The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 154

John, provided she increased her natural the rongh eoldier, with no courtesy, with attrootions by a oo.reful use of e.11 the re- no chiv11lry, bent ou accomplishing his own sources of ort. And tired her head. Phce- ends, anu shrinking from no deed of blood, nioie.n statues of godde~ses he.vo their hair no precedent pessimi exemp!i, if thereby hie arranged in long pendent 01uls, e.nd beor on ends might bo brought about. And there their heC1ds a smoll conionl co.p with o ribbon looked out to him two or three eunuchs. wreCLthed round the hose. 'fhe artists prob- Eunuchs had become an integr11l part both ably hod queens ond princesses os their of the Jewish and of the Israelite courts models. There UJ no evidence thot false from the time of David (l Chron. xxviii. 1). hair wos worn in Phcenicio, either by men They are an institution which almost neces- or women. And looked out at e. window. sarily accompanies polygamy; and they k,,l Windows, sometimes open, sometimes lat- long held high office in Egypt, in Bahylon, ticed; were common in Oriental houses from and in Assyria. A position outside nature, the earliest times. They mostly looked into 11t variance with all men's natural feelings the court round which a house was com- and aspirations, of necessity depraves tl,e monly built ; but some few were in the character, weakens the moral principle, and external wall of the building ; and through ends by debasing the class. In Oriental these new arrivals might be reconnoitred. history, the lowest, vilest; part is always Jezebel "looked out," partly to see, but played by the eunuchs of the palace, who perhaps still more to be seen. are ever re11dy to take part in any intrigues, Ver. 31.-And as Jehu entered in ot the in ooy conspiracies, and who seem to be ge.te, she said, Hod Zimri pee.ce, who slew almost wholly devoid of the ordinary feelings his master 1 This is a possible meaning of of humanity. The eunuchs who "looked Jezebel's words, and it he.a among its advo- ont" to Jehu were probably the chief cates-Luther, De Wette, Maurer, and eunuchs of the palace, who had authority Dathe, besides our own translators. But over the others, and indeed over the court so defiant e.n utterance is quite incompatible o:ffici11ls genere.lly. with an intention to captivate and conciliate. Ver. 33.-And he so.id, Throw her down. Probably, therefore, we should understand A splendid example of the wicked man'a the queen either e.s saying affirmatively, prompt 11nd bold and unscrupulous decision. "Pence to thee, Zimri I" (or, "Hail, Zimri I") A queen, e. queen-mother, always more "slayer of thy lord," or else as a.eking, "Is it tenderly regarded thon 11n ordinary qneen- peace" (i.e. "Is it peace now between thee regnant, a princess in her own right (see and me?")," Zimri, slayer of thy lord?" In ver. 34), daughter of a neighbouring and either case, Zimri is an honorific appellation, powerful potentate, settled in her kingdom recalling the fact of another Israelite general, for over thirty years, the most powerful who had revolted, ale.in his master, e.nd person in the state du.ring that entire period, reigned e.s king. b11cked up by the numerous and dominant Ver. 32.-A.nd he lifted up his face to the party of her co-religionists, she is to Jehu window, and said, Who UJ on my side 1 who 1 nothing but a wicked woman who is in his Whatever Jezebel's intention, Jehu yielded way; she inspires him with no awe, she does not e. jot; he w11s deof to her flatteries, blind not even touch him withe.nyfeeling ofreapect. to her seductions. He he.d m11de up his "Throw her down." History presents no mind for " war to the knife " before he em- parallel to such an indignity. Kings and barked upon his enterprise, and the feeble queens had been, time CLfter time, removed by attempts of a queen whose part was played violence; their lives h11d been taken; they out, whose 11ge he knew, and whom he no had been transplanted to another sphere of doubt reg11rded 11s au old woman, had no being. But the open casting forlh from a power on him. loste11d of responding to window of CL crowned head by the mcubls her bltmdishments, he took a stern and he.rd of the court, at the command of o usurper, line. He would not see her prive.toly. He WAS a new thing, unprecedented, unparal- summoned to his 11id the menials of the leled. It must hove been a shock to 11ll pal11ce-the eunuohe-those on whom beauty established notions of propriety. In com- hRS least influence. "Who is on my side ? m11nding it Jehu showed his superiority to who?" he exclaimed (litemlly, "Who is existing prejudice, hie utter fearlessness, with me? who?") ; thus calling on the court and his willingness to create a new pre- servants to desert their masters, tho guards cedent, which might seriously shake the to turn their swords 11g11inst their employers, mon11rchical principle. So they threw her tho menials to consummate an intra-palatial down. There appen.rs to hav.. been no revolution. Wo c11unot ueny to Jehu the hesitation. The boldness of J eh u com- oredit of vigour, promptness, 11ud11oity, the munic11ted itself to those whom he addressed; talent to seize on the opportunity of and the eunuchs violently seized the person the moment, and to ml\ke the most of it; of the queen, and precipito.te,\ her from tho bu* he must ever preeeut himself to us 11s window io the ground below. She fell 011  196 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [err. IX, l-37.