Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Flee, and tarry not - The probable object of these directions was at once to prevent questioning, and to render the whole thing more striking.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head,.... When in the chamber together alone:

and say, thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel; which was done, not with the anointing oil in the temple, which could not be come by; and with which, as Kimchi from their Rabbins says, only the kings of the house of David were anointed, and they only when there was a division, or the crown was translated to another family, as was the case now; but with common oil, or the oil of balsam, such as the prophet had in his house:

then open the door and flee, and tarry not; lest he should be examined by the captains, and come into danger; though before he went out he was to say what is recorded in 2 Kings 9:7.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

I have anointed thee king over Israel — This was only a part of the message; the full announcement of which is given (2 Kings 9:7-10).

flee, and tarry not — for fear of being surprised and overtaken by the spies or servants of the court.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour [it] on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

Ver. 3. Then open the door and flee, and tarry not.] No, not so long as to hear what Jehu himself will say to thee, saith Vatablus.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

2 Kings 9:3. I have anointed thee king over Israel— According to the Jews, none of the kings of Israel were anointed but those of the house of David, and these only when there was a question about their succession; as Solomon, they say, needed not to have been anointed, had it not been for the faction of Adonijah. But in the case of Jehu, in whom the succession of the kingdom of Israel was to be translated out of the right line of the family of Ahab, into another family which had no right to the kingdom, but merely the appointment of God, there was a necessity for his unction, in order both to convey to him a title, and to invest him with the actual possession of the kingdom. For if that which some imagine from 1 Kings 19:16 be true, that the prophet Elijah did before this time anoint Jehu, that unction conferred upon him only a remote right to the kingdom, in the same manner as Samuel's unction did upon David; see 1 Samuel 16:13.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

I have anointed thee king over Israel: this was not his whole message; but the rest of it is particularly declared 2 Kings 9:7-10, and is to be understood here.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Bottle. See 1 Kings x. 1. Elias had received orders to anoint Jehu, 3 Kings xix 16. (Calmet) --- There. The utmost expedition was necessary, that Joram might be surprised, as well as Ochozias, and their devoted families. (Menochius)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

king = to be king.

over, or unto,

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

I have anointed thee king over Israel. This was only a part of the message, the full announcement of which is given, 2 Kings 9:7-10.

Flee, and tarry not - for fear of being surprised and overtaken by the spies or servants of the court.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Then.—And (both times).

Thus saith the Lord . . . over Israel.—Only the chief part of the message to Jehu is here given, to avoid publicity. (See infra, 2 Kings 9:6-9.)

Over Israel.—Literally, unto Israel, both here and in 2 Kings 9:12. But a great number of MSS., and all the versions in both places, read over Israel.

Tarry not.—So as to avoid all questioning, and to give greater force to the act.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

pour it

Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 19:16

I have anointed

8:13; 1 Samuel 9:16; 15:1,17; 16:12; Psalms 75:6,7; Proverbs 8:15,16; Jeremiah 27:5-7; Daniel 2:1; 4:35; 5:18; John 19:10,11

and flee

1 Samuel 16:2; Matthew 2:13; 10:16