2 Kings 9:24
in 2 Kings 9Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseDrew a bow with his full strength - The marginal reading is correct: He filled his hand with a bow. That is, “He immediately took up his bow, set his arrow, and let fly.” This is the only meaning of the passage. Between his arms - That is, between his shoulders; for he was now turned, and was flying from Jehu.
This site's exposition
smote Jehoram between his arms
Jehu draws his bow with full strength and the arrow finds Joram between his arms, read by the bench as between the shoulders since the king had already turned his chariot to run. One shot ends the reign in a single verse, the same abruptness with which the anointing in the inner chamber began it. The house of Ahab loses its king on the ground his father stole.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
So he went out with a group of select men. But he met Joram, king of Israel, in the course of his journey, and little later Ahaziah, king of Judah. He was able to defeat them after the first attack and killed them both.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He was now the top branch of Ahab's house, and therefore was first cut off. He died a criminal, under the sentence of the law, which Jehu, the executioner, pursues in the disposal of the dead body. Naboth's vineyard was hard by, which put him in mind of that circumstance of the doom Elijah passed upon Ahab, " I will requite thee in this plat, said the Lord (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength,.... To give the arrow all the force he could: and smote Jehoram between his arms; that is, between his shoulders, his back being turned to him, and the chariot an open one: and the arrow went out at his heart: quite through him: and he sunk down in his chariot; and died immediately.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
A report was made to Joram in his palace below. A messenger on horseback was quickly despatched down into the plain to meet the ambiguous host and to question the object of their approach. "Is it peace?" We may safely assume that this messenger would meet Jehu at the distance of three miles or more.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Jehu drew a bow ... - literally, as in the margin, i. e., “Jehu took a bow in his hand.” The arrow struck Jehoram’s back, between his two shoulders, as he fled.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיֵה֞וּא | veyehu' | and Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| מִלֵּ֧א | mile' | he filled | H4390 → | 249 times |
| יָד֣וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| בַקֶּ֗שֶׁת | vakeshet | with <the> bow | H7198 → | 76 times |
| וַיַּ֤ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוֹרָם֙ | yehoram | Jehoram | H3088 → | 29 times |
| בֵּ֣ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| זְרֹעָ֔יו | zeroav | arms his | H2220 → | |
| וַיֵּצֵ֥א | vaiyetze' | and it came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הַחֵ֖צִי | hachetzi | the arrow | H2678 → | |
| מִלִּבּ֑וֹ | milibo | from heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וַיִּכְרַ֖ע | vaiyikhra' | and he sank down | H3766 → | |
| בְּרִכְבּֽוֹ׃ | berikhbo | in chariot his | H7393 → | 119 times |
וְיֵה֞וּאand Jehu
veyehu'H3058 →58 times
מִלֵּ֧אhe filled
mile'H4390 →249 times
יָד֣וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
בַקֶּ֗שֶׁתwith <the> bow
vakeshetH7198 →76 times
וַיַּ֤ךְand he struck
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוֹרָם֙Jehoram
yehoramH3088 →29 times
בֵּ֣יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
זְרֹעָ֔יוarms his
zeroavH2220 →
וַיֵּצֵ֥אand it came out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
הַחֵ֖צִיthe arrow
hachetziH2678 →
מִלִּבּ֑וֹfrom heart his
miliboH3820 →595 times
וַיִּכְרַ֖עand he sank down
vaiyikhra'H3766 →
בְּרִכְבּֽוֹ׃in chariot his
berikhboH7393 →119 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
Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
it leads to
- Acts 5:39
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Jeremiah 9:23
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
- Isaiah 14:27
The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
- 1 Corinthians 3:19–20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
- Acts 5:39
Through
Psalms 50:22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
it leads to
- Job 8:13
Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
- Psalms 9:17
The wicked will return to Sheol— all the nations who forget God.
- Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget…
- Job 8:13
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.