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›me eunuchs threw her down, and her blood was sprinkled n the wall, and on the houses; and he trod her under foot. Recollecting afterwards, that this cursed woman was the aughter of a king, he sent out orders to have her burned; ut they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, nd the palm of her hands, whereby was fulfilled the prophecy f Elijah, that in the portion of Jezreel dogs should eat the lesh of Jezebel; and that the carcass of Jezebel should be as lung upon the face of the field, in the portion of Jezreel, so hat they should not say, This is Jezebel.*

A. C.

884.

JEHU.

As Ahab had still seventy sons surviving, it was necessary for Jehu to act with policy; and, therefore, he sent to the rulers of Samaria, and the elders, and suggested to them to place the most promising of the princes on his father's throne. Intimidated, however, with what had occurred, and most probably suspecting that Jehu was only seeking to discover who were his enemies, they immediately offered unconditional submission to the usurper; and, by his command, even the confidential tutors and guardians of these unhappy youths, hesitated not to imbrue their hands in the blood of their late master's children; for having beheaded

2 Kings, ix. 30-37. 1 Kings, xxi. 23. "There was not even a solitary stone to say here lies Jezebel! Not even a mound of earth to designate the place of her sepulture! Judgment is God's strange work; but when he contends, how terrible are his judgments! and when he aimeth to execute judgment, who shall stay his hand? How deep are his counsels, and how terrible are his workings."— A. CLARKE.

them, they put their heads in baskets, and sent them to s in Jezreel.*

Having ordered these heads to be laid in two heaps entering in of the gate, he thus addressed the people, "F:righteous; behold, I conspired against my master, and him; but who slew all these? Know now that there s fall unto the earth nothing of the word of Jehovah, #2 he spake concerning the house of Ahab; for Jehovah na done that which he spake by his servant Elijah. Sa slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jere and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests he left him none remaining.† And thus too was fulfille declaration of Elijah; Him that escapeth the sword of H shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth the sword of s shall Elisha slay."+

Having met with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, who coming to meet him, he saluted him, and said unto him. thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Je nadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand.

he gave

him his hand; and he took him up to him into chariot. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal Jehovah. So they made him ride in his chariot. And whe he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the sa of Jehovah, which he spake to Elijah.§

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But Jehu's commission was not yet ended; for having under the pretext of offering a great sacrifice to Baal, lected all the idolatrous priests and worshippers into the house of that image, he smote them all with the edge of the

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rd, and burnt the image of Baal, and broke down the se, and made it a draught house.*

Zealous, however, as Jehu appeared, he departed not from sins of Jeroboam; to wit, the golden calves that were in th-el and that were in Dan. And Jehovah said unto Jehu, cause thou hast done well in executing that which is right mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth neration shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took heed to walk in the law of Jehovah, the God of Israel, with 1 his heart; for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, hich made Israel to sin.†

It is not, therefore, to be wondered at that Jehovah began cut Israel short; for Hazael smote them in all the coasts of srael, from Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the jadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.‡

After reigning twenty-eight years over Israel, he died a natural death, and slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and was succeeded by his son,

A. C.

856.

JEHO AHA Z.

THIS monarch also did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and followed the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin.§ And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, all their days. And Jehoahaz besought Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkened

2 Kings, x. 18-28.

2 Kings, x. 32, 33.

+ 2 Kings, x. 29–31.

§ 2 Kings, xiii. 1, 2.

unto him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, because t king of Syria oppressed them. And Jehovah gave Israe saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents. beforetime. Nevertheless, they departed not from the sins the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, but waa therein; and there remained the grove also in Samaria. ther did he leave of the people to Jehoabaz but fifty bore men, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for t king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them the dust by threshing.*

2 Kings, xiii. 3-7. Few passages of Scripture afford instructive lessons than the career of Hazael. When Elisha streaming eyes foretold the misery, ruin, and cruelty, which Ha would inflict upon the prophet's countrymen, dash out the br of their children, and rip up the women with child, the Syrian indignant, and inquired, Is thy servant a dog, that he should act the Do you imagine that I am the very outcast of society, to be capału of perpetrating such unheard of wickedness? 2 Kings, viii. Il And yet this he did and more-he went home and instantly asses nated his unsuspecting sovereign, Benhadad, by one of the most a cious methods of committing murder (2 Kings, viii. 15.); and whe he oppressed Israel, he made them like the dust by threshing 2 Kings, xiii. 7. And thus is exemplified the innate depravity every human heart. Hazael startled at being thought a murdere his king-of children and women with child!-but all this mische was in his heart and is in every human heart, and only required to called forth by the appropriate incitement or procuring cause, wh satan took care to apply at the proper moment, and to gild the hos with the proper bait. Oh! how then should we all pray for restra and preventing grace, without which there is no individual whe not liable to the commission of the most atrocious crimes-era those of which his habits and ordinary conduct, appear to read him least susceptible. Does not the history of the universe, 1o the daily details of our criminal courts, prove this melancholy fa to a demonstration? and how much more evident would it appear

Jehoahaz reigned over Israel seventeen years, when he lept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and was ucceeded by his son,

A. C. 39.

JOASH.

THIS monarch found the kingdom in a very depressed state, on account of the conquests and severities of Hazael, king of Syria; but still Jehovah was racious unto Israel, and had compassion on them, and had espect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, saac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them; neither cast e them from his presence as yet. So Hazael, king of Syria, lied; and Benhadad, his son, reigned in his stead. And Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, took again out of the hand of "Benhadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz, his father, by war.

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all the painful histories and secret anxieties of private families were nade public; in respect of matters of which the laws do not take cognizance, but which break the hearts, and consign to the grave many a faithful and affectionate wife, and many a tender-hearted relative and friend. See another example of the same sort, p. 593, notis.

Adam Clarke thinks the above view, which is the usual and most commonly received construction of this passage, quite erroneous; and that so far from Hazael being struck with horror at the contemplation of such atrocities being perpetrated by himself, he was delighted at the prospect, and that his exclamation implied doubt and fear lest so inconsiderable a person, should not be capable of performing such mighty actions. His argument is chiefly founded on the expression "great thing," which the Doctor thinks Hazael would not have made use of, if he had regarded the proceedings which Elisha foretold with horror. Note on 2 Kings, viii. 13.

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