(27) But when . . . saw this.--Now Ahaziah . . . had seen it; and he fled, &c.
By the way of the garden house--i.e., in the direction of the garden house, which was probably a sort of arbour or drinking pavilion near the gates of the palace gardens, of which Naboth's vineyard formed a part. Ahaziah wished to escape from the royal park as fast as he could.
Smite him also in the chariot.--The Hebrew is much more suited to the excitement of the occasion: Him too! shoot him in the chariot! (Here and in 2 Kings 9:13, supra, 'el, "into," seems equivalent to 'al, "upon.")
And they did so.--Some such words as these may have fallen out of the Hebrew text. So the Syriac: "Him also! slay him! and they slew him in his chariot, on the ascent of Gur," &c. But the rendering of the LXX. involves the least change, and is probably right: "Him too! And he smote him in the chariot, in the going up," &c. This is more graphic. Jehu simply ejaculates," Him too! "and, after a hot pursuit, shoots his second victim, at the ascent or declivity of Gur, where Ahaziah's chariot would be forced to slacken speed.
The ascent of Gur is not mentioned elsewhere. Ibleam lay between Jezreel and Megiddo. (Comp. Judges 1:27; Joshua 17:11.)
And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.--See the Note on 2 Chronicles 22:9, where a different tradition respecting the end of Ahaziah is recorded. The definite assignment of localities in the present account is a mark of greater trustworthiness. The way in which Rashi, whom Keil follows, attempts to combine the two accounts, is revolting to common sense. It would be better to assume a corruption of the text in one or the other narrative.
Megiddo.--Identified in the cuneiform inscriptions as Magid- or Magad-.
Verses 27-29.- Murder of Ahaziah. Verse 27. - But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. As soon as Ahaziah saw Jehu shoot his arrow, he too took to flight; not, however, in the same direction as Joram, but southwards, towards his own land. If "garden house" is the right translation of בֵית הַגַּן, we can say no more than that it was probably one of the lodges of the royal demesne, which lay south-east and south of Jezreel, whereof nothing more is known. But it is quite possible that we ought to translate, with the LXX., "by the way of Beth-Gan" - ἔφυγεν ὁδὸν Βαιθ(γάν. In this case "Beth-Gan" would be a village or town, probably identical with En-gannim, which lay at the foot of the hills bounding the Plain of Esdraelon, nearly due south of Jezreel (Zerin), and which is now known as Jenin (see the Map of Western Palestine, by Mr. Trelawney Saunders, compiled from the surveys of the Palestine Exploration Fund, where Ahaziah's flight is well traced. And Jehu followed after him; and said, Smite him also in the chariot; rather, in his chariot, not in that of Jehoram, since the two kings rode respectively in their own chariots (ver. 21). It was a bold step in a pretender not yet settled upon the throne to provoke the hostility of a neighboring country by murdering its monarch; but Jehu probably thought he had more to fear from Ahaziah himself, who had been on such close terms of friendship with Jehoram, than from any probable successors. He, therefore, finding him in his power, pursued after him and slew him. From a religious point of view he could justify the act; since the commission given to him (ver. 7) was to smite all the house of Ahab, and Ahaziah was Ahab's grandson. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. The "ascent of Gur," מַעֲלֵה־גוּר, was probably the rising ground between the southern edge of the Plain of Esdraslon and the place known as" Ibleam," or "Bileam" (1 Chronicles 6:70), which is reasonably identified with the modern Bir-el-Belameh, two miles south of Jenin. Here the steep ascent necessarily delayed the chariot, and Ahaziah's pursuers gained upon him, approached him, and wounded him. And he fled to Megiddo. Wounded at the ascent of Gur, and despairing of making his way through the rough mountainous country which lay between him and Jerusalem, Ahaziah suddenly changed his route, perhaps thereby baffling his pursuers, and, skirting the hills, had himself conveyed to Megiddo (Ledjun), where he died, either of his wounds, or through some fresh violence on the part of Jehu (see 2 Chronicles 12:8, 9). The reconciliation of 2 Chronicles 12:8, 9 with the present passage is difficult, but not wholly impossible. Perhaps the Chronicler means by "Samaria" the kingdom, not the town.
