וֶאֱלִישָׁע הַנָּבִיא קָרָא לְאַחַד מִבְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ חֲגֹר מָתְנֶיךָ וְקַח פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן הַזֶּה בְּיָדֶךָ וְלֵךְ רָמֹת גִּלְעָד

Elisha the prophet summoned one of the disciples of the prophets and said to him: Gird your loins, prepare yourself for a lengthy journey, and take this cruse of oil in your hand, and go to Ramot Gilad. The army of Israel was encamped in Gilad due to protracted tension between Aram and Israel.

וּבָאתָ־שָּׁמָּה וּרְאֵה־שָׁם יֵהוּא בֶן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן־נִמְשִׁי וּבָאתָ וַהֲקֵמֹתוֹ מִתּוֹךְ אֶחָיו וְהֵבֵיאתָ אֹתוֹ חֶדֶר בְּחָדֶר

You shall arrive there and see there Yehu, son of Yehoshafat, son of Nimshi; go and raise him from among his brethren, the men with him, and bring him to an inner room.

וְלָקַחְתָּ פַךְ־הַשֶּׁמֶן וְיָצַקְתָּ עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה־אָמַר ה' מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָתַחְתָּ הַדֶּלֶת וְנַסְתָּה וְלֹא תְחַכֶּה

You shall take the cruse of oil and pour it on his head and say: So said the Lord: I have anointed you as king over Israel. Open the door and flee, and do not delay. As soon as you have informed Yehu that he has been appointed king by God, flee from the scene.

וַיֵּלֶךְ הַנַּעַר הַנַּעַר הַנָּבִיא רָמֹת גִּלְעָד

The lad, who was not an ordinary young attendant, which is a common usage of the term “lad,” but was the lad who was a prophet, went to Ramot Gilad. According to one opinion, this prophet was Jonah son of Amitai.

וַיָּבֹא וְהִנֵּה שָׂרֵי הַחַיִל יֹשְׁבִים וַיֹּאמֶר דָּבָר לִי אֵלֶיךָ הַשָּׂר וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא אֶל־מִי מִכֻּלָּנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיךָ הַשָּׂר

He came to the camp. He approached the officers’ headquarters, and behold, the commanders of the army, the senior officers, were sitting together. He said: I have a matter for you, commander. Yehu, the most dynamic of the group, responded before the other officers. Yehu said: To whom of all of us? He said: My message is directed to you, commander.

וַיָּקָם וַיָּבֹא הַבַּיְתָה וַיִּצֹק הַשֶּׁמֶן אֶל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ אֶל־עַם ה' אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל

He rose, and he entered a private chamber in the house; he, the apprentice prophet, poured the oil on his head and said to him: So said the Lord, God of Israel: I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.

וְהִכִּיתָה אֶת־בֵּית אַחְאָב אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְנִקַּמְתִּי דְּמֵי עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים וּדְמֵי כָּל־עַבְדֵי ה' מִיַּד אִיזָבֶל

You shall smite the house of Ahav your master, and I will avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, from the hand of Izevel. Yehu was directed to avenge the blood of all those killed by the members of the house of Ahav.

וְאָבַד כָּל־בֵּית אַחְאָב וְהִכְרַתִּי לְאַחְאָב מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר וְעָצוּר וְעָזוּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

The entire house of Ahav will perish, and I will eliminate from Ahav any who urinates against the wall and the protected and supported in Israel.

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־בֵּית אַחְאָב כְּבֵית יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט וּכְבֵית בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה

I will render the house of Ahav like the house of Yorovam son of Nevat, from which no one remained, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahiya, which suffered a similar fate.

וְאֶת־אִיזֶבֶל יֹאכְלוּ הַכְּלָבִים בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל וְאֵין קֹבֵר וַיִּפְתַּח הַדֶּלֶת וַיָּנֹס

The dogs will eat Izevel in the tract of Yizre’el, and there will be no burier. No one will bury her body. As soon as the young prophet completed his mission, he opened the door and fled.

וְיֵהוּא יָצָא אֶל־עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הֲשָׁלוֹם מַדּוּעַ בָּא־הַמְּשֻׁגָּע הַזֶּה אֵלֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת־הָאִישׁ וְאֶת־שִׂיחוֹ

Yehu emerged from the chamber to the servants of his master, and one of them said to him: Is all well? Why did this madman come to you? Prophets were often described as mad or disturbed due to their frequently bizarre conduct. Although the young prophet had not announced that he had come on a prophetic mission, perhaps the disciples of the prophets wore distinctive clothing. Since the reason for his arrival remained unclear to the other officers, they were concerned that he might have delivered bad tidings. He, Yehu, said to them: You know the man and his speech. You are familiar with those types of individuals and their manner of speech. Yehu gave them the impression that the prophet’s comments were of no consequence to him.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ שֶׁקֶר הַגֶּד־נָא לָנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר כָּזֹאת וְכָזֹאת אָמַר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל

They said: This is a lie! He did not come to engage in idle conversation. Tell us now what he said. He said: Such and such he said to me, saying: So said the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel.

