king's son.
5 And he commanded them, eaymg, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third port of you that enter in 'on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the Idos's house;
6 And a third put «fta2{ M at the gateofSur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard:
gate aikd wiekad: and God parmitted Ifasir iniquitr to ■MOifart itaelf in this wsy, ana dms the purpon of God, that Abab'i house ■hoola uo mora retgq, was completely •(icomplished: aee 1 Einn xxil. 19^ U, 29- And, 1^ tfaia ' oanducl, Jehu U laid to oave azecnted what was right in Ood'a eyee, ver. 30. Tba cutting off of Ahab'a family vai daeraed by the divine justice; t» mama by vhich it waa dooc^ or at leaat the manner of doing, were not entirely of tua i^pmntinf; yet the coouniMrion given him by the young prophet, cba)t. iz. 7. was very extensive. Yet still many tniiUB eeem to be attnbuted to Qod, aa the agent, which he does not execute, but only permits to be done, NOTES ON CHAFTEH XI.
Tarae 1. Aihaliah} lUs woman was the daughter of Ahab, wad graoddaughtar of Omri, aod wife to Jonun king af Judah, and mother of Ahaxiah.
DeatnijfedaUtheaMdroyaL} All that she oould lay her hands on, whom had left i in order that abs might get undisturbed possession of the kingdom.
How dreodfiil is the lust of reigaiog I it destrova.all the sharitieaof life) and tuma fitfaen, nwMbera, broihen, and ebildreDiintotbenMst-ferotioasMvagesI Whomakesany oooseienca) ivho baa it in Us power,
In what a dreadful state is that)ssd that is expoaed to political rtvobttiaiu! and where the sneceasion to the thrnie is not moat posttivdy sailled by the clearest and naoat densive tawl Hsadar, Mwara trf nnabiibnut there have bem aome oaefhl Ofws; but they are, in general, the heavieat euna of God.
Veraa2. /tetwAtsr o/E-Jbram, aWar jttaaioA] It is mot likely that Jehoriirta was die daughter of AAaiiahi ■he was vister, we find, to Ahaziah, the eon of AthaJiah, but probably by a different mother, "nie mother <rf Jehoadi was Zibiab of Beer-riieba: aee chap. xii. 1.
Versa 3. Be mu-hid in the hotue qfOu Loan] This Bd^kt be readily done, beeauae none had aocess to the temple bat the pnesta: and the high priest himself was the ehttf manager of this business.
Verae 4. And the eeoenOt. year Jthaiada sen/) He had eartamly sounded them alL and brouriit them into the itttereaU of ths young king before diia time: the plot hav-
so shall ye keep the watch of the hooM, ■ that it
7 And two ■ parts * of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the King.
8 And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: add he that Cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out, and as he Cometh in.
9 'And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest,
10 And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give King David's spears and shieldB, that V)ere in the temple of the Lobd.
11 And the guard stood, every man with hfa weapons in his hand, round about the kii^, from the right ' corner of the temjde to the lilt corner of the temple, ahng by the altar and the temple.
12 And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and ^ave Aim the tea~ timony; and they made him kwg, and anoiDted him; and they clapped their haiids, and said, ■ God ' save the king.
13 ir < And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord.
14 And when she looked, behold, the king stood by >> a pillar, as the manner waa, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of ^e land rejoi<»d, and* Mew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried. Treason, Treason.
15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the
into the tenml^ and there binda them by an oath of aearaey { and ahowa tbrat the king'a son, in vnoae behalf tb^ am to arise.
Verae 6. TVuit enter in on Oe eabbath] It appeara that Jeboiadachooe the sat&atftday to proclaim the young king, because, as that was a day of pubuc concourse, the gadiering together of the people who wen in thU secret would not he noticed: andit is likelv that they all came unarmed; and wore supplied by Jeboiaoa with the spears and ahieide which David had bud up in the temple^ ver. 10.
lie priests and Lentea vera divided into Iwmty-Jour claases Dy David, and each served a week by turns ta> the temple: and it waa on the eabbaih that they began the weuly service: all this fitvoured Jehoiada's deeign.
