2 Kings 9:23

And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) And Joram turned his hands—i.e., turned the horses round. (Comp. 1Kings 22:34.)

There is treachery.—Literally, Guile, or fraud, Ahaziah! Joram shouted these two words of warning to his companion as he was turning his horses to fly.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 9:23-24. Joram turned his hands — Or the reins of his chariot; and said, There is treachery, O Ahaziah — Jehu is our enemy: it is time for us to shift for our safety. Jehu drew a bow and smote Jehoram between his arms — Or shoulders, when he was turned or turning back, the chariot being probably open behind, as many times they were. The arrow went out at his heart — It was one of God’s arrows, which he ordained against the persecutor, and it killed him on the spot. Cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth — He died a criminal under the sentence of God, which Jehu, the executioner thereof, pursues in the disposal of the dead body. When I and thou rode together after Ahab, &c. — Probably when Ahab went in his chariot, attended with his nobles or chief officers, of which these were two, to take a formal and solemn possession of Naboth’s land: for then the Prophet Elijah met him, and denounced this judgment against him, (1 Kings 21:17-21,) which was extended to his son. The Lord laid this burden upon him — This predicted punishment: prophecies of calamities to come upon individuals or nations are frequently termed burdens in the Scriptures.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:16-29 Jehu was a man of eager spirit. The wisdom of God is seen in the choice of those employed in his work. But it is not for any man's reputation to be known by his fury. He that has rule over his own spirit, is better than the mighty. Joram met Jehu in the portion of Naboth. The circumstances of events are sometimes ordered by Divine Providence to make the punishment answer to the sin, as face answers to face in a glass. The way of sin can never be the way of peace, Isa 57:21. What peace can sinners have with God? No peace so long as sin is persisted in; but when it is repented of and forsaken, there is peace. Joram died as a criminal, under the sentence of the law. Ahaziah was joined with the house of Ahab. He was one of them; he had made himself so by sin. It is dangerous to join evil-doers; we shall be entangled in guilt and misery by it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Turned his hands - The meaning is that Joram ordered his charioteer to turn round and drive back to the town.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17-24. there stood a watchman on the tower of Jezreel—The Hebrew palaces, besides being situated on hills had usually towers attached to them, not only for the pleasure of a fine prospect, but as posts of useful observation. The ancient watchtower of Jezreel must have commanded a view of the whole region eastward, nearly down to the Jordan. Beth-shan stands on a rising ground about six or seven miles below it, in a narrow part of the plain; and when Jehu and his retinue reached that point between Gilboa and Beth-shan, they could be fully descried by the watchman on the tower. A report was made to Joram in his palace below. A messenger on horseback was quickly despatched down into the plain to meet the ambiguous host and to question the object of their approach. "Is it peace?" We may safely assume that this messenger would meet Jehu at the distance of three miles or more. On the report made of his being detained and turned into the rear of the still advancing troops, a second messenger was in like manner despatched, who would naturally meet Jehu at the distance of a mile or a mile and a half down on the plain. He also being turned into the rear, the watchman now distinctly perceived "the driving to be like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously." The alarmed monarch, awakened to a sense of his impending danger, quickly summoned his forces to meet the crisis. Accompanied by Ahaziah, king of Judah, the two sovereigns ascended their chariots to make a feeble resistance to the impetuous onset of Jehu, who quickly from the plain ascended the steep northern sides of the site on which Jezreel stood, and the conflicting parties met "in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite," where Joram was quickly despatched by an arrow from the strong arm of Jehu. We were impressed with the obvious accuracy of the sacred historian; the localities and distances being such as seem naturally to be required by the incidents related, affording just time for the transactions to have occurred in the order in which they are recorded [Howe].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Joram turned his hands; either that therewith he might turn the reins of the chariot, or that by this motion he might direct his charioteer to turn it from Jehu.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Joram turned his hand, and fled,.... Taking hold of the horses' reins with it to turn them, or by the motion of it directing the charioteer to turn them back towards Jezreel, whither he fled:

and said to Ahaziah, there is treachery, O Ahaziah; a conspiracy formed, and rebellion raised by the captains, at the head of which he supposed Jehu was.

Geneva Study Bible

And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23. Joram turned his hands] i.e. Wheeled his chariot about to go in a contrary direction. Cf. 1 Kings 22:34.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 23-26. - Murder of Jehoram by Jehu. Verse 23. - And Joram tamed his hands, and fled. Joram made his charioteer turn the chariot suddenly round, and fled by the way by which he had come. "Turning the hands" is turning the chariot round by means of the hands; and Joram is said to have done that which he caused to be done. And said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. Mirmah is "deceit" or "fraud" of any kind, and here is not ill rendered by "treachery." Jehu's conduct was not justified by the mission given him (vers. 6-10), which certainly did not authorize him to commit a treacherous murder. 2 Kings 9:23

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Joram detecting the conspiracy from this reply, turned round (ידיו יהפך as in 1 Kings 22:34) and fled, calling out to Ahaziah מרמה, "deceit," i.e., we are deceived, in actual fact betrayed.