Albert Barnes

So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.”

“Hazael omitted the clause by which Elisha had shown how those words were to be understood. He thus deceived his master, while he could flatter himself that he had not uttered a lie.”

But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.

“A thick cloth - Probably, a cloth or mat placed between the head and the upper part of the bedstead, which in Egypt and Assyria was often so shaped that pillows (in our sense) were unnecessary.”

In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.

“Edom, which had been reduced by David 2Sa 8:14; 1Ki 11:15-16, but had apparently revolted from Solomon 1Ki 11:14, was again subjected to Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat 2 Kings 3:8-26.”

So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night.

“Zair - Perhaps Seir, the famous mountain of Edom Gen 14:6. The people - i. e., The Edomites. Yet, notwithstanding his success, Joram was forced to withdraw from the country, and to leave the natives to enjoy that independence 2Ki 8:22, which continued until the…”

So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time.

“Libnah revolted - Libnah being toward the southwest of Palestine Jos 15:42, its revolt cannot well have had any direct connection with that of Edom.”

And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.

“On the death of Jehoram, see 2Ch 21:12-19. His son is also called Jehoahaz (margin) by a transposition of the two elements of the name.”

Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to…

“Box - Rather, “flask,” or “vial” 1Sa 10:1. Oil and ointment were commonly kept in open-mouthed jars, vases, or bottles made of glass, alabaster, or earthen-ware. Many such vessels have been found both in Egypt and Assyria.”

Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’

“Flee, and tarry not - The probable object of these directions was at once to prevent questioning, and to render the whole thing more striking.”

and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.

“The chief officers - the generals - were assembled together in Jehu’s quarters, perhaps holding a council of war. The place of assembly seems to have been the great court.”

When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?”

“This mad fellow - The captains, seeing his excited look, his strange action, and his extreme haste, call him (as soldiers would) “this wild fellow.””

Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”

“Took every man his garment, and put it under him - The outer cloak of the Jews was a sort of large shawl or blanket, which might well serve for a carpet of state.”

“Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the…

“Make ready - literally, (as in margin) “Blind,” i. e., “Harness the horses to the chariot.” The king had no suspicion of Jehu’s treason. Probably he imagined that he was bringing him important news from the seat of war.”

And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.

“Rode together after Ahab - The Assyrian sculptures make it probable that Josephus was right in interpreting this “rode side by side behind Ahab in his chariot.””

When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!”

“By the way of the garden-house - Or “by the way of Beth-Gan,” which has been conjectured to be another name for En-Gannim, “the spring of the gardens.””

(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)

“In the eleventh year - The twelfth according to 2Ki 8:25. The discrepancy may be best explained from two ways of reckoning the accession of Ahaziah, who is likely to have been regent for his father during at least one year. See 2Ch 21:19.”

select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

“Jehu, placing his adversaries’ advantages before them in the most favorable light, called upon them to decide what they would do. The unscrupulous soldier shows shrewdness as well as courage, a sharp wit as well as a bold heart.”

So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say.

“The officer who had the charge of the place (1Ki 4:6 note) and the governor of the town (1Ki 22:26 note) seem to correspond to the “rulers” of 2Ki 10:1.”

Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to…

“The heads of rivals, pretenders, and other obnoxious persons are commonly struck off in the East, and conveyed to the chief ruler, in order that he may be positively certified that his enemies have ceased to live.”

The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him.

“Ye be righteous - i. e., “Ye are just, and can judge aright.” Jehu unfairly keeps back the fact that he had commanded the execution.”

Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”

“Shall fall to the earth - i. e., “Shall remain unfulfilled” (compare the marginal reference). Jehu and others were but executing the word of the Lord.”

So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single…

“So Jehu slew - Rather, “And Jehu slew.” The reference is to fresh executions (compare 2Ki 10:17). He proceeded on his bloody course, not merely destroying the remainder of the kindred of Ahab, but further putting to death all the most powerful of Ahab’s partisans.”

Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

“The shearing-house - literally, as in margin. Perhaps already a proper name, Beth-eked, identical with the Beth-akad of Jerome, which is described as between Jezreel and Samaria; but not yet identified.”

Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

“The brethren of Ahaziah - Not the actual brothers of Ahaziah, who had all been slain by the Arabs before his accession to the throne 2Ch 21:17; 2Ch 22:1; but his nephews, the sons of his brothers (marginal reference).”

When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him.

“Jehonadab (compare the margin) belonged to the tribe of the Kenites, one of the most ancient in Palestine Gen 15:19. Their origin is unknown, but their habits were certainly those of Arahs.”

When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who remained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to…

“Compare 2Ki 10:11. Thus was finally completed the political revolution which transferred the throne from the house of Omri to that of Nimshi, the fifth of the royal families of Israel.”