Verse 10. King DtmtPs epeare and Oneida] JoeejAua expnsefy says, tMt David bad provided an araenal for the temple) out of which Jehoida took thoee anna. His words •re^ AiW(E«t tt luaiot ■nr* n Ttft Uptp farXaffwnX', hf ^efi'int Karmmavt, iitfitpin rati Uarvrapxeis SiM Itft^t «M Acvinui awaaff haa tttptr tr avrji iaaar* n irat faptraaf, «« ti T4 Irtpop uiot iwXav wartXafii. "And Jehoiada having opened the araenal in the temple, which David had pr^ pared, he divided among ihe centurions, priests, and Leviiaa the spean, (arrows,) and quivers, and all outer kinda or weuona whidi he found there." Ant. lib. ix. e. 7. s. 3,
Verse 12. Put &e croon upon Mm] Thia was a diadem, or a golden band, that went round the head.
Aim — Ae teetimmyl Probably the book of the law, written on a roll of vellum. This waa his aeeptre. Some think that it waa plaoed upm&is&eo^aawell astfaeiUa* dem. Tfyt diadem, the UaHanony, and the anointing etl, were essential to his eonaeeratioa.
T^ttaf^edUuirhaHde} 11u% I baling is the ifsl instaaee on reeoid <rfe(Bf>pfRg'fkeAoadlf aaaleatimooyof
God eave the King.} 1^ w Tedii hanMsdeo; JWw As king Keet ana eo the words ahoold be tnnalaM
Verae U. nc Hng ttood by a ptflor] &ood OR a pillar, or tribunal; (be place or throne m which (bur were acaustomed to put the kings when they proclaimed wittalns of the tnindreda, the oflSeers of the hoflt, seid unto them, Have her forth wi&out the Vanees: and him that foUoweth her kill with the •word. For the priest had said, Let her not be •lain in the house of the Lord.
16 And thsf laid hands on her; and went Iw the wfLY by the which the horses came into me king's nouee: and there was she slain. ■ ITU » And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Loan and the king and the people, that thejr ahonld be the Lord's people; >^ between the Uiw also and the people.
18 And all the people of the land went into the 1 house of Baal, and brake it down \ his fdtars and his images ■* brake tbe^ in pieces thoroughly, and dew Mattan the priest of Baal %e^Te the altars. And " the priest appointed « officers over the house of the Lord,
19 And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people ^ the land; and they brought down the king it6m the house of the Lord, and came by the w«y of the gate of the goard to the Uiig's bouse. Anid he sat on the throne of the kings.
20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the dty was in quiet: and they slew Atmillah -with the sword beside the kintf'B noose.
seventh year of Jehu ' Jeho- &^*>B-a«- A ash began to reign; and forty years LoSmMM reigned he in Jenualenk And his mother's name Wu Zibiah of Beer-
Vem 16. ify A« — wMA kona came] Hiey wtebly brotwnt her out near the kiiv*! stabtee. It haa '^een sappofeoT from Esek. xM. 1, 2. that the eeut gait of flte inner eoun was that by whidi the king entered on the sabbath day i vrfaereaa on all oth«r days he entered by the »ouih gaU, And there Vas aootber gate, callecl the hor»» gate, in Ae wall of the dly, Jw. xxzi. t this -waa tur the kins^ horses to eo oot at fton dte staUes at iOllo, and m therefore euled, 2 Chroa xzxiiL IK, The horae gate towarde Ihe kiag'enouee,
V«ee 17. Jehoiada made a coteaofU] A getunU covenant waa ilrwt made between the 2<ord ^ Supreme KIuk <he Mn^ hie vtoen^, and the people, that ihey afaoald au be dM Ijordta peop^; each being oqnally bomd to Ine aeeotdfng to the divine law.
Then, emmdlg, a partieular covenant 1^ made between toe king and tna people; by which the king wu boond to rule according to the I&wa and constitution of the kingdom, and to ^nlsh and live for the safety of ifae public And ihtpemte wnre bmmd, on thob pan, to lovb honour, auccour, and obey the kinx. Where theBs mutual «nd just agreements are made toa mmnuuned, there can be nothing elae than pw^ierlw in the chorA and the state.
