2 Kings 9:21 kjv
And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
2 Kings 9:21 nkjv
Then Joram said, "Make ready." And his chariot was made ready. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot; and they went out to meet Jehu, and met him on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
2 Kings 9:21 niv
"Hitch up my chariot," Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite.
2 Kings 9:21 esv
Joram said, "Make ready." And they made ready his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his chariot, and went to meet Jehu, and met him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
2 Kings 9:21 nlt
"Quick! Get my chariot ready!" King Joram commanded. Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of land that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel.
2 Kings 9 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 21:19 | You shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ ... in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth... | Elijah's prophecy to Ahab regarding his doom where Naboth's blood was shed. |
| 1 Kgs 21:21-22 | Behold, I will bring disaster on you... and will cut off from Ahab every male... I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam... | Prophecy against Ahab's house for his sin, including Naboth's murder. |
| 1 Kgs 21:23 | The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. | Specific prophecy about Jezebel's death at Jezreel, where Naboth lived. |
| 2 Kgs 9:7 | For you shall strike down the house of Ahab... 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. | Jehu's explicit commission to avenge the prophets and all servants of the Lord, against Ahab's house. |
| 2 Kgs 9:8 | For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab every male... | Fulfillment of the total destruction promised to Ahab's lineage. |
| 2 Kgs 9:9 | I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam... and like the house of Baasha... | The judgment on Ahab's house parallels previous corrupt dynasties in Israel. |
| 2 Kgs 9:10 | The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her. | Confirmation of Jezebel's specific judgment. |
| 2 Kgs 9:17 | Now a watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel... | Jehu's arrival being monitored, setting up the meeting. |
| 2 Kgs 9:24 | Then Jehu drew his bow... and the arrow went through his heart; and he sank in his chariot. | Immediate consequence for Jehoram, as foreseen by the meeting. |
| 2 Kgs 9:25-26 | Then Jehu said... ‘I remember when you and I were riding together... how the Lord laid this burden upon him... I will repay you... at this plot...’ | Jehu directly connects the spot to Naboth's murder and declares it is for divine vengeance. |
| 2 Kgs 10:11 | So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab... according to the word of the Lord. | Jehu executes the wider judgment on Ahab's entire house. |
| Ps 9:12 | For He who avenges blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble. | God's justice in remembering and avenging innocent blood, as seen with Naboth. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Applies to Jehoram and Ahaziah, confident in their chariots before destruction. |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. | Illustrates the principle of God's divine retribution carried out by Jehu. |
| Heb 10:30 | For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” says the Lord. | Reiteration of God's prerogative to avenge. |
| Rev 6:10 | How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? | Echoes the cry for justice for innocent blood, reminiscent of Naboth. |
| Rev 18:24 | And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth. | Ultimate divine judgment on those guilty of shedding innocent blood. |
| 1 Kgs 19:16 | Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat... you shall anoint as prophet in your place. | Elijah's original divine instruction for Jehu's anointing. |
| Isa 45:7 | I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things. | God's sovereignty over events, including the precise orchestration of this encounter. |
| Exod 5:1-2 | Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel...” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord...?" | A contrast, highlighting divine messengers confronting power figures who are ignorant of God's will. |
| Judg 9:56 | Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done... | God's specific retribution for evil actions. |
| Gen 4:10 | The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. | The principle of innocent blood demanding divine justice. |
2 Kings 9 verses
2 Kings 9 21 Meaning
The verse describes the confrontation between Jehoram, King of Israel, and Ahaziah, King of Judah, with Jehu, whom the LORD had just commissioned to execute judgment on the house of Ahab. Both kings ride out in their chariots to meet Jehu, unaware of his divine mandate to destroy them. The highly significant detail is that their meeting place is "at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite," precisely where Ahab and Jezebel committed their grave injustice and murder. This meeting sets the stage for the swift fulfillment of divine prophecy concerning the demise of the Ahabid dynasty, demonstrating God's sovereign justice and remembrance of every wrong.
2 Kings 9 21 Context
Chapter 9 of 2 Kings initiates a divinely orchestrated coup, commissioned by Elisha to one of the "sons of the prophets," who anoints Jehu, a military commander, as king over Israel. Jehu is explicitly tasked with executing divine judgment upon the idolatrous and wicked house of Ahab and Jezebel, specifically to avenge the prophets and servants of the LORD they had murdered, and to repay the crime against Naboth. Prior to this verse, Jehu's anointing has been proclaimed and he is on his way to Jezreel where King Jehoram (son of Ahab) and his allied King Ahaziah of Judah (nephew of Jehoram, through his mother Athaliah who was Ahab’s daughter) are present. They are meeting because of Jehoram's wounds from a battle against Hazael (2 Kgs 8:28-29), making them vulnerable. The meeting at Naboth's property is not accidental but a precise fulfillment of prophecy, highlighting God's meticulous memory of injustices and His unwavering commitment to righteousness. The location serves as a stark reminder and a powerful polemic against the unjust appropriation of land and shedding of innocent blood by Israel's corrupt monarchy, directly refuting the self-proclaimed power and impunity of the royal house.
