What Does 2 Kings 9:2 Mean?

(2) **And when thou comest thither.**—Rather, *And enter into it—i.e.*, into the town of Ramoth. This makes it clear that the Israelites had retaken Ramoth from the Syrians (comp. also the mention of “chambers” and “the door” in 2Kings 9:3, and the order, 2Kings 9:15, to “let no man escape out of the city”) probably before Joram returned to Jezreel (2Kings 9:14). Josephus expressly asserts this. **Jehu.**—Probably left in supreme command of the forces at Jehoram’s departure, as being the ablest of the generals (so Josephus). **The son of Jehoshaphat.**—It is curious that the father of Jehu who executed the sentence of Jehovah upon the house of Ahab should have borne this name (“Jehovah judgeth”). Nothing is known of Jehu’s origin. He is twice mentioned by Shalmaneser II., king of Assyria, as one of his tributaries. In a fragment of his Annals relating to the campaign against Hazael, undertaken in his eighteenth year (see Note on 2Kings 8:15), the Assyrian monarch states that, after besieging Damascus, and ravaging the Haurân, he marched to the mountains of Baal-*rôsh*, the foreland of the sea (Carmel?), and set up his royal image thereon. “In that day the tribute of the land of the Tyrians (and) Sidonians, (and) of Ya’ua (Jehu), son of Omri, I received.” On the Black Obelisk there is a representation of Jehu’s tribute-bearers, and, perhaps, of Jehu himself, kneeling before Shalmaneser. The superscription is: “Tribute of Ya’ua, son of Humrì (Omri)—(ingots of) silver and gold, a bowl of gold, ewers of gold, goblets of gold, buckets of gold, (ingots of) lead, a rod of the hand of the king, spears—I received it.” **Go in.**—Into Jehu’s house. **From among his brethren**—*i.e.*, his comrades in arms; his fellow-captains. **Carry him.**—Literally, *cause him to enter*. The object was secrecy. **An inner chamber.**—Literally, *a chamber in a chamber*. A phrase which occurred in 1Kings 20:30; 1Kings 22:25. Thenius thinks this a mark of identity of authorship.