Terse w. Sle ottora and imagee kraie Aav in ptece*] It k probable that AdwUah had set np the wordiip of Baal m Judah, as Jezebtd had done in Inael; or, prmMbly, it had never been removed since die days of Solomon. It was no wonder that Jehoiada begnn hm reform with this veL when we bam, from 2 Chron. xn'v. 7. that Ae eone qf AAaKah, that wideed womoTt, had brnlien up the hoaee ^Oodi and alto all the dedicated thing* <ff the houee ijf the Lard did Aey beHtmmm, BaaiHa.
Verae 20. The people n^ateee^ They were glad to get rid of the tyranny of Athaliah.
And the eiiff mu in guiet] She had M parffoan* to lisB up and disturb ths kmg*! reign.
Tone 2i. iSEmm years old was JUeaiA] 1%a first in- Auwe on record of making a child seven years old the ■iagof may ntioa i and espeeinlly of sttdi n'natkNa as the '•w^ who wars at all times wydifflBolt to begOTensiL
S And >ehowA did lhat «Meft «<u right in the sight of the Lmd aU faia aelE^ days wherein Jehoiada the ]^iest in- l tSS^m etructed him. — r*
3 But 'the high plaoeawvre not takM away: the people still lacrifieed and burnt incenae hi the high places.
All the money the < deiUcated emLiM.m " things that ia brought mto the house jSJlSS. of theXoBp, even ' the money of every -fy-^ one that passeth the mccount, ' the money that every man is set at, and all the money that ' Cometh ^ into any man's heart to bring into the house of the Lord,
5 Let the priests take U to them, everj^ naa of his acquamtance: and let them repair tba breaches of the honse, wheresoever any Invaeli Bhnll be found.
6 But it was m, that * in the three and twentieth year of Kit^ Jehoash ■ the priests had not repairfli the breaches of the boose.
7 » Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and Hie otAer priests, imd said onto them. Why repair ye not the breadies of the house? Now therefore receive no more money of yom- aeqaaintanee, bat deliver it tw tfaia breaches of the house.
8 And the priests omiMaited to receive no more money of the peoide, oeillier to repnw breaches of the house.
9 But Jehoiada the pHsst took • a diest, taai bored a hole in the lid oTit, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the Loro: and the priests tet kept the
10 And it was fo, when th^ saw Aat tib<re wot nnidi m(HMy in the chest, that the ksng's
Verse 2. JAoa^ did — right in the eight ^ Ac I>mn] While Jehoiada the prieet^ wbo wai a pwui^ holy mas. lived, Jehoash wafted npiigfady: but it ^ipears frem t Chron. xxiv. IT, lA Otat he d»arted from the wntriiip ef the true Ood, after the daath el tlus eminent hi^ pnesti lapsed into idolatry j and seemi to have had a share in te murder of Zechanah, who testified a^inat his triiimisi sion^ and thou of the prinees of miah. See iAsk ih. 20—22. O how few ot (he^hr^iho bsghi lo Hvnto Oe^ amtimie unto the endl
Verse 3. The high plaete tMre nul taken away] WAout the total destruouon of (heee there coaki be no radictil reform. The toleration of any specie* of idaiati^ intbe bmd, whatever elaa was dona lO behalf «f "erehgion, left, and in effect fostered, a seed, whtcfa, ^xrapog up, regenerated in time the \ri)ole hiferaal aysKn. Johoida did notDse hie influence Rshe nrigbt ban done; ta^ as be had the ktog^ haartnnd hand with him, beai^ ham dooe what he plaued.
T«ra»4. AUthemoneg^ thededkated Mmg9}rmm all thia neooont we find ttat the tempts waa in • veiT ninous state: the walls were Mli^ down, some had peshaps aetually Attlen i and (here waa no person ao aealsn for &a pore worafaip of Ood, as to enrt hnaaelf » ^am np the mJling tomplet
The king hiniaelf seems to hm baaai Ihe first wbs noticed these dilandalioaa, nod took mtnmettm fcriha nscessary repairs. The repairs were nwde frsn the ftUswing sources: — 1. TTie Ihinge which pioua perstms hed ded tcoledtodteeervieeofCkd. t. 'niefnewil^^girimge it Btrannrs, who had vinled Jwosalem; the wswqr fTcsary one Stat paetelk. 3. The half^^ukel, whieh As mslaa were obliged to par from die age of twenijr ya*". Km. xxz. 12. for the reae>nptioB.of meir seals: wUdb » beea called the motm thai ewy «um i* tt oL Ail **bb soareeshadeveraeeninseasneaMrsapeai M,mBMal of rapairinc the dOajpUations in dis IjSnTs hsMb Om priesta andl>«iteshad eommtadtfis itmnstsAaram tise.
Verae& tnOe Aree and tweatieOt year} InvtaMfMr Jefaoaahgafsihe Mdaiite Owse rapairs v* oaoMt mKi bat the aoesabt'bm inlimslas Am ifaa!
*iDr&»e and tiw high priest came op, and they ' put DP in bagfl, ajid told the money tkat was foand in the houee of Che Lord.
11 And they gave the money, bainr bdd, into ^ hands of them that did tha work, that had the oversight of the house of the Loan: and they * laid it out to the carpenters and bultders, that wrought upon the house of the Lobd,
12 And to masons, and bewere of atoqe, and to hnv timber and hewed stone to rasaur the tn-eaches of the hoase of tiie Lobd, and for aU that *■ was laid out for the house to repair it.
13 Howbeit < there were not made for the house of the Lobd bowls of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord:
14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the Lord.
15 Moreover ^they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt fahhftiDy.
aoSS^ ^7 IT Then » Hazael king of Syria Am I; pi. w. went up and fought against Gath, and *^£''SS^ took it: and * Hazael set hia face to go jat* up to Jerusalem.
18 And Jehoash king of Judah p took all the hallowed things that Jehoshctphat, and Jehorsm, and Ahaziah, his Others, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold tlutt wcu found in the treasnree of the house of the LoBO, and in the king's house, and •ent it to Hazael kii^ of Syria: and he went "away frotn Jerusalon.
19 If And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all
It MeeiM thftt the people hnd brou^t nraney ia sbundaztce; andtbepioua Jehoiadairss over the prieali,MMl yet ooOihig was dime! Though Jehoiidft a good man, he does not appear to have had much cf the q^t of an active zeal i am simple jrfefn without ml and aetivi^, ii ef little mt when a refonnation in reiy;ion and mannere it ncceBBRry to be brousht ahcnL PkiKp Mdancthem waa orthodox, pioua, and leuned; but he waa a man of comparative inaeUvily. In man; reapeota MuTtin ImOut waa by fiir hia inferior; but in zeal and Mtivity he waa a %mT"g and conmnaiDg fire: and by Mm, under God, was the nujh^ Refonration from the eommtioiu of Popery ^Seeua. Ten thouwnd Jthaiadaa and MaaruiKona roiriit have^ wiAtd it in vain: Lnther worked; and God worKed him, in him, and him.
Verae 9. JeMiada—took a dutt] Ibn cheat was at fim eet batid* aUar, u is here mentioned; but aflerward, for the convenience of the people, it was set wUhmU HugaU: see 2 Chron. xxiv. 8.
VcTK 10. TA« kin^t acrifre and Me Msft pHc*'] It waa necessary to associate widi Hm high pnest some eMt authority and activity, in order to get the negleeted work performed.
Verse 13. BuebeU Hurt -were madt — bowU, Ac] TTuu is, there were no vessels made for the service of the leuple till all the outward repairs were eompleted; but, after this was done, thet/ brought the rt*t tff the money beforeilu king and Jehoiada, uAereof were made teueu tfgiM and niter; 2 Chron. xxiv. 14.
Verse 16. Thev reckoned not with Hu men] Ther placed great confidence in them, and were not AisappointetL deaUfaiti^iiay.
Tierae 17v Haieul—foughi agahut Oatk, and totA U] ^fUs ci^jwitb its mtru>y, or tordahip, bad been taken ftom the Philistines by David; see 2 Sam. viiL I. and 1 Chron. zriii. 1. And it bad continued in the ponesainn «f the kings of Judah till this time. On what pretence EUxael aeeed it we caanat tell: be had the viHma ratio Ttgym, power to do it; aad he vanttd more territory. ^ Vena la Took aU tiu haUvwed thingal He dearly bought a pcAse which waa of ebort duratim^ for the next nnel rctoned I and MoMb, hftvhig no nors trea-
20 And ' his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in ■ the house of HUlo, whiehgoeth down to Si|I&
SI For * Jozachar the bob of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of ■■ Sbomer, hie servant*, smote him, and he died; Euid they bnried mm with his fathers in the city of David; and * Ain»> aiah his son reigned in his stead.
