2 Kings 9 34

2 Kings 9:34 kjv

And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.

2 Kings 9:34 nkjv

And when he had gone in, he ate and drank. Then he said, "Go now, see to this accursed woman, and bury her, for she was a king's daughter."

2 Kings 9:34 niv

Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman," he said, "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter."

2 Kings 9:34 esv

Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, "See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter."

2 Kings 9:34 nlt

Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he said, "Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king."

2 Kings 9 verses

2 Kings 9 34 Meaning

2 Kings 9:34 states that after Jehu had consumed food and drink, he commanded his men to retrieve and bury Jezebel's body. He recognized her former status as a king's daughter as the reason for this command, despite calling her "this cursed woman."

2 Kings 9 34 Context

This verse is situated immediately following Jezebel's dramatic death. Chapter 9 begins with Elisha dispatching a young prophet to anoint Jehu, a military commander, as king over Israel, specifically to eradicate the house of Ahab. The divine mandate is explicit: to avenge the blood of the prophets and God's servants, fulfilling prophecies made against Ahab and Jezebel. Jehu acts swiftly, killing King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah. Upon his arrival at Jezreel, Jezebel, showing defiant composure, addresses him. Jehu then orders her eunuchs to throw her down from the window, resulting in her death and her blood spattering on the wall and horses. This gruesome act is a direct fulfillment of the prophet Elijah's words (1 Kings 21:23). After this immediate violent act, Jehu enters to eat, leading to the command in verse 34. The verse then sets up the complete and utter fulfillment of the prophecy in verse 35, where the remaining parts of Jezebel's body are devoured by dogs, leaving only her skull, feet, and palms.

Word Analysis

• When he came in: Hebrew wayyavo' (וַיָּבֹא). This denotes Jehu's arrival indoors, a moment of transition from the violent external scene to a period of rest and reorientation before issuing new commands. It suggests a certain calmness and control despite the chaos he just instigated.
• he ate and drank: Hebrew layakol wele’lishtôth (לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת). This seemingly ordinary action highlights a stark contrast to the preceding carnage. It underscores Jehu's composed and pragmatic nature, engaging in mundane activities even amidst significant acts of judgment. It also shows a pause in the immediate vengeance, providing a brief interval for reflection.
• and said: Hebrew wayyo’mer (וַיֹּאמֶר). Simple verb, yet signifying an authoritative utterance following a period of calm, introducing a new directive.
• Go see: Hebrew lekhu re'u (לְכוּ רְאוּ). An imperative command directed at his servants, emphasizing direct action and observation of the subject in question.
• this cursed woman: Hebrew ha'arurah hazzot (הָאֲרוּרָה הַזֹּאת). The word arurah (אֲרוּרָה) comes from the root arar (אָרַר), meaning "to curse." In biblical context, it implies a curse from God, often leading to destruction, deprivation, and social exclusion. It denotes one under divine condemnation, explicitly linking her fate to the prior prophetic declarations. It contrasts sharply with her former royal status.
• and bury her: Hebrew wekivrehah (וְקִבְרוּהָ). A command for burial. In the ancient Near East, burial was crucial for showing respect to the deceased and ensuring their place in the afterlife; failure to bury was considered the ultimate indignity and a curse, allowing a proper rest.
• for she is a king's daughter: Hebrew ki vat melech hi (כִּי בַת מֶלֶךְ הִיא). This is the stated reason for Jehu's command. It suggests a recognition of her lineage—she was the daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sidonians. Despite her wickedness and being cursed, there was a pragmatic or customary inclination to provide some semblance of decent burial to one of royal blood, perhaps to avoid a complete breach of a general societal code, or to avoid further unnecessary pollution of the area with an unburied corpse of royal status.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When he came in, he ate and drank, and said, "Go see...": This sequence of actions—entering, partaking in food and drink, and then giving a command—shows a deliberate, measured approach by Jehu. He's not acting out of spontaneous rage but is methodically carrying out his divinely appointed task. The interlude of eating suggests a pause in the bloodshed, almost a moment of "normalcy," before he addresses the disposal of Jezebel's body.
• "this cursed woman; and bury her": This phrase combines extreme condemnation ("cursed woman," rooted in divine anathema) with a surprising directive for burial. The tension between her status before God and the human custom of burying even wicked rulers highlights a complex situation. The "cursed" label affirms her spiritual standing, while the command to "bury" suggests a lingering acknowledgment of her previous royal, albeit unrighteous, standing or perhaps a basic sense of decorum in Jehu, before the final judgment would render it impossible.
• "for she is a king's daughter": This justification reveals the basis of Jehu's partial, temporary consideration. It wasn't pity for her person, but perhaps respect for the protocol associated with someone of such high birth. This demonstrates Jehu's practicality and adherence to some customary norms, even as he was operating under a divine mandate for utter destruction. However, as the very next verse reveals, even this practical consideration for a proper burial was ultimately thwarted by the complete fulfillment of God's earlier prophecy.

2 Kings 9 34 Commentary

2 Kings 9:34 reveals a fleeting moment of what appears to be human deference amidst extreme divine judgment. Jehu, having executed the king and orchestrated Jezebel's horrific death, takes a break to eat and drink. In this respite, he instructs his men to bury Jezebel. The crucial element here is Jehu's justification: "for she is a king's daughter." This statement implies not mercy or honor for Jezebel personally, but possibly a pragmatic recognition of her royal lineage. Even in the heat of divinely mandated vengeance, Jehu seemed to acknowledge the custom of burying high-status individuals. However, the designation "this cursed woman" underscores that this was not out of genuine respect or sympathy for her, but a practical consideration that immediately precedes the prophecy's full, gruesome fulfillment. This detail underscores that while humans may attempt to mitigate or follow certain customs, God's decree against Jezebel for her extreme idolatry and persecution of prophets was so absolute that it would override even such pragmatic human intentions, as evidenced in the very next verse when dogs consume her body. It serves as a stark reminder of God's uncompromising justice against deep-seated wickedness and His perfect fulfillment of His word.

Bonus Section

• The dramatic irony in this verse is profound: Jehu issues a command for burial based on a perceived remaining shred of dignity due to her royal birth, but the preceding divine prophecy was so comprehensive in its curse that even this human attempt at burial would fail (as seen in 2 Kings 9:35-37).
• The fact that Jezebel's body was not entirely buried emphasizes the complete and utter degradation promised for her life of egregious sin. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, to be unburied was considered the ultimate indignity, symbolizing a rejection by both humanity and the divine. Her end served as a vivid object lesson of divine wrath against idolatry and defiance.
• Jehu's command to bury, followed by the gruesome consumption of her flesh by dogs, highlights the unstoppable force of prophetic fulfillment. Even if humans have partial intentions or pause, God's word is ultimate and finds its way to perfect completion.
• The passage highlights the concept of divine retribution, where the wicked receive the just recompense for their deeds. Jezebel, who brutally murdered Naboth and persecuted God's prophets, met a horrifying end.