The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 150

wee evidently highly esteemed. The revolt secret until he liimsclf announced it oaptnins threw themselves with nrdonr into to the astonished king (see vtr. 22). bis muso, and extemporized a sort of en- Ver. 16.-So lehu rode in a ohariot, and thronement. As often in an Oriental house, went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there We an external staircase led from the court to must understand that t:,P captains came into the upper story or to the roof. This they J ehu's views, acknow lcclgccl the necessity corpcted with their begeds, or outer oloake, of secrecy, and took precautions against the and, seating him on the top stair, saluted departure of any one, openly or secretly, from him as actual king. The expression, el- the city. Jebu, with a. modera.t.e troop or gerem ham-ma'aloth, is not Iitero.lly, •• on the company (,,J7.;;i~), sets out, perhaps on the top of the sto.irs, " but rather " on the stairs very day of }1is enthronement, and hasten, themselves." No.turally, however, the cap- with e.11 speed to Jezreel, hent on arriving- tains would emplace him upon the topmost there before e.ny suspicion has arisen of stair. And blew with trumpets. This was revolt or rebellion. His great object was tn e. recognized part of the ceremonial of e. surprise J ora.m, and to kill or ea pture him coronation (see 2 Sam. xv. JO; 1 Kings i. before be could take any steps to organize 89; eh. xi. 14). Saying, Jehu is king. e. defence. Probably the force which ac- Ver. 14.--So Jehu the son of Jehoahe.phe.t companied him was wholly a chariot force. the son of Nimshi (see the comment on ver. And Ahaz:iah King of Judah was come down 2) oonapired a.go.inst J'ore.m. It is not meant to see J'ora.m (see oh. viii. 29, and the com- that there we.a e. secret conspiracy previous ment ad. Zoe.). Ahazia.h, it must be remem- to the prophet's coming, but that, by the bered, was Jora.m's nephew, o.s well as his open acts which followed on hie coming, ally in the war against Syria.. It was Jehu and the captains were gnilty of e. natural that be sl.iould visit his uncle when "conspiracy." Now Jore.m had kept Re.- be wo.s wounded, even if the wounds were moth-Gilead; rather, noto Joram was keeping not very serious. Ramoth-Gilead. Joram, in his capacity of Ver. 17.-And there stood a watchman on chief ruler, was keeping, i.e. defending, the tower in Jezreel; literally, and the Ramotb-Gilead a.go.inst the Syrians with the watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel. The bulk of his forces. He and e.ll Iara.al, be- watch-tower on the south-east, towards oause of He.zo.el King of Syria.; since Hazuel Re.moth-Gilead. is intended. There were wished to win the city be.ck, o.nd would have probably others in other directions; but tLe done so, had it not been stoutly defended, writer is not concerned with them. Each The writer speaks of Jore.ma.a the defender, we.tch-tower bad its 011e watchman, who gave tl.ioug·h he was e.bsent, because the defence warning if anything unusual caught his was me.de under hie ordel's. Then, to pre- attention. And he spied the company of vent misunderstanding, be repeats what he J'ehu as he oame. 1:;hiph'ah is generally bud already so.id in eh. viii. 29 with respect " abundance," "multitude " (Dent. xxxiii. to Joram'a "ounds, and his retirement to 19; Job xxii. 11; lee.. Ix. 6), but seems Jezreel to be bee.led of them. here to designate a" band" or "company" Ver. 15.-llut King Jore.in was returned of moderate size. It is e. somewhat rnre to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which word. And sa.id, I see a company. The the Syrians had given him, when he fought watchman gave notice to tl.iose wl.iose husi- with Hazael King of Syria. (see the comment ness it was to inform the king, that a. band on ol.J. viii. 29). And Jehu said, If it be or company of men "as approaching tl.ie your minds. As soon e.e he is proclaimed city. And Jore.in said, Take an horseman, king, Jehu addressee himself to the captains, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is nnd proposes e. polioy. He does not venture it peaoel Joram apprehended no danger. to assume a tone of authority, or of im- If the "company" l.iad been a band of perative command, since ho is still but 11 Syrians, or other enemies, coming in hostile pretender, and not "established in the fashion, the watchman would have wortlcd kingdom." "If it be your minds," be SCLys; his warning differently. The king probably i.e. "If you agree with me, and have nothing concluded th11t be was about to receive t.o urge against my proposol. Then let none tidings from the seat of war, and meant lo go forth nor escape from the city-literally, ask, "Is the news good or bad-puaceful or let 110 escaper go forth from the city-equiva- the contrary?" No blame atloches to him lent to let flo one guit the city-to go to tell for not taking alarm 11t ouce. it in Jezreel. This is the important point. Ver. 18.-So there we.it one on horseback Secrecy was absolutely essential. If the revolt to meet him, and said, lhus saith the king, be.d got wind-and II single messenger migl,t la it peace l And J'ehu said, What hast thou have carried the news-the whole attempt to do with peaoe l turn thee behind me. might have failed, or only have succeeded Jehu chooses to accept the messenger's 11fter II long e.nd bloody oivil war. A 11 words as if th, y were his own, am! not those Jebu'M eJl'ortt were b£1nt on keeping hie of the kiq. "What does it matter to sucl.i  192 THE SECOND BOOK OF 'l'HE lDNGS. [ea. IL 1-37.