IN ' the three and twentieth year of VaSSt Joash the son of Ahaziah king of abuloi. n Judah, Jehoahaz the son Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samar.^SEl ria, and reigned sevoiteen years, 2 And he did that which wu evil in ^"^^ the sight of the Lobd, and » followed b-ol the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, lorJ^m which made Israel to Bin; he departed ~* not therefrom.
3 IT And * the ai«er of the Lobd was Idndled against Israel, and he delivered them into th* hand ^ Hazael king of Syria, and into tha hand of Ben-hadad thesom of ^aad, all tttfcr
4 And Jehoahaz * besongbt the hotn, and the LoRo hearkened unto hmi: for 'he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
' 5 (■ And the Lobd gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of tt^ Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, ^ as beforetime.
snree, waa oMiged to haaaid a battle, whi^ be loat, and tie principal part of his nobility, ao that Judah waa totally ruined, and Jehoasfa dKNtly afar dain in his bed by hia own aervanta) 2 CbtOD. znv. 3&
Vene 19. The rttt ^ A* aei» ^ Joaih} We hwM already aees that tbia man, so promising in the WigiiiiiiBg of his reign, apoatatised, becatoe an idolater, eaesanna idolatry among his aabjeots, and put the high priaat Zeen*- riah, the son of Jehoiada, his beiufactor, to death rand now Ood visited thai blood upon him by the hand of the tjmar nooa long of ^ria, and by his own servants.
Verae 20. TJu Aoum «r Jlfilfol Was a rcTai pslsea buiUby Solomon; see 3 SSDkV.v. And gtila is so npeaed to be die name of dkSfwdL or caaasHtniL that led to It MiUo was aitttated between Qie rid rfty Jf Jsniishwi wH the (Sty of Ehivid. „. _..
Verse 21. JozaJtar} This person u called Zahad, in 2 Chron. xxiv. and SMmeath bis mother ia said M be an AmmonUee»tjm JekoKohad b s^ lobe *e aon, •« of Shomer, but of SMmrWt a Moebiiesa.
TAey buntd Mm wiA kiafalhera inthantytf Datid] But they did not bury him in the sepuitAre* of the kingtr diia ia supposed to express the pcniular <K«ppr(AKtioa of hi* conduct Thua ended a reign lUl of^iroiniae and bope in the beginning, but profiigat^ cruel, and ruinous in the end. Timr was the band of God's justice more signally stretched out against an apostate king, and fiuthleas peoph^ than at this time. Now Hazael hod a plensty csmini» aion: the king, the nobles, and die people^ were food far bis sword t ojm, by a faaniKbl of Srnana, the mif^ff mieaof Iscael were overthrown; For Ike army v A« Byrtant came wUk a emaii ampany tjf nun, OM iko Lard ddivered a verygrtat hoot inft tt«tr ^and, bemuo 0iey had^eakm As Lord Ood, 2 Chron. zxtv. 24. Thu^ as righteousness exalteth a nation, ao stouttte disgrace and eonftiaion of any people. Sin destroys both ooim* •el and streiwdi: and the wicked flee when none fOMt, N0TB8 ON CHAPTER XHI.
Verse I. Inffte three and tamtieA marqfJoaAl 'na chronology hera is thus aecoonied for; Jehoahaz begn nt rdgn at me sommencement of the twenfy-third year sf Joash, and r^gned wsenlsen years; Jburteen aloo^and Ares vesiswidihissoa Josdi: tXmfmrUtnA jtwim MJUitbegBB.
6 Nevertheleaa they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made larael sin, but 'walked therein: ^ and there > remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did he leave or the people to Jehoahaz bat fiflr horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousajod footmen: for the king of Syria had destroyed them, - and bad made them iute the dost by thrashing.
8 If Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not writtea in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Vc.i» ^ Jehoahaz slept with hu fa- Anu L 01 y. there; and they buried him in Samaria: and " Joash his son reigned in his, r^*- Btead.'
* Jm " 10 TT I" thirty and seventh year aCMt-as. of Joash king of Juaah began fJehoash i^^^!m theeonof Jenoahaztoreignoverlsrael — inSamaria,andretgnee{eixteen years.
11 And he did thatv}hichv)ag evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the bids irf* Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel on: but he walked therein.