9:16-29 Jehu was a man of eager spirit. The wisdom of God is seen in the choice of those employed in his work. But it is not for any man's reputation to be known by his fury. He that has rule over his own spirit, is better than the mighty. Joram met Jehu in the portion of Naboth. The circumstances of events are sometimes ordered by Divine Providence to make the punishment answer to the sin, as face answers to face in a glass. The way of sin can never be the way of peace, Isa 57:21. What peace can sinners have with God? No peace so long as sin is persisted in; but when it is repented of and forsaken, there is peace. Joram died as a criminal, under the sentence of the law. Ahaziah was joined with the house of Ahab. He was one of them; he had made himself so by sin. It is dangerous to join evil-doers; we shall be entangled in guilt and misery by it.
But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this,.... That Joram was slain:
he fled by the way of the garden house, which perhaps stood upon the spot where Naboth's vineyard was, turned into a garden by Ahab:
and Jehu followed after him; as far as Samaria, where he was hid, 2 Chronicles 22:9,
and said, smite him also in the chariot; this order he gave to his soldiers, to do to him as he had done to Joram: and they did so:
at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam; a city in the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11,
and he fled to Megiddo; after he was wounded; another city in the same tribe, Joshua 17:11,
and died there; at Megiddo; though some think that from thence he was had by his servants to Samaria, and there hid, and, being found, was brought from thence to Jezreel, where he was slain, and died. Jehu was ordered to destroy the whole house of Ahab, and Ahaziah was of that house by his mother's side, and walked in the way of it, and was in conjunction with it, and perished therewith; this, though here recorded, was after the death of Jezebel, and of the seventy sons of Ahab, and of the brethren of Ahaziah.
By the way of the garden house--i.e., in the direction of the garden house, which was probably a sort of arbour or drinking pavilion near the gates of the palace gardens, of which Naboth's vineyard formed a part. Ahaziah wished to escape from the royal park as fast as he could.
Smite him also in the chariot.--The Hebrew is much more suited to the excitement of the occasion: Him too! shoot him in the chariot! (Here and in 2 Kings 9:13, supra, 'el, "into," seems equivalent to 'al, "upon.")
And they did so.--Some such words as these may have fallen out of the Hebrew text. So the Syriac: "Him also! slay him! and they slew him in his chariot, on the ascent of Gur," &c. But the rendering of the LXX. involves the least change, and is probably right: "Him too! And he smote him in the chariot, in the going up," &c. This is more graphic. Jehu simply ejaculates," Him too! "and, after a hot pursuit, shoots his second victim, at the ascent or declivity of Gur, where Ahaziah's chariot would be forced to slacken speed.
The ascent of Gur is not mentioned elsewhere. Ibleam lay between Jezreel and Megiddo. (Comp. Judges 1:27; Joshua 17:11.)
And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.--See the Note on 2 Chronicles 22:9, where a different tradition respecting the end of Ahaziah is recorded. The definite assignment of localities in the present account is a mark of greater trustworthiness. The way in which Rashi, whom Keil follows, attempts to combine the two accounts, is revolting to common sense. It would be better to assume a corruption of the text in one or the other narrative.
Megiddo.--Identified in the cuneiform inscriptions as Magid- or Magad-.
he fled by the way of the garden house, which perhaps stood upon the spot where Naboth's vineyard was, turned into a garden by Ahab:
and Jehu followed after him; as far as Samaria, where he was hid, 2 Chronicles 22:9,
and said, smite him also in the chariot; this order he gave to his soldiers, to do to him as he had done to Joram: and they did so:
at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam; a city in the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11,
and he fled to Megiddo; after he was wounded; another city in the same tribe, Joshua 17:11,
and died there; at Megiddo; though some think that from thence he was had by his servants to Samaria, and there hid, and, being found, was brought from thence to Jezreel, where he was slain, and died. Jehu was ordered to destroy the whole house of Ahab, and Ahaziah was of that house by his mother's side, and walked in the way of it, and was in conjunction with it, and perished therewith; this, though here recorded, was after the death of Jezebel, and of the seventy sons of Ahab, and of the brethren of Ahaziah.