2 Kings 9:26

Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(26) Surely.—Literally, if not; a formula of emphatic asseveration, which originally must have run somewhat as follows: “If I have not seen, may I perish.” The inappropriateness of such an expression in the mouth of the Deity is obvious; but that only shows how completely the original meaning of the formula was forgotten in everyday usage.

Yesterday.—So that Ahab seized the vineyard the day after the murder of Naboth, a detail not exactly specified in 1Kings 21:16.

The blood.—The plural (margin) implies death by violence (Genesis 4:10).

And the blood of his sons.—The murder of the sons of Naboth is neither stated nor implied in 1 Kings 21, an omission which has needlessly troubled the minds of commentators. As to the fact, it would be quite in accordance with ancient practice to slay the sons of one accused of blasphemy along with their father (comp. Joshua 7:24-25); and the crafty Jezebel would not be likely to spare persons whose wrongs might one day prove dangerous. The difference in the two narratives is accounted for by the circumstance that the present is the exact version of an eye-witness, viz., Jehu himself, while the former was probably derived from a less direct source.

Saith the Lord.—Literally, is the thing uttered of Jehovah. This phrase, which is uncommon except in the writings of the prophets, and the word rendered “burden” in the last verse, which also belongs to prophetic terminology, together establish the historical authenticity of the short oracle of Elijah, recorded in this verse. Its brevity and the solemnity with which it was pronounced would, we may be sure, stamp it ineffaceably upon the memory of those who heard it. (Comp. 1Samuel 2:30; and 2Kings 19:33, infra.)

I will requite thee in this plat.—Another important detail not given in the former account.

Plat.—Portion, as in 2Kings 9:25 (twice).

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 9:26. And the blood of his sons — Who, many commentators have thought, were killed by their father, by Jezebel’s advice, to make the possession of the vineyard more sure to Ahab. Some however, are of opinion, as we have no account in the history of Naboth, (1 Kings 21.,) that his sons were killed with him, that Jehu does not here repeat the exact words of God by Elijah, but exaggerates the matter, and represents the sons as slain with their father, because, by their being deprived of him and of his estate, they were, in a manner, in as bad a condition as though they had been destroyed. I will requite thee in this plat — That very piece of ground, which Ahab, with so much pride and pleasure, had made himself master of, at the expense of the guilt of innocent blood, now became the theatre on which his son’s dead body lay unburied and exposed, a spectacle to the world, and a prey to the dogs or fowls, according to the prediction, 1 Kings 21:19. Thus the Lord is known by the judgments which he executeth. The son justly deserved the punishment due to the father, because he gave his approbation to the deed of his father, by continuing to keep possession of Naboth’s vineyard, and taking no care to repair the injury done to Naboth and his family by the false accusation which had been preferred against him.

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

The passage from "Surely I have seen" to "Saith the Lord," is exegetical of 2 Kings 9:25, containing the "burden" there spoken of.

And the blood of his sons - The murder of Naboth's sons is here for the first time mentioned; but as the removal of the sons was necessary, if the vineyard was to pass to Ahab, we can well understand that Jezebel would take care to clear them out of the way.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26. the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord—Although their death is not expressly mentioned, it is plainly implied in the confiscation of his property (see 1Ki 21:16).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The blood of his sons; who, as it seems, were killed with their father by Jezebel’s advice, to make the possession of the vineyard more sure to Ahab, though it be not mentioned in its proper place, 1 Kings 21:13; for it is not unusual to bring in such fragments of history in succeeding writings which were neglected in the history of those matters. Thus we read of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, Amos 1:1, which was not recorded in his history, in the Books of the Kings or Chronicles. Although he might well be charged with taking away the lives of his sons, because he took away the necessary supports of their lives. I will requite thee in this plat; of which See Poole "1 Kings 21:19".

Cast him into the plat of ground; where he shall lie unburied, and be a prey to the dogs or fowls, according to the prediction, 1 Kings 21:24.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth,.... These are the words of the Lord to Elijah the day after Naboth was put to death:

and the blood of his sons, said the Lord; who were put to death with him, that there might be no heirs to the estate:

and I will requite thee in this place: take vengeance here, as he now did on his son:

now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the Lord; whereby it would be fulfilled, see 1 Kings 21:19, more is here recited than there, which Jehu well remembered.

Geneva Study Bible

Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his {h} sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

(h) By this it is evident that Jezebel caused both Naboth and his sons to be put to death, that Ahab might enjoy his vineyard more quietly: else his children might have claimed possession.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons] It appears from this that Jezebel in order that she might put all claimants out of the way, had caused the family of Naboth to be killed as well as himself. So Ahab’s son pays the penalty of his father’s wrongdoing, and both father and son are brought at death into the field which they had gained with so much crime, and as Elijah had foretold, dogs lick the blood of both.

saith the Lord] The phrase is not the usual Hebrew, but a more solemn form of expression, used in the prophets and especially in Jeremiah. Cf. Jeremiah 1:8; Jeremiah 1:15; Jeremiah 1:19, &c.

I will requite thee in this plat] Jehu gives the sense but not the words of 1 Kings 21:19.

take and cast him] i.e. Lift his dead body out of the chariot and carry it and throw it forth into the ground which was taken from Naboth.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 26. - Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth (comp. 1 Kings 21:19, where the same idea of retribution is expressed, though in different words). Jehu, after the lapse of fourteen or fifteen years, naturally had forgotten the exact words used. And the blood of his sons. The execution of Naboth's sons had not been mentioned previously; but, under the rude jurisprudence of the age (2 Kings 14:6), sons were usually slain with their fathers. And, unless they had been removed, Ahab could not have inherited the vineyard. Saith the Lord; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. This was the gist of the prophecy, which ran as follows: "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the Lord. The evil prophesied against Ahab had been formally and expressly deferred to his son's days on Ahab's repentance (cf. 1 Kings 21:29). 2 Kings 9:26

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Jehu then commanded his aide-de-camp (שׁלישׁ, see at 2 Samuel 23:8) Bidkar to cast the slain man into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, and said, "For remember how we, I and thou, both rode (or drove) behind his father Ahab, and Jehovah pronounced this threat upon him." ואתּה אני are accusatives, written with a looser connection for ואותך אתי, as the apposition רכבים shows: literally, think of me and thee, the riders. The olden translators were misled by אני, and therefore transposed זכר into the first person, and Thenius naturally follows them. צמדים רכבים, riding in pairs. This is the rendering adopted by most of the commentators, although it might be taken, as it is by Kimchi and Bochart, as signifying the two persons who are carried in the same chariot. משּׂא, a burden, then a prophetic utterance of a threatening nature (see the Comm. on Nahum 1:1). For the connection of the clauses וגו ויהוה, see Ewald, 338, a. In 2 Kings 9:26 Jehu quotes the word of God concerning Ahab in 1 Kings 21:19 so far as the substance is concerned, to show that he is merely the agent employed in executing it. "Truly (אם־לא, a particle used in an oath) the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons have I seen yesterday, saith the Lord, and upon this field will I requite him." The slaying of the sons of Naboth is not expressly mentioned in 1 Kings 21:13, "because it was so usual a thing, that the historian might leave it out as a matter of course" (J. D. Mich., Ewald). It necessarily followed, however, from the fact that Naboth's field was confiscated (see at 1 Kings 21:14).