2 Kings 9:1-13

2 Kings 9:1-13

[1] And Elisha  the prophet  called  one  of the children  of the prophets,  and said  unto him, Gird up  thy loins,  and take  this box  of oil  in thine hand,  to Ramothgilead:  [2] And when thou comest  thither, look out  there Jehu  the son  of Jehoshaphat  the son  of Nimshi,  and go in,  and make him arise up  from among  his brethren,  and carry  him to an inner  [3] Then take  the box  of oil,  and pour  it on his head,  and say,  the LORD,  I have anointed  thee king  over Israel.  Then open  the door,  and flee,  and tarry  [4] So the young man,  the prophet,  to Ramothgilead.  [5] And when he came,  behold, the captains  of the host  were sitting;  and he said,  I have an errand  to thee, O captain.  And Jehu  said,  To thee, O captain.  [6] And he arose,  and went  into the house;  and he poured  the oil  on his head,  and said  the LORD  God  of Israel,  I have anointed  thee king  over the people  of the LORD,  even over Israel.  [7] And thou shalt smite  the house  of Ahab  thy master,  that I may avenge  the blood  of my servants  the prophets,  and the blood  of all the servants  of the LORD,  at the hand  of Jezebel.  [8] For the whole house  of Ahab  shall perish:  and I will cut off  from Ahab  him that pisseth  against the wall,  and him that is shut up  and left  in Israel:  [9] And I will make  the house  of Ahab  like the house  of Jeroboam  the son  of Nebat,  and like the house  of Baasha  the son  of Ahijah:  [10] And the dogs  shall eat  Jezebel  in the portion  of Jezreel,  and there shall be none to bury  her. And he opened  the door,  and fled.  [11] Then Jehu  came forth  to the servants  of his lord:  and one said  unto him, Is all well?  wherefore came  this mad  fellow to thee? And he said  unto them, Ye know  the man,  and his communication.  [12] And they said,  It is false;  tell  us now. And he said,  the LORD,  I have anointed  thee king  over Israel.  [13] Then they hasted,  and took  every man  his garment,  and put  it under him on the top  of the stairs,  and blew  with trumpets,  saying,  Jehu  is king. 

What does 2 Kings 9:1-13 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God had told Elijah that he would anoint Jehu ( 1 Kings 19:16). [1] He did this through his successor Elisha who accomplished it by using one of his protgs ( 2 Kings 9:1). Jehu would wipe out Omri"s dynasty in Israel ( 2 Kings 9:7-10). Jehu"s father was a different Jehoshaphat from Judah"s king of the same name ( 2 Kings 9:2). Elijah had prophesied the end of Ahab"s line ( 1 Kings 21:21-22; 1 Kings 21:29) and Jezebel"s death ( 1 Kings 21:23). God had worked through prophets previously, especially Elijah and Elisha, and would continue to do so. However, Jehu was just as much an instrument in God"s hand as the prophets, though his methods were not always proper. This is the only place in Kings where the writer emphasized Yahweh as avenging (cf. Nahum 1:2-3). Jehu was His instrument.
"At times the behavior of the prophet was unusual or abnormal, but a careful consideration of each of these instances will reveal some divine purpose or spiritual significance." [2]
"Jehu is the only king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to have been anointed, perhaps to indicate that he should follow in the Davidic tradition, as Saul had been anointed by Samuel ( 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 10:1); David by Samuel, to mark the Spirit of God endowing him for the task ( 1 Samuel 16:12-13); and Solomon by the high priest Zadok and Nathan the prophet ( 1 Kings 1:45). Such anointing was symbolic and probably confined to Hebrew practice (see also on 1 Kings 1:34)." [3]