2 Kings 9:24 kjv
And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
2 Kings 9:24 nkjv
Now Jehu drew his bow with full strength and shot Jehoram between his arms; and the arrow came out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.
2 Kings 9:24 niv
Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot.
2 Kings 9:24 esv
And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot.
2 Kings 9:24 nlt
But Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot.
2 Kings 9 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 21:21 | "Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male..." | Elijah's prophecy against Ahab's house. |
| 1 Ki 21:22 | "...as the house of Jeroboam... and as the house of Baasha..." | Previous divine judgments as precedent. |
| 1 Ki 21:23 | "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel." | Specific detail of the curse on Ahab's wife. |
| 1 Ki 21:24 | "Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat..." | Fulfillment on Ahab's offspring. |
| 2 Ki 9:6 | "...I have anointed thee king over Israel... that thou mayest cut off the house of Ahab thy master." | Jehu's specific divine commission. |
| 2 Ki 9:7 | "For I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord..." | God's reason for judgment on Ahab's house. |
| 2 Ki 9:10 | "And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel..." | Reiterated prophecy about Jezebel. |
| Ps 7:12-13 | "If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him..." | God as a righteous warrior and judge. |
| Ps 9:16 | "The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth..." | God revealed in His justice. |
| Jer 17:10 | "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways..." | God's righteous judgment. |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." | God's wrath against sin. |
| Heb 10:30 | "Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord." | God's right to execute vengeance. |
| Deut 32:41-42 | "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies..." | God's power and intent in judgment. |
| Isa 13:9 | "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate..." | Portrayal of a day of divine judgment. |
| Lam 2:4 | "He hath bent his bow like an enemy..." | God's instruments for judgment. |
| 2 Ki 9:25 | "Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite..." | Direct link to Ahab's injustice (Naboth). |
| 1 Ki 21:19 | "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." | Prophecy about Ahab, later fulfilled on Jehoram. |
| Jer 50:14 | "Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her..." | Bow as instrument of warfare/judgment. |
| Isa 49:2 | "And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft;" | God's instruments (could apply to Jehu). |
| Prov 1:26-27 | "...when your fear cometh as desolation... when distress and anguish cometh upon you." | Sudden onset of divine consequences. |
| Hos 1:5 | "I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." | Symbolism of divine judgment ending power. |
| Ps 68:21 | "But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in his trespasses." | God's direct destruction of the wicked. |
| Nah 1:2-3 | "God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth... the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm..." | God's avenging character and power. |
2 Kings 9 verses
2 Kings 9 24 Meaning
This verse describes the precise and immediate execution of King Jehoram of Israel by Jehu. As Jehoram attempted to flee in his chariot, Jehu drew his bow with full force, firing an arrow that struck Jehoram between his shoulder blades (or arms) and pierced through to exit at his heart, causing him to instantly collapse and die in his chariot. This act was a direct fulfillment of God's prophetic judgment against the wicked house of Ahab, of which Jehoram was a descendant.
2 Kings 9 24 Context
This verse is the climax of Jehu's divinely appointed mission to eradicate the idolatrous and wicked house of Ahab. Jehu has just been secretly anointed king by a prophet sent by Elisha, with the specific instruction to "cut off the house of Ahab." After informing his captains, Jehu swiftly proceeds to Jezreel where King Jehoram of Israel (son of Ahab and Jezebel) and King Ahaziah of Judah (Jehoram's nephew) are recuperating. Upon seeing Jehu's zealous approach, Jehoram inquiries about peace, to which Jehu famously responds, "What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?" Realizing Jehu's intent was not peace but judgment, Jehoram turns to flee, crying out a warning to Ahaziah. It is in this immediate context of pursuit and attempted escape that 2 Kings 9:24 records Jehoram's instant demise, signifying the commencement of God's long-foretold judgment on the Omride dynasty. This event takes place in the very city, Jezreel, where Naboth was unjustly murdered by Ahab and Jezebel, tying it directly to Elijah's original prophecy.
2 Kings 9 24 Word analysis
- And Jehu: The proper noun, identifying the divinely appointed agent of judgment. His zealous character is central to this narrative.
- drew a bow with his full strength: (וַיְמַלֵּא יָדוֹ קֶשֶׁת - vay'malley yado qeshet). Literally, "and he filled his hand [with] a bow" or "he filled his hand [on] the bow." This idiomatic expression denotes drawing the bowstring back completely, to its maximum extent. This action indicates immense force, precision, and resolute intent to deliver a fatal blow. It highlights Jehu's efficiency and the absolute certainty of the outcome.
- and struck: (וַיַּךְ - vayakh). A common Hebrew verb meaning to strike, smite, beat, or kill. Here, it denotes a forceful and deadly blow, directly from the arrow.
- Jehoram: The victim, King of Israel, a direct descendant of Ahab, embodying the wicked lineage marked for destruction.
- between his arms: (בֵּין זְרֹעֹתָיו - bein z'ro'otav). This phrase is subject to some interpretive nuance. It could mean directly between the shoulders from the back, where a fleeing person would present the widest target, or it could mean between the shoulder blades, entering the body in a crucial upper chest/back region. Given Jehoram was fleeing, the interpretation of the arrow hitting him from behind, through the upper back/shoulder region to the heart, is strongly favored by commentators, ensuring a swift and lethal trajectory.
- and the arrow went out: (וַיֵּצֵא הַחֵצִי - vayeitze ha'chetsi). This emphasizes the power and depth of the shot; the arrow not only entered but passed through the body.
- at his heart: (מִלִּבּוֹ - mil’libo). Literally, "from his heart" or "through his heart." This signifies the fatal blow. The heart in biblical thought is the center of life, vitality, thought, and emotion. A blow to the heart means immediate, definitive death, ensuring no survival.
- and he sunk down: (וַיִּקְעַר - vayiq'ar). Describes Jehoram collapsing or falling limp. It depicts the sudden and absolute loss of life and power, a total physical surrender to death.
- in his chariot: The symbol of royal authority, power, and mobility, now becomes the site of his humiliation and death, underscoring the completeness of his downfall and the end of his dynasty's rule.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength and struck Jehoram": This entire clause conveys Jehu's powerful, decisive, and executing role. He is not merely observing or directing but is the active agent in delivering the divine judgment. The emphasis on "full strength" highlights the overwhelming and inescapable nature of this divine punishment.
- "between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart": This phrase precisely describes the deadly accuracy and force of the shot. The chosen entry and exit points (from back/shoulder to heart) ensure instant mortality, leaving no doubt about the severity and success of the lethal blow, an unequivocal statement of God's direct and thorough judgment.
- "and he sunk down in his chariot": This describes the immediate consequence: total collapse and death, in the very instrument of his power and attempted escape. It pictorially signifies the utter defeat and the end of Jehoram's reign and life by divine decree, executed through Jehu.
2 Kings 9 24 Bonus section
The site of Jehoram's death in Jezreel is significant. This very field was the vineyard of Naboth, which Ahab and Jezebel had seized after orchestrating Naboth's murder (1 Ki 21). Elijah had prophesied that Ahab and his descendants would pay for this bloodshed in that very place. Thus, Jehoram's death here connects his fate directly to his father's sins, demonstrating the intergenerational consequences of unrepentant wickedness and the precise memory of God's justice. The swiftness of Jehu's action and Jehoram's instant demise portray God's judgment as inescapable and immediate once its time is fully due.
2 Kings 9 24 Commentary
2 Kings 9:24 is not just a description of a king's death; it is the culmination of generations of divine patience running out and the immediate execution of a specific, long-standing prophecy. The meticulous detail—Jehu's "full strength" drawing the bow, the precise location "between his arms," and the arrow passing "out at his heart"—serves to underscore the intentionality and completeness of this act. It was no accidental or lingering death but an immediate, decisive, and fatal judgment. Jehoram's collapse in his chariot, a symbol of royal power and pride, further emphasizes the dramatic reversal of fortune and the comprehensive dismantling of the wicked Omride dynasty. This verse illustrates God's unyielding commitment to justice, His power over earthly rulers, and His absolute sovereignty in bringing about His promised word, even through human agents.