2 Kings 9:30

30 Jehu arrived in Jezreel. Jezebel, having heard what had happened, put on eye shadow, arranged her hair, and stood looking down at the street from a window in the palace.

2 Kings 9:30 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 9:30

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it
And of what he had done to Joram:

and she painted her face;
or put "stibium" on her eyes; a sort of paint, to make them look beautiful perhaps the same with powder of lead ore, the Moors now use to tinge their eyebrows with, and make them look black, which they reckon graceful, (See Gill on Ezekiel 23:40), this custom now obtains among the white Indians, who, to heighten the lustre of their complexion, and render their eyes more languishing, put a little black about them F14:

and tired her head;
dressed her head in the most elegant manner; not with a view to tempt Jehu, which she could not expect, being an aged woman; but for grandeur and majesty, and in the pride and haughtiness of her spirit, which she retained to the last, and resolved to keep up and show in her extremity and calamity:

and looked out at a window;
in a bravado, as fearless of Jehu, and to dash him out of countenance if she could; or she might hope, by such a graceful and majestic appearance she made, that he would be moved to spare her life; though this does not so well agree with what follows as the former.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 Agreement of Customs between East Indians and Jews, art. 15. p. 65.

2 Kings 9:30 In-Context

28 His officials took his body back to Jerusalem in a chariot and buried him in the royal tombs in David's City.
29 Ahaziah had become king of Judah in the eleventh year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.
30 Jehu arrived in Jezreel. Jezebel, having heard what had happened, put on eye shadow, arranged her hair, and stood looking down at the street from a window in the palace.
31 As Jehu came through the gate, she called out, "You Zimri! You assassin! Why are you here?"
32 Jehu looked up and shouted, "Who is on my side?" Two or three palace officials looked down at him from a window,
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.