2 Kings 9:24

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) And Jehu drew . . . strength.—See margin, which, however, is not quite accurate. Rather it should be, And Jehu had filled his hand (with an arrow) on the bow—i.e., had meanwhile put an arrow on his bow ready to shoot. Keil explains, “filled his hand with the bow,” i.e., seized the bow. The phrase “to fill a bow” means to stretch it, both in Hebrew (Zechariah 9:13) and in Syriac (Psalm 11:2). In Psalm 64:4. Symmachus renders the Hebrew, “they have aimed their arrow,” by the Greek, ἐπλήρωσαν τὸ τόξον, “they have filled the bow.”

Between his arms—i.e., between the shoulders, as he was flying; Vulg., “inter scapulas.”

The arrow went out at his heart.—Or, came out from his heart. It struck him obliquely between the shoulders, and went right through the heart. (The word for “arrow” is hĕçî, an ancient form, occurring thrice in 1Samuel 20:36-38.) Ewald, on this account, refers both passages to the oldest narrator of the history of the kings.

Sunk down.—See margin (Isaiah 46:1).

In his chariot.—LXX., “on his knees,” owing to a partial obliteration of one letter in their Hebrew text.

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

Jehu drew a bow ... - literally, as in the margin, i. e., "Jehu took a bow in his hand." The arrow struck Jehoram's back, between his two shoulders, as he fled.

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

Between his arms; between his shoulders, when he was turned or turning back, the chariot being probably open behind, as many times they were.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength,.... To give the arrow all the force he could:

and smote Jehoram between his arms; that is, between his shoulders, his back being turned to him, and the chariot an open one:

and the arrow went out at his heart: quite through him:

and he sunk down in his chariot; and died immediately.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. drew a [R.V. his] bow with his full strength] Literally as on margin of R.V. ‘filled his hand with the bow’, which expresses the attitude of a bowman as he shoots.

between his arms] As he was in flight, the arrow passed between his shoulders and so went through the breast. He was mortally wounded and could not be stayed up in his chariot, but died at once. Instead of ‘in his chariot’ the LXX. renders ‘upon his knees, reading the preposition in ברככו as a part of the root and treating the word as if it had been ברכיו.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength. This meaning is scarcely contained in the Hebrew, which merely says that Jehu "filled his hand with his bow," that is to say, took his bow into his hands for the purpose of using it. And smote Jehoram between his arms; i.e. directed an arrow against Jehoram with so true an aim, that it struck him in the middle of the back between his shoulders. And the arrow went out at his heart. This was quite possible, for the heart lies towards the center of the chest, not wholly on the left side. It is not necessary to suppose an oblique wound. And he sank down in his chariot. Jehoram fell into the "well," or body, of the chariot, and there lay, the chariot being brought to a stand. 2 Kings 9:24

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

But Jehu seized the bow (בּקּשׁת ידו מלּא, lit., filled his hand with the bow), and shot Joram "between his arms," i.e., in his back between the shoulders in an oblique direction, so that the arrow came out at his heart, and Joram sank down in his chariot.