18 ' And the rest of the acts of Joash, and ■ all that he did, and ■ his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the htMk of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? „,
ac. 13 Joash slept with his fathers; MaLOLtB. and Jcroboam sat QpoB luB throne: and 't^'S Joash was buried in Samaria with the
Terse B. And tfu Lobd gate Israd a wattattr\ Thia was usdoubtcdly Joa^ whose succesBful wats aguiut tbe Syrians sre meationed at the conclusioa of the cheater. Hmibigant recommends to read the gtvenOi verse after the fourth; (hen the and nxOi; and neit tbe Ac
Terse 6. 7^ grm* aUo in Samaria\ A*ntrah. or Adartt, remained ia Samaria t and there was she worri^pp6i^ widk all ber abominal^ rites. - TerselO. 3bttluOtirtya3tdaamtkyear\ Joash, tbeeon of Jehoahaz, was associated with his uther in the ^veronent, two years before his death. It ia thia association that is spoken m here. He suooeeded him two yeam af^r, a little before the death of Blisha. Joash reignad aixtten Mors, which include the years ha gorenwd a»if>ui% with faisfiuher. CahuM.
TsmlZi Whan^ktftm^againa Amaxiahytbiu war with Amasish may be seen in ample detail, 2 Chrtm. zxv. t it ended in the total defeat of Amaziah, who was taken prisoner by Joash, and afterward slain in a consptnoy at Lachish. JoaA took Jenualeni, iwoke down/aur hundred cubita of the wall, and took all tlie rml treap «iire% and the treasuroiof ihehouMof God. SeszChron. Tor. 20—27.
Vnrnli. Now EHMkamJiilim wiekl Thisiamp. posed to have taken plane ID dtetoiA year of Joash t aiM, if so, Eliaha must have prophesied about tixiv-flva years.
O my faOur, my fauta-) " What shall I do now thou artdyinffl tbouartiheonlydefenceof Inol." Ue accosts bim with tb« wuM words which himself spoke u Elijah, when he was MMlated: see chap. iL ISC and the note
Tern 16. Thtt bow and arrow'] TheteH^tbeomnw and tbe mit^ on the rround, were all emblemaUcal thinj^ indieative of tbe deucminoe qf Itrael from Syria.
Terse 17. Often the window etutwardl This was lowajrd the country beyond Jordau, which Hazael had taken from the loroeUtes.
TTu arrow ^ dMvtrance Jrom Syria] "HuU ia^ as surely as that arrow is shot toward the lands cooquered from larael by the Syriani, so sorely shall Ihon bnds be necaiquerad and restored to laiael: see ver. SB.
It was an ancient custom to aAoof on arrow, or eaai a war, into the cooolry which an army intended to invade. Jiutin says that, as soon aa Alexander Qie Oreol had arrived M the eoasta of Ionia, he threw a dart into the oouatiy of the Peraians. Cum tUaii in eontinmtem aunt, prtmtu AUxander Jaathtm teba in kottiUn Urram Jadt.— Aml Ubuii. ^.The dart, tp*ar, or arrmt. thrown, was an emblem of MM wwrtmenoement of boatilitie«, F%viL {Mn. Jib. it,
U ir Now Bliaha was fhOen dok of ITi^X his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto - — him, and wept, over his face, and said, O mj father, my father, ■ the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.,
15 And Elisha sakl unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took tmto him bow and arrows.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, *Pat thine baud upon the bow. And ne put his hand utm iti and EUsha put hie hands upon die kiDgrs hands.,
17 And he said. Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. "And he said, The arrow of the Lobd's deliverance,, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in "Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
18 And he said, Take the arrows. And be took ikem. And he said unto the king of Urad. Smite upon the ground. And be smote thiie^ and 8tay»l.
19 And the man of Ood was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten fire or six times; then hadst thou smittoi Syria tiU thou hadet consumed it: 'whereas Dow thoQ shalt smite Syria but thrice.
