The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 153

thought he hRd more to fear from Ahazie.h f11miliar to chronologists, either (I) from the himself, who had been on such olose terms date of the ncceesion to the end of the ourrent of friendship with Jehoram, than from any civil year; or (2) from the date of the uooee• probable sucoeseors. He. therefore, finding sion to the same day in the ensuing year, him in his power, pursued after him and slew Vere. 80-87.-Death of Jezebel. him. From a religious point of view he could justify the act: since the commission given Ver. 80.-And when J"ehu was oome to to him (.er. 7) was to smite all the house J"eneel. Some commentators suppose that of Ahab, and Ahaziah was Ahab's grand- Jehu did not engage personally in the son. And they did eo at the going up to Gur, pursuit of Ahoziah, but, leaving that to a whioh is by Ibleam. The "ascent of Gur," portion of his retinue, pushed on with all haste to Jezrcol, where Jezebel we.e, "the -,,~-~~p_ri, was probably the rising ground originator of all the mischief." But it ie between the southern edge of the Plain of certainly more nature.I to understand (with Esdraelon and the place known as "lble.-im,'' Keil and Josephus) that Jehu himself or "Bileam" (1 Chron . .:i. 70), which is pursued. The pursuit to lbleam, whero reasonably identified with the modern Bir- Ahaziah was mortally wounded, and the el.-Bel.ameh, two miles south of Jenin. return to Jezreel, need not have occupied Here the steep a.scent necessarily delayed more than about three hours, J"ezebelheard tbe chariot, and .Abaziah's pursuers gained of it. She would naturally be the first to upon him, approached him, and wounded hear. On the death of her son, which must him. And he fied to Megiddo. Wounded have been plainly seen from the wells of at the ascent of Gur, and despairing of Jezreel, she became practica.lly the chief making his way through the rough moun- authority in the place, and indeed in the tainous country which lay between him and kingdom. Jehoram's sons were probably Jerusalem, Ahaziah suddenly changed his minors. And she painted her faoe; Jiternlly, route, perhaps thereby baffling hie pursuers, and she put her eyes in antimony ; i.e. she and, s1.""irting the bills, had himself conveyed adorned her eyes with the dark dye which to Megiddo (Ledjun), where he died, either has always been fashionable in the East, of hie wounds, or through some fresh violence and which is still used at the present day. on the part of Jehu (see 2 Chron. xxii. 8, 9). The dye is spread both on the upper and The reconciliation of 2 Chron. xxii. 8, 9 with the lower eyelids. It at once increases the the present passage is difficult, but not apparent size of the eye, and gives it un- wholly impossiulc. Perhaps the Chronicler natural brilliancy. The Oriental nations, means by " Samaria " the kingdom, not the Babylonians, Aseyriane, Medes, Persians, town. were acquainted with the practice from very , er. 28.-And his servants carried him in early times; and it ie not surprising that it a cha.riot to 1erusalem. No king of the was known to Jezebel. What was her exact house of David had as yet been buried else- object in applying it is more doubtful. The where than in the rock-hewn sepulchre older commentators, who are followed by which David had constructed for himself and Ewald, suppose that she intended to "sum- family at Jerusalem. As soon, therefore, ae mon up all her seductive fascinations in Abaziah was dead, his attendants conveyed order to tempt and conquer Jehu;" but his dead body in a chariot to the Judrean more recent writers (Bahr, Keil, e.ud others) capital. Jehu did not oppose, having no argue that her probable age renders this quarrel with the dead. And buried him in incredible, since she had already a grandson :::Us sepulchre; i.e. in the particular excava- who was twenty-three yea.re of age (eh, tion, or 1.oculm, which be bad prepared for viii. 26), and must therefore have been her- himself. Jewish, like Egyptian, kings seem self at lee.et fifty. But, if we remember to have made it their bueinese to see to the that Cleopatra was forty when she held constmction of their tomb as soon ae they Antony as her slave and hoped to captivate mounted the throne. Thus Ahe.ziah, though Augustus, it would seem to be not altogether he had reigned but a year (eh. viii. 26), had beyond the bounds of possibility that a already prepared hims1,lf a sepulchre. His Phmnicie.n princess offifty may have thought " servants " buried him in it. With his that, by the use of art, she might render her- fathers in the city of David (comp. I Kings self a captivating personage. There is, at xi. 43; xiv. 37; xv. 8, 24; xxii. 50; eh. any rate, no evidence that " putting the viii 24 ). eyes in antimony" was an ordinary or a Ver. 29.-And in the eleventh year of fitting preparation for meeting death in a J'ore.m the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to way wortby of a queen. Ewald's view has, reign over Isre.d. In eh. viii. 25 tbe accee- therefore much to commend it to our acoopt- l!i.on of Al,aziah ie placed in J ore.w'e twelfth, anee. Jezebel, trusting in the charms ond instead of hie eleventh, year. The slight the fascination which had been eo potent discrepancy is suffici11ntly explained by tbe over Ahab, may have imagined that she double: reckoning of a king's "first year," had still enough beauty left to capture OR IX, 1-37.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. .1.95