וַיְמַהֲרוּ וַיִּקְחוּ אִישׁ בִּגְדוֹ וַיָּשִׂימוּ תַחְתָּיו אֶל־גֶּרֶם הַמַּעֲלוֹת וַיִּתְקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיֹּאמְרוּ מָלַךְ יֵהוּא

They, the other officers, hurried, and each took off his outer garment, and they placed them under him on the staircase, thereby forming a dignified seat for him from the clothing that was readily available. They sounded the shofar and said: Yehu has become king.

וַיִּתְקַשֵּׁר יֵהוּא בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן־נִמְשִׁי אֶל יוֹרָם וְיוֹרָם הָיָה שֹׁמֵר בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד הוּא וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם

Yehu, son of Yehoshafat, son of Nimshi, conspired against Yoram king of Israel. Yoram had been guarding Ramot Gilad, he and all Israel, his entire army, against the attacks of Hazael king of Aram;

וַיָּשָׁב יְהוֹרָם הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִתְרַפֵּא בְיִזְרְעֶאל מִן־הַמַּכִּים אֲשֶׁר יַכֻּהוּ אֲרַמִּים בְּהִלָּחֲמוֹ אֶת־חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא אִם־יֵשׁ נַפְשְׁכֶם אַל־יֵצֵא פָלִיט מִן־הָעִיר לָלֶכֶת לְהַגִּיד בְּיִזְרְעֶאל

but King Yoram himself was not in Ramot Gilad, as he had returned to recover in Yizre’el from the wounds that the Arameans inflicted upon him when he fought against Hazael king of Aram, as related at the end of the previous section (8:29). Yehu said to his fellow officers: If you are willing to help me become king, let no fugitive depart the city, to go to tell in Yizre’el. This was intended to ensure that the revolt would be a complete surprise.

וַיִּרְכַּב יֵהוּא וַיֵּלֶךְ יִזְרְעֶאלָה כִּי יוֹרָם שֹׁכֵב שָׁמָּה וַאֲחַזְיָה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה יָרַד לִרְאוֹת אֶת־יוֹרָם

Yehu rode out in a chariot with some of his men, and he went to Yizre’el to start the rebellion, as Yoram lay there. Ahazya king of Judah, Yoram’s nephew and ally, had gone down to see Yoram. He had gone for the purpose of visiting the sick, without any political motivations.

וְהַצֹּפֶה עֹמֵד עַל־הַמִּגְדָּל בְּיִזְרְעֶאל וַיַּרְא אֶת־שִׁפְעַת יֵהוּא בְּבֹאוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁפְעַת אֲנִי רֹאֶה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹרָם קַח רַכָּב וּשְׁלַח לִקְרָאתָם וְיֹאמַר הֲשָׁלוֹם

The lookout was standing on the tower in Yizre’el, and he saw the large company of Yehu upon his arrival, his approach to the city, and he said to the king: I see company, a large number of men. Yoram said: Take a horseman and send him to meet them, and have him say to them: Is it well? The king reasoned that if many men were arriving together from the north, they must bear news from the battlefield, and he worried that perhaps they were coming to report a defeat.

וַיֵּלֶךְ רֹכֵב הַסּוּס לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא מַה־לְּךָ וּלְשָׁלוֹם סֹב אֶל־אַחֲרָי וַיַּגֵּד הַצֹּפֶה לֵאמֹר בָּא־הַמַּלְאָךְ עַד־הֵם וְלֹא־שָׁב

The horseman went to meet him, Yehu, and he said: So said the king: Is it well? Is anything wrong? Yehu said: What is it with you and wellness? Do not ask questions, but instead, turn around and follow me, join the back of my camp. Faced with Yehu’s charismatic and forceful personality and his impressive entourage, the horseman obeyed his command without hesitation, despite the fact that he did not know where the company was going and why. The lookout reported to the king, saying: The messenger you sent came to them, but he did not return.

וַיִּשְׁלַח רֹכֵב סוּס שֵׁנִי וַיָּבֹא אֲלֵהֶם וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא מַה־לְּךָ וּלְשָׁלוֹם סֹב אֶל־אַחֲרָי

He, Yoram, sent out a second horseman. He came to them, and he said: So said the king: Is it well? Yehu again answered: What is it with you and wellness? Turn around and follow me. Once again, the messenger obeyed.

וַיַּגֵּד הַצֹּפֶה לֵאמֹר בָּא עַד־אֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא־שָׁב וְהַמִּנְהָג כְּמִנְהַג יֵהוּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁי כִּי בְשִׁגָּעוֹן יִנְהָג

The lookout reported, saying: He, the second messenger, came to them, but did not return. The driving is like the driving of Yehu son of Nimshi, as he drives wildly. In the meantime, the group had drawn nearer, and the watchman was able to discern that the chariot was being driven in the distinctive manner of Yehu, who was known for his wild chariot driving.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹרָם אֱסֹר וַיֶּאְסֹר רִכְבּוֹ וַיֵּצֵא יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל ואֲחַזְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אִישׁ בְּרִכְבּוֹ וַיֵּצְאוּ לִקְרַאת יֵהוּא וַיִּמְצָאֻהוּ בְּחֶלְקַת נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי

Yoram, suspecting that the events that were transpiring required his direct involvement, said: Harness the horses for my chariot; and he, Yoram’s attendant, harnessed his chariot. Yoram king of Israel and Ahazyahu king of Judah came out, each in his own chariot. Evidently, Yoram’s injury was not very serious, as he was able to drive the chariot himself. They came out to meet Yehu, and they encountered him in the tract of Navot the Yizre’elite. Yoram and Ahazyahu met Yehu in the very field that Ahav had forcibly seized from Navot after Ahav’s wife Izevel had brought about Navot’s death. The place thus embodied the wickedness of the house of Ahav.

וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת יְהוֹרָם אֶת־יֵהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁלוֹם יֵהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הַשָּׁלוֹם עַד־זְנוּנֵי אִיזֶבֶל אִמְּךָ וּכְשָׁפֶיהָ הָרַבִּים

It was when Yoram saw Yehu that he said, as he would address him in any other circumstance: Is it well, Yehu? He, Yehu, said: How can it be well, as long as there is the whoring of your mother Izevel and her many sorceries? Yehu cursed Yoram by referring specifically to Izevel and her ways, despite the fact that he was also Ahav’s son, as it is common for one who curses to refer to the mother of the individual in question.

וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יְהוֹרָם יָדָיו וַיָּנֹס וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אֲחַזְיָהוּ מִרְמָה אֲחַזְיָה

Yoram was in his chariot, face-to-face with Yehu. Realizing that this was a revolt, Yoram turned his hands, which held the reins, in order to turn the chariot around, and he fled, and he said to Ahazyahu: Treachery, Ahazya. This is no innocent encounter; it is a rebellion.

וְיֵהוּא מִלֵּא יָדוֹ בַקֶּשֶׁת וַיַּךְ אֶת־יְהוֹרָם בֵּין זְרֹעָיו וַיֵּצֵא הַחֵצִי מִלִבּוֹ וַיִּכְרַע בְּרִכְבּוֹ

Yehu drew his bow to its full extent, and he smote Yoram, striking him between his shoulders; the arrow came out from the other side of his heart, as Yoram was not wearing battle armor and had been shot at close range, and he collapsed in his chariot.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־בִּדְקַר שָׁלִשֹׁה שָׂא הַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בְּחֶלְקַת שְׂדֵה נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי כִּי־זְכֹר אֲנִי וָאַתָּה אֵת רֹכְבִים צְמָדִים אַחֲרֵי אַחְאָב אָבִיו וַה' נָשָׂא עָלָיו אֶת־הַמַּשָּׂא הַזֶּה

He, Yehu, said to Bidkar his aide: Pick him up; cast him in the tract of the field of Navot the Yizre’elite, for remember, I and you were riding together after Ahav his father, in Ahav’s army, and the Lord proclaimed this prophecy about him. God delivered this prophecy against him, through Elijah:

אִם־לֹא אֶת־דְּמֵי נָבוֹת וְאֶת־דְּמֵי בָנָיו רָאִיתִי אֶמֶשׁ נְאֻם־ה' וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לְךָ בַּחֶלְקָה הַזֹּאת נְאֻם־ה' וְעַתָּה שָׂא הַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בַּחֶלְקָה כִּדְבַר ה'

Have I not seen the blood of Navot that you spilled and the blood of his sons last night? – the utterance of the Lord. I will repay you in this tract – the utterance of the Lord. Now the time has come to fulfill this prophecy: Pick him up, and cast him into the tract, in accordance with the word of the Lord.

וַאֲחַזְיָה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה רָאָה וַיָּנָס דֶּרֶךְ בֵּית הַגָּן וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרָיו יֵהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר גַּם־אֹתוֹ הַכֻּהוּ אֶל־הַמֶּרְכָּבָה בְּמַעֲלֵה־גוּר אֲשֶׁר אֶת יִבְלְעָם וַיָּנָס מְגִדּוֹ וַיָּמָת שָׁם

Ahazya king of Judah, who had the misfortune of being present at this scene, saw this revolt starting before his very eyes, and he fled via Beit HaGan. Yehu pursued him, and he said to his servants: Smite him, too, in the chariot at the ascent of Gur, which is near Yivle’am. Although he was not a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Israel, perhaps Yehu had Ahazya killed because he was a descendant of Ahav, all of whom Yehu had been commanded to destroy. He, Ahazya, fled to Megiddo and died there.

וַיַּרְכִּבוּ אֹתוֹ עֲבָדָיו יְרוּשָׁלְָמָה וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בִקְבֻרָתוֹ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד

His servants transported him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his grave with his fathers in the City of David. Yehu allowed the men of the king of Judah to transport Ahazya’s body for burial in Jerusalem, in the traditional manner of the kings of Judah.

וּבִשְׁנַת אַחַת־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מָלַךְ אֲחַזְיָה עַל־יְהוּדָה

To conclude the account of Ahazya, the verse notes the date of his ascension to the throne: During the eleventh year of Yoram son of Ahav, Ahazya became king over Judah.

וַיָּבוֹא יֵהוּא יִזְרְעֶאלָה וְאִיזֶבֶל שָׁמְעָה וַתָּשֶׂם בַּפּוּךְ עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּיטֶב אֶת־רֹאשָׁהּ וַתַּשְׁקֵף בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן

Yehu came to Yizre’el, without any disturbance or opposition, despite the fact that Yizre’el was surrounded by a wall, and Izevel had heard of the rebellion, but she refused to be humiliated; and she placed kohl on her eyes, adorned her head, presenting herself as a noblewoman, and looked out at them from the window.

וְיֵהוּא בָּא בַשָּׁעַר וַתֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁלוֹם זִמְרִי הֹרֵג אֲדֹנָיו

Yehu came through the gate, and she said: Is it well, Zimri, killer of his master? Zimri was an officer who betrayed and killed his master and was himself killed a week later. Izevel was both insulting Yehu by calling him a despicable murderer and insinuating that he would suffer a similar fate.

וַיִּשָּׂא פָנָיו אֶל־הַחַלּוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אִתִּי מִי וַיַּשְׁקִיפוּ אֵלָיו שְׁנַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה סָרִיסִים

Instead of answering her, he, Yehu, lifted his face toward the window, and he said: Who is with me, who? Is anyone there, in Izevel’s house, on my side? Two or three officials looked out to him from Izevel’s house.

וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְטוּהָ וַיִּשְׁמְטוּהָ וַיִּז מִדָּמָהּ אֶל־הַקִּיר וְאֶל־הַסּוּסִים וַיִּרְמְסֶנָּה

He said: Cast her down from the window. They cast her down, and whether or not she was killed by the fall, some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and he, Yehu, trampled her under the horses’ hooves to ensure that she was dead.

וַיָּבֹא וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיֹּאמֶר פִּקְדוּ־נָא אֶת־הָאֲרוּרָה הַזֹּאת וְקִבְרוּהָ כִּי בַת־מֶלֶךְ הִיא

He came into Ahav’s palace, ate and drank and treated the palace as his own, and after a while, he said: Attend now to this cursed woman and bury her, as, after all, she is the daughter of a king.

וַיֵּלְכוּ לְקָבְרָהּ וְלֹא־מָצְאוּ בָהּ כִּי אִם־הַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת וְהָרַגְלַיִם וְכַפּוֹת הַיָּדָיִם

They went to bury her; but they found of her only the skull, the feet, and the hands. Wild dogs had eaten the main parts of her body, as Izevel’s corpse had been left strewn for some time. Evidently, Yehu had been in no hurry to deal with her body. After having killed Yoram, ordering the execution of Ahazya, and causing Izevel’s death, he had sat down to eat, and only afterward had he remembered that it was perhaps proper to bury her.

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיַּגִּידוּ לוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר דְּבַר־ה' הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד־עַבְדּוֹ אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי לֵאמֹר בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל יֹאכְלוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת־בְּשַׂר אִיזָבֶל

They returned and told him, Yehu, that only parts of her body remained intact. He, Yehu, said: The prophecy has materialized. It is the word of the Lord that He spoke by means of His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying: In the tract of Yizre’el, the dogs will eat the flesh of Izevel;

וְהָיְתָ נִבְלַת אִיזֶבֶל כְּדֹמֶן עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ זֹאת אִיזָבֶל

the carcass of Izevel will be like dung scattered upon the face of the field in the tract of Yizre’el, so that they cannot say: This is Izevel, as she will be unrecognizable.