Jehoram
(whom Jehovah has exalted). Son of Ahab king of Israel, who succeeded his brother Ahaziah B.C. 896, and died B.C. 884. The alliance between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, commenced by his father and Jehoshaphat, was very close throughout his reign. We first find him associated with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom in a war against the Moabites. The three armies were in the utmost danger of perishing for want of water. The piety of Jehoshaphat suggested an inquiry of Jehovah, thorough Elisha. After reproving Jehoram, Elisha, for Jehoshaphat’s sake, inquired of Jehovah, and received the promise of an abundant supply of water, and of a great victory over the Moabites; a promise which was immediately fulfilled. The allies pursued them with great slaughter into their own land, which they utterly ravaged and destroyed most of its cities. Kirharaseth alone remained, the there the king of Moab made his last stand. An attempt to break through the besieging army having failed, he resorted to the desperate expedient of offering up his eldest son, as a burnt offering, upon the wall of the city, in the sight of the enemy. Upon this the Israelites retired and returned to their own land. ( 2 Kings 3:1 ) ... A little later, when war broke out between Syria and Israel, we find Elisha befriending Jehoram; but when the terrible famine in Samaria arose, the king immediately attributed the evil to Elisha, and determined to take away his life. The providential interposition by which both Elisha’s life was saved the city delivered is narrated ( 2 Kings 7:1 ) ... and Jehoram appears to have returned to friendly feeling toward Elisha. ( 2 Kings 8:4 ) It was soon after these vents that the revolution in Syria predicted by Elisha took place, giving Jehoram a good opportunity of recovering Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. he accordingly made an alliance with his nephew Ahaziah, who had just succeeded Joram on the throne of Judah, and the two kings proceeded to occupy Ramoth-gilead by force. The expedition was an unfortunate one. Jehoram was wounded in battle, and obliged to return to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds. ( 2 Kings 8:29 ; 9:14 , 15 ) jehu and the army under his command revolted from their allegiance to Jehoram, ( 2 Kings 9:1 ) ... and hastily marching to Jezreel, surprised Jehoram, wounded and defenseless as he was. Jehoram, going out to meet him, fell pierced by an arrow from Jehu’s bow on the very plot of ground which Ahab had wrested from Naboth the Jezreelite; thus fulfilling to the letter the prophecy of Elijah. ( 1 Kings 21:29 ) With the life of Jehoram ended the dynasty of Omri. Eldest son of Jehoshaphat, succeeded his father on the throne of Judah at the age of 32, and reigned eight years, from B.C. 893-2 to 885-4. As soon as he was fixed on the throne, he put his six brothers to death, with many of the chief nobles of the land. He then, probably at the instance of his wife Athaliah the daughter of Ahab, proceeded to establish the worship of Baal. A prophetic writing from the aged prophet Elijah, ( 2 Chronicles 21:12 ) failed to produce any good effect upon him. The remainder of his reign was a series of calamities. First the Edomites, who had been tributary to Jehoshaphat, revolted from his dominion and established their permanent independence. Next Libnah, ( 2 Kings 19:8 ) rebelled against him. Then followed invasion by armed bands of Philistines and of Arabians, who stormed the king’s palace, put his wives and all his children, except his youngest son Ahaziah, to death, ( 2 Chronicles 22:1 ) or carried them into captivity, and plundered all his treasures. he died of a terrible disease. ( 2 Chronicles 21:19 , 20 )
Jehu
(the living). The founder of the fifth dynasty of the kingdom of Israel, son of Jehoshaphat. ( 2 Kings 9:2 ) He reigned over Israel 28 years, B.C. 884-856. His first appearance in history is when he heard the warning of Elijah against the murderer of Naboth. ( 2 Kings 9:25 ) In the reigns of Ahaziah and Jehoram, Jehu rose to importance. He was, under the last-named king, captain of the host in the siege of Ramoth-gilead. During this siege he was anointed by Elisha’s servant, and told that he was appointed to be king of Israel and destroyer of the house of Ahab. ( 2 Kings 9:12 ) The army at once ordained him king, and he set off full speed for Jezreel. Jehoram, who was lying ill in Jezreel, came out to meet him, as it happened on the fatal field of Naboth. ( 2 Kings 9:21-24 ) Jehu seized his opportunity, and shot him through the heart. ( 2 Kings 9:24 ) Jehu himself advanced to the gates of Jezreel and fulfilled the divine warning on Jezebel as already on Jehoram. He then entered on a work of extermination hitherto unparalleled in the history of the Jewish monarchy. All the descendants of Ahab that remained in Jezreel, together with the officers of the court and the hierarchy of Eastward, were swept away. His next step was to secure Samaria. For the pretended purpose of inaugurating anew the worship of Baal, he called all the Bailouts together at Samaria. The vast temple raised by Ahab, ( 1 Kings 16:32 ) was crowded from end to end. The chief sacrifice was offered, as if in the excess of his zeal, by Jehu himself. As soon as it was ascertained that all, and none but, the idolaters were there, the signal was given to eighty trusted guards, and sweeping massacre removed at one blow the whole heathen population of the kingdom of Israel. This is the last public act recorded of Jehu. The remaining twenty-seven years of his long reign are passed over in a few words, in which two points only are material:—He did not destroy the calf-worship of Jeroboam:— The transjordanic tribes suffered much from the ravages of Hazael. ( 2 Kings 10:29-33 ) He was buried in state in Samaria, and was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz. ( 2 Kings 10:35 ) His name is the first of the Israelite kings which appears in the Assyrian monuments. Jehu son of Hanani; a prophet of Judah, but whose ministrations were chiefly directed to Israel. His father was probably the seer who attacked Asa. ( 2 Chronicles 16:7 ) He must have begun his career as a prophet when very young. He first denounced Baasha, ( 1 Kings 16:1 , 7 ) and then, after an interval of thirty years, reappeared to denounce Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Ahab. ( 2 Chronicles 19:2 , 3 ) He survived Jehoshaphat and wrote his life. ch. ( 2 Chronicles 20:34 ) A man of Judah of the house of Hezron. ( 1 Chronicles 2:38 ) A Simeonite, son of Josibiah. ( 1 Chronicles 4:35 ) Jehu the Antothite was one of the chief of the heroes of Benjamin who joined David at Ziklag. ( 1 Chronicles 12:3 )
Jezreel
A city situated in the plain of the same name between Gilboa and Little Hermon, now generally called Esdraelon. [ Esdraelon ] It appears in ( Joshua 19:18 ) but its historical importance dates from the reign of Ahab, B.C. 918-897, who chose it for his chief residence. The situation of the modern village of Zerin still remains to show the fitness of his choice. Int he neighborhood, or within the town probably, were a temple and grove of Eastward, with an establishment of 400 priests supported by Jezebel. ( 1 Kings 16:33 ; 2 Kings 10:11 ) The palace of Ahab, ( 1 Kings 21:1 ; 18:46 ) probably containing his “ivory house,” ( 1 Kings 22:39 ) was on the eastern side of the city, forming part of the city wall. Comp. ( 1 Kings 21:1 ; 2 Kings 9:25 , 30 , 33 ) Whether the vineyard of Naboth was here or at Samaria is a doubtful question. Still in the same eastern direction are two springs, one 12 minutes from the town, the other 20 minutes. The latter, probably from both its size and its situation, was known as “the spring of Jezreel.” With the fall of the house of Ahab the glory of Jezreel departed. A town in Judah, in the neighborhood of the southern Carmel. ( Joshua 15:56 ) Here David in his wanderings took Ahinoam the Israelites for his first wife. ( 1 Samuel 27:3 ; 30:5 ) The eldest son of the prophet Hosea. ( Hosea 1:4 ) (seed of God), a descendant of the father or founder of Etam, of the line of Judah. ( 1 Chronicles 4:3 ) (B.C. about 1445).
Jezreelitess
a woman of Jezreel. ( 1 Samuel 27:3 ; 30:5 ; 2 Samuel 2:2 ; 3:2 ; 1 Chronicles 3:1 )