fThus he ſpeaks,cither becauſe he had ſome notice of their inten- tions thus to do: or,to make tryal of them,whether they would do ſo,or would be true to him and his deſigns : or, to fignife to them his intentions of fighting againſt them, if they did fo, that by the terror hereof he mighr bring them to a compliance with him.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid,and ſaid,Behold, two kings ſtood not before him g : how then ſhould we ſtand ?
z All their Power and Intereſt, either in Jezreel, or in the Army before, or in Ramoth-G:lead, could not hinder him from executing his deſign,from killing the rwo Kings,& from invading one of their Kingdoms. Ir is true, he ſurprized the Kings, which a little weakens their argument; but fear and ſelf-love made them eaſily yield to it.
5 Aud he that was over the houſe h,and he that was over the city z,the elders alſo,and the bringers up of the children ſent to Jehu,ſaying,We ere thy ſervants, and will do all that thou ſhalt bid us & ; we will not make any king : do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
þ The chief Governour of the Kings Palace or Caſtle there. 5 The chief Magiſtrate or military Governour. k They made no delays or conditions, but ſubmited all to his mercy.
6 Then he wrote a letrer / the ſecond time to them, ſaying, If ye be + mine,and #f ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men 2, your maſters ſons,and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time: (now the kings ſons being ſeventy perſons,were with the
great men of the city, which brought them up )
I Thus Jezebel is requited for her Letter dire&ed in like manner to the Elders of Naboth's City, whereby his life was wickedly taken away. 1 King. 21- 8, And it is probable that ſome of theſe Eiders were concerned in that very Buſinefs, which makes the Judgment of God more remarkable. 2 Which word ſeems to imply that ſome of them were grown up,who doubtleſs trod in their Parents ſteps; and thoſ: that were younger, were jultly cur off for their Parents fin: of which ſee on Exed. 20.5. Deus. 5. 9.
7 And it came to paſs when the letter came to them, that they took the kings ſons, and flew ſeventy per- ſons .*., and put their Heads in baskets, and ſent him them to Jezreel.
.*. Fehu julrly required this, becauſe the Soveraign and moſt righ- teous Lord of all mens Tives commanded it ; but the Samaritans wickedly obeyed it,becauſe they deſtroyed Perſons in a great mea- ſure innocent, meerly out of laviſh fear, and without any know- ledge of, or regard to. Gods Command.
8 © And there came a mzitenger,and told him, fſay- ing, They have brought the-Heads of the kings ſons. And he aid, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entring in of the gate », until the morning.
» The place of Judicature ; to ſignifie, that this was an af of Juſtice, and of Gods Righteous Judgment ; and the place of great- eſt concourſe, where people went out of the City, and came into it, and whither they. reſorted for Judgment, and other occaſions; that all men mighr behold this dreadtul ſpefacle of divine ven=- geance upon 4Ahab's Family, and thereby might juitifie Fehu's cauſe and proceedings.
9 And it came to paſ*+ in the morning, that he went out,and ſtood, and {.id to all the people s,Ye be righte- ous: behoid, I conſpired againſt my maſter, and ſlew him : but + who ſlew all thele ?
o Either, Firſt, To the promiſcuous multitude m*-t there to gaze upon this {ad and ſtrange ſpeQacle. So the lenſe is,Be not ye troub- led nor affrighted with thele unuſual and diſmal occurrences : if any thing be amiſs in theſe actions, I do here publickly and ſolemn- ly acquit you as Righteous and innocent ; do not you therefore
ear any vengeance from God or men for it ; if there be any gu:lr, it is in me, and in thoſe who cut off theſe heads» Or, Secondly, To thoje who cut off, and brought the heads ; for the ſame per- ſons did both, and were here preſent,as F*ehu commanded them, wv.s. to them he {peaks in the audience of all the peopic; or by all the people may be meant all choſe who brought the heads,8 were there waiting for Fehu, according to his order. So the ip-ech is in part Tronical, to this purpoſe,7du are Righteous in your own eyes,and you look upon me as a Traitour,and Rebel,and Murderer,becauſeT have Tien againſt,and flain my Maſter,which I acknowledge I have done Bur if 1 am guilty, you are not innocent,and thereto: e cannot ac- Cuſe me : for I have killed one but you a great number. This ex- Plication ſeems probable; only the H-brew word, ham,being generaily uſed of the common peopie,m:y ſcem not ſo fitly to agree ro theſe Rulers and great Men, who had brought the Heads ; and that ex- preſſion, to a the people, implics, that Jehu did nor direct his ſpeech to ſome particuiar rerlons, bur to the whole Body ot the People
or rather, had been ſent by Joram with his ſons to Sas !
v
1 N & $S
z
Gods, and done by his command. p Whom he mentions; rather than Eliſha ; partly, becauſe El:ſha was now dead, and therefore his name and memory was more ſacred thanE//ſba"s,who was yet alive;this be- ing the common humour and folly of Mankind,to value and honour thoſe that are dead, whom they contemned whilſt they lived : and partly, becauſe Z/jah's Prophecy was known, and publick, and fa- mous ; when Eliſha's was delivered in a corner, and that not from his own mouth, but by one of the Sons of the Prophets,
11 So Jehu flew all that remained of the houſe of A- hab in Jezreel,and all his great men rand his || kinsfolks, and his prieſts /, until he left him cone remaining re.
r Whom he had 4dvanced and made Great in Wealth,or Honour, and quality ; who had been partners with him in his ſins 3 and, who were likely to be avenged of his death. { His Domeſtick Prieſts which had waited upon Ahab and Jezebel in their Idolatrous fervi- ces,and were fed at the Kings Table. Compare « Kings 18:19. Or, his chief officers of State ; as that word is ſometimes uſed : Of which ſee 2 Sam. 8: 18. compare with 1 Chron: 18: 17, Obj. Theſe were inciuded in his great men mentioned before» Anſw. Yet may they well be mentioned apart as a diſtin&.and the moſt eminent ſort of the Royal Seed of Judah, Chap. 11. 1, 2.
I2 And he aroſe and departed,and came to Samaria.
And as he was at the + ſhearing houſe « in the way,