Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 9
Jehu killed Joram at, or near to, the garden that Ahab had stolen from Naboth. It was that terrible crime that brought about God’s judgment against Ahab’s whole family (1 Kings 21:17-25). Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, had ordered the leaders of Jezreel to murder Naboth. From Jehu’s account, we can see that they also murdered Naboth’s sons.
Jehu did not intend to kill Joram there. Probably, Jehu did not realise the importance of the place until Joram was dead. However, Jehu then remembered. About 15 years earlier, both he and Bidkar went with Ahab when Ahab claimed Naboth’s land. There, Elijah met Ahab and he declared God’s judgment against Ahab’s family. Jehu and Bidkar could remember some of the words that Elijah spoke.
The words in 1 Kings 21:21-24 seem to be part of a longer message from God. Jehu repeated another part that referred particularly to Naboth’s land. It was clear to Jehu that God had brought about these events. So, now Jehu had a duty to carry out the rest of what God had spoken. God had declared that Ahab’s family would not have proper graves (1 Kings 21:24). So, Jehu decided that he would simply leave Joram’s body on the ground in Naboth’s garden. There were many wild dogs in that place. They wandered through the towns and cities of Israel to search for meat (Psalm 59:14-15). Soon they would find that body and tear it apart. Israel’s people would consider that to be truly awful – but they would also recognise that, at last, God’s judgment had come upon Ahab’s family.
Next part: Jehu kills Azariah (2 Kings 9:27)
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