2 Kings 9 21 Word analysis
- So: (Hebrew: וַיְהִי - va·ye·hi) - A common Hebrew connective, often rendered as "And it happened" or "And it was." It indicates a sequence of events, signifying the immediate result or continuation of the preceding narrative where Jehu has been anointed king.
- Jehoram king of Israel: (Hebrew: יוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yo·ram me·lekh Yis·ra·'el) - Son of Ahab and Jezebel. He represents the current embodiment of the corrupt Ahabid dynasty, which is marked for divine judgment due to its widespread idolatry (especially Baal worship) and shedding of innocent blood, epitomized by Naboth's murder.
- and Ahaziah king of Judah: (Hebrew: וַאֲחַזְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה - va·'A·hazi·ya·hu me·lekh Ye·hu·dah) - King of Judah. He was allied with Jehoram, largely due to family ties (his mother, Athaliah, was Ahab’s daughter and Jezebel’s offspring). His presence here links Judah to Israel's corrupting influence and Ahab’s sin, leading to his unfortunate demise alongside Jehoram.
- went out: (Hebrew: יָצָא - ya·tza') - Implies a proactive movement. They moved from the safety of Jezreel to confront Jehu, possibly out of curiosity, suspicion, or diplomatic protocol, inadvertently sealing their fate.
- each in his chariot: (Hebrew: אִישׁ בְּרִכְבּוֹ - 'ish bi·rək·bo) - Signifies their royal status, military preparedness, and the speed with which they could travel. Chariots were powerful symbols of military strength and royal authority in the ancient Near East. Their use emphasizes their attempt to meet Jehu as kings with authority.
- to meet: (Hebrew: לִקְרַאת - liq·ra'at) - To encounter, whether for welcome, confrontation, or observation. In this context, it leads to their deadly encounter with God's instrument of judgment.
- Jehu: (Hebrew: יֵהוּא - Ye·hu') - The newly anointed king of Israel, specifically chosen by God through Elisha to carry out the judgment on Ahab's house. His name potentially means "He is Yahweh" or "Yahweh is He," affirming divine sovereignty.
- and they met him: (Hebrew: וַיִּמְצָאֻהוּ - va·yim·tza·'u·hu) - Lit. "and they found him." It confirms the successful convergence of paths, leading directly to the dramatic fulfillment of prophecy.
- at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite: (Hebrew: אֶל חֶלְקַת נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵלִי - 'el ḥel·qat Na·vot ha·Yiz·re·'e·li) - This specific geographical detail is profoundly significant. Ḥelqat refers to a "portion" or "plot of land." Naboth's vineyard (1 Kgs 21) was illegally confiscated and he was unjustly murdered by Jezebel at Ahab's behest. Meeting at this very location powerfully underlines divine poetic justice, the precision of prophecy, and God's remembrance of every sin and the cry of innocent blood. It transforms a political encounter into a theological judgment scene.
- "Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu": This phrase captures the immediate context of confrontation and the unwitting march toward doom. The alliance between Israel and Judah underscores the pervasive influence of Ahab’s apostasy that extended even to the southern kingdom through intermarriage, bringing judgment upon both houses. Their "going out" signifies their readiness for confrontation or negotiation, ignorant of Jehu’s true mission.
- "and they met him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.": This phrase delivers the chilling detail of divine justice. The precise location is not arbitrary; it's the stage for vengeance. It fulfills the words of Elijah to Ahab in 1 Kgs 21:19 and underscores God's meticulous remembrance of injustice. It's an iconic moment of "poetic justice" where the very ground tainted by sin becomes the site of retribution.
2 Kings 9 21 Bonus section
The specific location "property of Naboth the Jezreelite" is not just geographical but theological. It symbolizes that God's justice is exact and remembers details of human transgression even years later. This event demonstrates the outworking of covenant curses and divine patience eventually giving way to righteous judgment. The kings riding out in their chariots might have seen themselves in a position of power, yet these very symbols of their earthly might would soon bear witness to their humiliation and death, unable to protect them from the Lord's chosen agent. The irony of the powerful unknowingly riding into a pre-ordained judgment at the site of their ancestor's grave sin emphasizes that human schemes cannot thwart divine plans. This encounter underscores the swiftness of divine retribution when the appointed time for judgment arrives.
2 Kings 9 21 Commentary
2 Kings 9:21 acts as the pivotal moment leading to the direct fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecies against the house of Ahab, particularly regarding the murder of Naboth. The unsuspecting Jehoram, King of Israel, and Ahaziah, King of Judah (whose alliance through marriage brought him under the curse of Ahab’s house), go out in their royal chariots to confront Jehu. Their action, likely intended to assert authority or gather information about Jehu’s military maneuvers, inadvertently brings them to the very location chosen by divine providence for their judgment: the property of Naboth. This location signifies God's precise and unerring memory of injustices. It declares that no sin, particularly the shedding of innocent blood and covetousness leading to murder, goes unpunished by a righteous God. The scene powerfully demonstrates God's sovereignty over history, utilizing agents like Jehu to execute His justice and ensure that His prophetic word is fulfilled to the very letter. It serves as a dramatic display of divine retribution and vindication of the innocent.