place on which to erect a throne, they laid their clothes upon the bare steps, or the staircase of the house in which they were assembled, and set him thereon to proclaim him king.
Verses 14-15
Thus Jehu conspired against Joram, who (as is related again in the circumstantial clause which follows from היה ויורם to ארם מלך; cf. 2Ki 8:28-29) had been keeping guard at Ramoth in Gilead, i.e., had defended this city against the attacks of Hazael, and had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which he had received; and said, “If it is your wish (נפשׁכם), let no fugitive go from the city, to announce it in Jezreel (viz., what had taken place, the conspiracy or the proclamation of Jehu as king).” It is evident from this, that the Israelites were in possession of the city of Ramoth, and were defending it against the attacks of the Syrians, so that שׁמר in 2Ki 9:14 cannot be understood as relating to the siege of Ramoth. The Chethîb לגּיד for להגּיד is not to be altered according to the Keri, as there are many examples to be found of syncope in cases of this kind (vid., Olshausen, Lehrb. d. Hebr. Spr. p. 140).
Verse 16
Slaying of the Two Kings, Joram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah. - 2Ki 9:16. Jehu drove without delay to Jezreel, where Joram was lying sick, and Ahaziah had come upon a visit to him.
Verses 17-21
As the horsemen, who were sent to meet him on the announcement of the watchman upon the tower at Jezreel that a troop was approaching, joined the followers of Jehu, and eventually the watchman, looking down from the tower, thought that he could discover the driving of Jehu in the approaching troop, Joram and Ahaziah mounted their chariots to drive and meet him, and came upon him by the portion of the ground of Naboth the Jezreelite. The second שׁפעת in 2Ki 9:17 is a rarer form of the absolute state (see Ges. §80, 2, Anm. 2, and Ewald, §173, d.). - וּלשׁלום מה־לּך: “what hast thou to do with peace?” i.e., to trouble thyself about it. אל־אחרי סב: “turn behind me,” sc. to follow me. כם המּנהג: “the driving is like the driving of Jehu; for he drives like a madman.” בּשׁגּעון, in insania, i.e., in actual fact in praecipitatione (Vatabl.). “The
