Daily Tanach Monday 26th Shevat, Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 9 Part 4: Yeihu kills Achaziyah, king of Yehuda and Izevel

1. Yeihu kills Achaziyah, king of Yehuda:

• Achaziyahu, the king of Yehuda, saw what was happening and he fled through the garden, and Yeihu chased after him. Yeihu then gave the instructions to strike him and kill him while he is in his chariot [as also Achaziyahu was from the household of Achav, and served idolatry^[1]]. And so indeed, they struck him at the ascent of Gur which is near Yivleam, and Achaziyahu fled to Megiddo while injured and died there from his injuries. [In truth, Achaziyahu was captured in the city of Shomron, or alternatively killed in the city of Shomron, and the Mefarshim give different explanations as to how to merge this into the verses here, in order so it is not a contradiction.^[2]]
• Achaziyahu is buried in Jerusalem: The servants of Achaziyahu carried him in a chariot to Yerushalayim, and they buried him there in a grave together with his ancestors in the city of Dovid. [Achaziyahu merited to be buried, unlike Yoram, due to the merit of his father Yehoshafat.^[3]]
• The year of the reign of Achaziyahu: Achaziyahu became king over Yehuda in the eleventh year of reign of Yoram the son of Achav.

2. Yeihu has Izevel killed:

• Yeihu came to Yizrael, and Izevel [the evil wife of Achav] heard [of his arrival and that he had killed Yoram and was most likely coming to kill her as well.]
• Izevel puts on makeup and tries to appease Yeihu: Izevel put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head seductively with a kerchief, and looked out of the window [in wait for Yeihu’s arrival]. Yeihu arrived at the gate [where Izevel was located] and she called out to him and said, “How are you Zimri, the killer of his masters?” [She metaphorically referred to Yeihu as Zimri, as he too had murdered his master, Basha, and intended to gain favor in his eyes by doing so, hinting to him that she does not hold it against him as this is the way of the world.^[4]]
• Yeihu has Izevel thrown out the window and killed: Yeihu lifted his head up to the window and asked [those in the building] as to who is on his side. There were two or three ministers who looked out towards him [hinting to him that they are there to do his bidding]. Yeihu instructed them to push her out the window, and so they pushed her out. When she fell, some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and the horses trampled her.
• Only bones remain of Izevel, and she is not buried: Yeihu sat down to eat and drink and instructed those with him to go out and bury Izevel, being that she is the daughter of a king. However, when they went out to fetch her body in order to bury her, the only thing that remained of her body was her skull, feet, and the palms of the hands [as the remainder of her body was eaten by dogs as Eliyahu had prophesized^[5]]. [These parts of her body remained, in merit of that she would dance using her head, hands, and feet, in front of the bride and groom in order to rejoice them by their wedding.^[6]] The messengers entrusted with the job of burying her returned and told Yeihu of what was left of her and Yeihu said that this was in fulfillment of the prophecy of G-d as he spoke through his prophet, Eliyahu the Tishbite, saying that “in the territory of Yizrael the dogs will devour the flesh of Izevel.” The corpse of Izevel remained like dung on the field in the territory of Yizrael. All this was done by G-d in order so she does not have a resting place which can be marked as the area of Izevel.

[1] