2 Kings 9:13
in 2 Kings 9Quickly, 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!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, Jehu is king.
KJV
Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.
⋯
This verse in 2 Kings 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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. Such a carpet is commonly represented on the seat of an Assyrian throne in the Nineveh sculptures. The stairs rose against the walI of the house from the pavement of the court to the level of the upper story, or of the roof.
This site's exposition
wherefore came this mad fellow
on 2 Kings 9:11-13
The captains call the messenger this mad fellow, the contempt Scripture elsewhere aims at ecstatic prophets, and Jehu answers only, ye know the man, and his communication, letting them draw their own conclusion. Once he repeats the anointing word plainly, the captains do not deliberate; they strip their own cloaks onto the stairs for a throne and blow trumpets, an acclamation as sudden as the anointing itself. Wesley reads their haste as evidence the army was already ripe for Joram's fall.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, 'Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.' " Here the Scripture reports the just sentence that befalls the house of …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs,....
In token of their subjection and allegiance to him, their affection to his person and government, and their desire to see him high and easy in it, they put their garments under him, that he might stand or sit upon them on the top of the stairs, in sight of the soldiers, who, upon the first intimation, came together to grace the solemnity.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The popularity of Jehu with the army thus favored the designs of Providence in procuring his immediate and enthusiastic proclamation as king, and the top of the stairs was taken as a most convenient substitute for a throne. Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead--rather, "was keeping," guarding, or besieging it, with the greater part of the military force of Israel.
Took every man his garment - This was a ceremony by which they acknowledged him as king; and it was by such a ceremony that the multitudes acknowledged Jesus Christ for the Messiah and King of Israel, a little before his passion: see Mat 21:7 (note), and the note there. The ceremony was expressive: “As we put our garments under his feet, so we place every thing under his authority, and acknowledge ourselves his servants.” On the top of the stairs - The Chaldee, the rabbins, and several interpreters, understand this of the public sun-dial; which in those ancient times, was formed of steps like stairs, each step serving to indicate, by its shadow, one hour, or such division of time as was commonly used in that country. This dial was, no doubt, in the most public place; and upon the top of it, or on the platform on the top, would be a very proper place to set Jehu, while they blew their trumpets, and proclaimed him king. The Hebrew מעלות maaloth is the same word which is used 2Ki 20:9-11, to signify the dial of Ahaz; and this was probably the very same dial on which that miracle was afterwards wrought: and this dial, מעלות maaloth, from עלה alah, to go up, ascend, was most evidently made of steps; the shadows projected on which, by a gnomon, at the different elevations of the sun, would serve to show the popular divisions of time. See the notes on 2Ki 20:9 (note), etc.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
They said, “That is a lie.” [What] you are saying; you are hiding what he said to you. 6 Yeihu wanted to conceal the prophecy and wait for a more opportune time to reveal it.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּ | vaymaharu | and they hurried | H4116 → | |
| וַיִּקְחוּ֙ | vaiyikchu | and they took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בִּגְד֔וֹ | bigdo | garment his | H899 → | 217 times |
| וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ | vaiyasimu | and they put [them] | H7760 → | 584 times |
| תַחְתָּ֖יו | tachtav | under him | H8478 → | 505 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גֶּ֣רֶם | gerem | [the] bone of | H1634 → | |
| הַֽמַּעֲל֑וֹת | hamaalot | the steps | H4609 → | 32 times |
| וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֙ | vaiyitkeu | and they gave a blast | H8628 → | |
| בַּשּׁוֹפָ֔ר | bashofar | on the trumpet | H7782 → | |
| וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מָלַ֥ךְ | malakh | he is king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| יֵהֽוּא׃ | yehu' | Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּand they hurried
vaymaharuH4116 →
וַיִּקְחוּ֙and they took
vaiyikchuH3947 →966 times
אִ֣ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בִּגְד֔וֹgarment his
bigdoH899 →217 times
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּand they put [them]
vaiyasimuH7760 →584 times
תַחְתָּ֖יוunder him
tachtavH8478 →505 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גֶּ֣רֶם[the] bone of
geremH1634 →
הַֽמַּעֲל֑וֹתthe steps
hamaalotH4609 →32 times
וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֙and they gave a blast
vaiyitkeuH8628 →
בַּשּׁוֹפָ֔רon the trumpet
bashofarH7782 →
וַיֹּאמְר֖וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
מָלַ֥ךְhe is king
malakhH4427 →348 times
יֵהֽוּא׃Jehu
yehu'H3058 →58 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 1:39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”
it leads to
- Psalms 89:20
I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.
- 1 Kings 1:34
There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
- 1 Chronicles 29:22
That day they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD. Then, for a second time, they designated David’s son Solomon as king, anointing him before the LORD as ruler,…
- 1 Samuel 10:24
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
- Psalms 89:20
Through
1 Kings 1:34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
it leads to
- 1 Kings 1:25
For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest.…
- 2 Samuel 15:10
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
- 1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
- 1 Kings 19:16
You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.
- 1 Kings 1:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 9:1-24; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.