2 Kings 9:22

22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry ^[a] and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

2 Kings 9:22 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 9:22

And it came to pass, when Joram saw, Jehu, that he said, is it
peace, Jehu?
&c.] Have things gone well at Ramothgilead? art thou come in triumph from thence? or obliged to fly from the Syrians? or art thou come in a peaceable, or in an hostile manner to me?

and he answered, what peace;
canst thou expect at home or abroad, from me or others:

so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are
so many?
which may be understood both literally of corporeal whoredom, and diabolical arts she was addicted to, and figuratively of idolatry, often called whoredom in Scripture, and of the wicked arts and methods she made use of to inveigle and entice persons into it; and both these very often went together; see ( Nahum 3:4 ) and of which Joram was guilty, at least in part; he connived at all in her, and did not attempt to restrain her, and therefore had no claim to peace, protection, and safety.

2 Kings 9:22 In-Context

20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!”

21 “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.

22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

23 Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew adultery or prostitution, here a metaphor for idolatry