King James Version
What Does 2 Kings 9:16 Mean?
“So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.”
Context
14
So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead , he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.
15
But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel. Joram: Heb. Jehoram but not in verse sixteen had given: Heb. smote let none: Heb. let no escaper go, etc.
16
So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
17
And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
18
So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(16) **Lay.**—*Was* *lying*. His wounds were not yet quite healed.
**Ahaziah king of Judah was come down.**—See 2Kings 8:29. After relating what had meanwhile occurred with the army at Ramoth, the narrative returns to that point. Instead of *Joram was lying there*, the LXX. has, “Joram king of Israel was being healed in Jezreel of the shots wherewith the Arameans shot him in Ramoth, in the war with Hazael king of Syria, because he was mighty and a man of might.” The first sentence, “Joram king of Israel . . . king of Syria,” was probably a marginal note of a different reading of the first half of 2Kings 9:15. This was inadvertently inserted by some transcriber in connection with *Joram* in the present verse. The sentence, “Because he was mighty and a man of might,” was originally a marginal note on the words “Hazael king of Syria” (2Kings 9:14), but in like manner came to be erroneously connected with the same words in the various reading of 2Kings 9:15 (*Thenius*).
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
2 Kings 9:16 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to 2 Kings 9:16
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge