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16 ¶ So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.

17 And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?

18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.

19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind

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22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

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

24 And Jehu 16drew 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.

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saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this 20plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.

29 And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.

30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she "painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

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33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.

35 And they went to bury her but they found no more of her than the scull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel :

37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

13 Ieb. in madness. 14 Heb. Bind. 18 1 Kings 21. 29. 19 Heb. bloods. 20 Or, portion. 23 Heb. by the hand of.

15 Heb. found. 16 Heb. filled his hand with a bow. 21 Heb. put her eyes in painting. 22 Or, chamberlains. 241 Kings 21. 23.

Verse 1. 'Ramoth-gilead.'-This place is frequently mentioned in Scripture, under the names of Ramoth, Ramoth-gilead, and Ramoth-mizpeh. The Scripture indications concerning it are, that it was a principal town on the east of the Jordan, in that part of this territory which

was assigned to the tribe of Gad. It was a city of refuge, and its situation and strength rendered it an important frontier-town against the Syrians, the possession of which therefore became an object of great consequence to them in their wars with the Hebrews. Ahab lost his life in

the attempt to retake it from the Syrians; but the now reigning king appears to have succeeded in this object, though at the expense of a severe wound, which induced him to leave his army in occupation, and proceed himself to Jezreel to be healed (viii. 29). The war does not appear to have been quite terminated, and Ramoth-gilead seems to have been the head-quarters of the army kept in the field, and of which Jehu was one of the principal commanders. There were probably constant communications kept up between Ramoth-gilead and Jezreel; and the king seems to have watched with interest all indications of news from that quarter. This explains his sending out a courier to meet the party coming from that direction, as well as his going out himself, ill as he was, as soon as he heard that one of the chief commanders was approaching. He perhaps feared that the Syrians had recovered Ramothgilead and put the Hebrews to flight.

Eusebius says that Ramoth-gilead was fifteen miles to the west of Philadelphia, and Jerome, that it was near the Jabbok; the influence of which statements would give it some inclination northward instead of due west from Philadelphia. Accordingly, at about the assigned distance, west-north-west from Philadelphia, and about eight miles south of the Jabbok, we find ruins of a town called Jelaad, upon a mountain of the same name, and which is merely a different spelling of the Hebrew word (1) for 'Gilead.' Mr. Buckingham, however, is rather disposed to find it at a site now called Ramtha or Ramza, about twenty-three miles north-north-west from Philadelphia, and four miles to the north of the Jabbok. He passed the place at a little distance, and regrets that he could not more particularly examine the remains which it offered. The site is principally distinguished by the ruins of a large castellated enclosure of stone, standing on the side of a hill; but whether it had been a Christian establishment, a castle, a caravanserai, or some portion of a deserted settlement, could not be determined. Near it,' says the traveller, stood a stately and wide spreading oak, which, like the rest of the oaks we had seen, was not an evergreen one, but had its leaves withered and its boughs almost bare, while the greater portion of the other trees found here were fresh with verdure.' Between these two sites the reader must choose for himself. We rather incline to the latter, as best agreeing with all the Scriptural intimations. It is, equally with the other, in the tribe of Gad-more certainly in the Gilead of Scripture (see the note on Gen. xxxi. 47)-nearer to the frontier of the Syrians, and more in their way in any attempt upon Israel -nearer to the Jabbok, and nearer also to Jezreel. The analogy of name, at least, is as much in favour of this as the other; for Ramoth-gilead is frequently called Ramoth alone, but never Gilead. We think it probable that the places were in the third century named as now, and that Eusebius fixed on that called Gilead' as the representative of Ramoth-gilead, while Jerome had rather Ramoth in view. The subject is perplexing, and this is the best solution of its difficulties which we can offer.

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12. It is false.'-To give the lie in the East is not considered offensive: and the natives are astonished at the indignation which Europeans manifest at having their assertion questioned. This is particularly the case in Persia, where a king upon his throne, without intending to give offence, has been known, in a very quiet way, to ask a British ambassador, Is not that a lie which you are telling? Chardin's account of his controversies with the Persian minister (Nazir), about the price of the jewels which Chardin himself had brought for the king, affords some curious illustrations of this. On one occasion this most intelligent traveller was so provoked at the minister's declared doubts of his veracity, that he expressed his annoyance in rather warm terms. On this the Nazir flew into a passion, and asked him tartly whether he was a prophet, that people should be under an obligation to him to believe his word? Chardin could not refrain from laughing at this; on which the minister, turning with an air of anger to the company, and pointing to him, exclaimed, with an oath, The Franks are altogether an

extravagant people: they would have us take their word for an oracle, as if they were not men and sinners!' The Oriental point of honour is not to be sought in this direction.

13. The top of the stairs.'-The captains were probably assembled in the state-room over the gateway of whatever building, citadel, or palace, was the scene of this transaction. The prophet took Jehu to a chamber in the interior of the building, where he anointed him. And now, when Jehu returns to his associates, and declares the prophetic errand, they conduct him to the top of the stairs leading to the roof of the same apartment, and which was the most conspicuous place of an Oriental structure that could be chosen, being at the very top of the gate-building, and fully in view of the people and the military in the open ground in front of the building. We do not see any other explanation to render this part of the narrative equally intelligible.

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17. Tower in Jezreel.'--The Hebrew has several words for towers and other elevated buildings which we have but imperfect means of discriminating, though doubtless each of these terms originally distinguished a particular class of elevated structures. The present word is iap migdol, and perhaps the first time it occurs tends well to fix its meaning. Let us build us a city and a tower (migdol) whose top may reach unto heaven' (Gen. xi. 4). This would seem to imply that the migdol was distinguished by its elevation; and from its frequent (but not exclusive) connection with towns, we may presume that it belonged to that class of elevated structures which have been applied to use and ornament in towns in all times and countries. At least, for the sake of some distinction, we may take this idea, reserving the notice of other kinds of towers for another occasion. We shall not however insist on the idea of a watch-tower,' since this does not seem peculiar to any one kind of tower, but to be common to all: that is, there does not appear to have been any tower built expressly as a watch-tower; but any elevated pile, when built, was used for the purpose as occasion required. Hence we find this idea associated with the migdol, as well as with the mizpah, the П tirah, and the tzariach. We are not willing to suppose that the Hebrew cities were wholly destitute of those elevated piles, which both in Asia and Europe form the chief ornaments of towns. We almost everywhere find them associated with temples; but this could not have been the case in the Hebrew towns, as Jerusalem was the only one which possessed a temple. If therefore the Hebrews had towers in their towns, they doubtless either stood isolated, or in connection with secular public buildings, such as palaces. In the present instance the noted tower in Jezreel was ob viously thus connected with the royal residence. Indeed, as the royal towns were generally seated on hills, and the king's residence usually on the highest part of such hills, commanding an extensive view of the surrounding country, it is reasonable to suppose that a tower was erected near every such residence, as well for distinction as for a station, whence a watchman might note whatever occurred in the neighbourhood. It is impossible to determine the form which was borne by the towers with which the Hebrew towns were ornamented. All the intimations which we can collect from Scripture seem to convey the impression that they were round: as for instance, in the Song of Solomon, thy neck is like the tower of David' (iv. 4), and thy neck is like a tower of ivory' (vii. 4). In both these verses the word is migdol, as here; and, so far as we have examined, this word is always used wherever it is possible to understand that a tower of ornamental character is intended. Thinking, then, that the existence of ornamental towers is clearly deducible from various passages in the poetical Scriptures, and that several of these passages intimate that they were round, we do not know how the subject can be better illustrated than by a reference to the existing towers or minars of Western Asia, and which now give to Jerusalem, Constantinople, Alexandria, and other important cities, almost all the

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GI CUP OF MODERN ORIENTAL TOWERS.-Selected from Examples in the Towns of Lower Egypt.

beauty which, as towns, they possess. We therefore give a collection of such towers, shewing the principal and more interesting varieties of form which they exhibit. The great beauty of many of these forms will not be disputed; and in viewing some of them, even the partialities of national taste will not always prevent the European spectator from hesitating to say that the heaven-directed spire' itself has higher claim to his preference and admiration. The pictorial illustration supersedes the necessity for written description. But we may observe generally, that the leading idea of nearly all these towers is that of a round shaft, variously crowned, and always surrounded at various elevations by one or more galleries, from which very extensive views are generally commanded, and which sometimes serve as watch-stations, although their common and proper use is to furnish a station to the muezzin or crier, whose duty it is to proclaim the hours of prayer; bells not being used for such purposes in the East.

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25. His captain' (ibu for ibu, or rather for i), literally his third, which, compared with other texts (Exod. xiv. 7; xv. 4; 2 Kings xv. 25; Ezek. xxiii. 12-23, etc.), seems to intimate that the Hebrew army, as well as that of the Egyptians and Assyrians, was divided into three principal divisions, corresponding, probably, to the centre and the right and left wings; and that the commander of each division was distinguished by this title; the king, or the captain of the host,' when there was one, being the commander in chief. It seems that Jehu was one of these generals of division, and Bidkar another.

27. Gur... Ibleam... Megiddo.'-Gur seems to have been an obscure place near Ibleam, which is mentioned in

Josh. xvii. 11, as belonging, with Megiddo, to the tribe of Manasseh, and, from the manner in which it is there mentioned Ibleam and other towns'-was doubtless a considerable place, although not one of the ancient royal cities like Megiddo, from which Ibleam does not seem to have been very distant. Concerning Megiddo, the situation of which determines that of the others, see the note on Josh. xii. 21.

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29. Ahaziah.'-He was grand-nephew to king Joram, and great-grandson to Ahab. This explains the friendly relation between the two kings, as well as Ahaziah's participation in the doom of Ahab's house.

30. She painted her face.'-' Painted her eyes' is the correct reading, as given in the margin and read in the Septuagint and Vulgate. This custom, which our translators do not appear to have comprehended, is universal among the women of the East, and sometimes is also adopted by the men. The eyelid is tinged with a metallic black powder, which is called surmeh by the Turks and Persians, and kohol by the Egyptians. It is rather a delicate operation, which is thus performed:- The eye is closed, and a small ebony rod smeared with composition is squeezed between the lids, so as to tinge their edges with the colour. This is considered to add greatly to the brilliancy and power of the eye, and to deepen the effect of the long black eye-lashes of which the Orientals are proud. The same drug is employed on the eye-brows: used thus, it is intended to elongate, not to elevate, the arc, so that the inner extremities are usually represented as meeting between the eyes. To a European the effect produced is seldom, at first, pleasing; but it soon becomes so. The Egyptian monuments confirm the intimation which the present text affords of the antiquity of the custom. Eyes

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PAINTED EYE, WITH VESSEL AND PROBE. ANCIENT EGYPTIAN.

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35. They found no more of her than the scull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.'-It appears from the context that the dogs had eaten all but these portions of the body of Jezebel. An East Indian correspondent of The Times (Aug. 12, 1841) furnishes a striking illustration of this circumstance. In March last, as I was repairing to the native village of Bustom to survey a bridge which was thrown across the road, on my route from the station of Jellasore, on crossing the Soubunreekâ river, my attention was attracted to a number of human skeletons which lay scattered in various directions upon the white sands adjacent to the course of the stream. Upon inquiry I learned that these unfortunate relics were the remains of pilgrims, who were on their road to the great pagoda at Juggernaut, and had been drowned two evenings before by means of a ferryboat sinking with them during a violent north-wester. On my approaching several of these sad vestiges of mortality, I perceived that the flesh had been completely devoured from the bones by Pariah dogs, vultures, and other obscene animals. The only portion of the several corpses I noticed that remained entire and untouched were the bottoms of the feet and the insides of the hands; and this extraordinary circumstance immediately brought to my mind that remarkable passage recorded in the second book of Kings, relating to the death and ultimate fate of Jezebel, who was, as to her body, eaten of dogs, and nothing remained of her but the " palms of her hands and the soles of her feet." The former narrative may afford a corroborative proof of the rooted antipathy that the dog has to prey upon the human hands and feet. Why such should be the case remains a mystery.'

CHAPTER X.

1 Jehu, by his letters, causeth seventy of Ahab's children to be beheaded. 8 He excuseth the fact by the prophecy of Elijah. 12 At the shearing house he slayeth two and forty of Ahaziah's brethren. 15 He taketh Jehonadab into his company. 18 By subtilty he destroyeth all the worshippers of Baal. 29 Jehu followeth Jeroboam's sins. 32 Hazael oppresseth Israel. 35 Jehoahaz succeedeth Jehu.

AND Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to 'them that brought up Ahab's children, saying,

2 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fenced city also, and armour;

your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

3 Look even out the best and meetest of them

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7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

8¶ And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.

9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

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11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his 'kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

15 And when he was departed thence, he 'lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he 'saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. 19 Now therefore call unto me all the pro31 Kings 21. 29. 4 Heb. by the hand of. 3 Or, acquaintance. B Heb. to the peace of, &c. 9 Heb. found. 10 Heb. blessed. 13 Heb, the mouth.

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23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.

24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

26 And they brought forth the "images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. 29 ¶ Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan.

30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

6 Heb. house of shepherds binding sheep. 7 Heb. found. 12′Or, so full, that they stood mouth to mouth.

11 Heb. sanctify.

14 Heb. statues.

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