2 Kings 9:30

Jezebel’s Violent Death

30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.

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 Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.
29 (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.
31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”
32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially placed into the public domain