20 1[ And EHisha died, and thev buried him. And the bands <rf the Moabites invaded the land at the c«ninc in of the m^ZT year
21 And it came to pass, as they were buryiqg a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men: and they cast the man into the aepuichre m
Strvitu, in bis not* upon this ^ace^ ibows duU it wasa ciutom to proclaim war in this w^: the pate- patrala*, or chief of tha Ftdalet, a sort a ktrmm, went to die confinM.of the enemy's couatiy; and, after some aoknnities, said, with a loud voice, J ware war wUk yott, fw ntdi ami waeh rtaacnt; and then thrm in a mptar. It was then the buainese of the parlies thus <faS«i^ or tesras^ to take tbe sutHect into conaideratiQO; anC if d>^ did no^ within Qwrtif dnrft, eone to aoms accommodatioD, the war was begun.
TfumthaitwmiU &e Syriant in AjAek} Tbismaa ei^ of Syria, and probably the place of the Jtral heulat uid there, it appears, they nod a total crer throw. TJmj were, in the language of the text, coiuuMtd, or txttnu-
Terse 18. 8mUe upon the ground] As he wm wdend to take hii arrom, the smidng on tbe ground must ncaa shooting arrow into iL
JBk mote thrice, and ataj/ed\ Tbt prophet knew Aat thia shooting was aitU>lematical: prolnbly the king vaa not aware o? what depended on the frequency of toe ae* tioni and perh^ it woa of the Lord that he smote ooly <Ariefl|aB be had determined to give Israel thooe three vietoriesoR^ over the Syrians. Eltsha'a being lorofft, becaoaa there were only three instead of fve or aix shots, doeaaot prove that Ood waa wroth; or that he bad iBtendedlt give the Syriaoa jtM or tix overtbrowa.
Terae 20. AndEUaka died\ The two prophet^ B^A and Elieha, were both roost extraordinary men. Of ibe former it is difficult to say whether he waa a man, or aa anffd in a human body. "Hie arguments for thim lanw mtnion are atroog; the objectiona against it very fceMe. Hia heiagfad by an otigeL is no worn that be was aoc aa angel incarnate; for 6oa man}fe*l in the JteA was M the same ministry. Of him, the followinf^ ftoa BedftaULsticua, chap, xlviii. 1 — 11. ia a oerroua diaiacler.
Ter. 1.— Tnen atood up Elias the propbet as fii^ aid his word burned like a tamp.
Ter. 2. — He brought a sore bmine upon them, sad Mf hia zeal he diminished their number.
Ter. 3.— By the word of the Lord he duit up the heirftl^ and alao three times brought down fire.
Ter. 4.— O Elia% bow wast thou honoured in thy wtD* dmis daadsl aod who msj glory like unto thee 1
Bliaha: and when the man ■ww let down, and touched the bones of EUsba, ' he revived, and •tood up oa hie feet.
22 IT Bat *Haaael kiitf of Syria opa ^HiMm presfled Israel aU the dare of Jehoat.oiTiq>.M- baz.
25 *And the Lord was gracions nnto them, and had compassion on them, and 'had respect unto them, * because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and woald not destroy them, neither cast he them from his * presence as yet. BcSf 24 So Hazael king of Syria died; ^ii^^ and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.
25 And Jehoasli the son of Jehoa-
^iot» Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, the TS£ffSr cities which he bad taken out of the
- - hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. * Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel
■1 c ' the second year of Joash son of i^Jikte^ X Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned AwhSSSr' ^Amaziah the son of Joash king of. Judah.
S He was twecfty and five vears old when he began to reign, ana reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusdem. iQS'm%
And his mother's name was Joboad-.
3 And he did that 'which vo* right In the sight of the Loan, yet not like David bis father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
4 iHowbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
5 T| And it came to pass, as soon as £ aSf' the kingdom was confirmed in his hand.thathestewhieservants'which MitfSSSr had slain the kin^ his father. r<mLV
6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moaes, wherein the Loud commanded, saying, ■ The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the lathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
7 It °He slewof Edom in Ptheval- S:^g?- ley of salt ten thousand, and took aimlolm. ' Selah by war, ' and called the name AI^£'li2S^ of it, Joktheel unto this day. p5!5i*
T«t. 5. — Who didst niM ima dead man fr(Kn death, and hifl soul from the plus erf the dead, by tbs Word ta the Moat High:
Ter. 6.— Who tvou^teat kinga to deatructioB, and honoorobla meD from their bed:
Yar. 7. — Who heard eat the rebulm of the Lord in Sinai, •nd in Bmb the jodcment of vengeance: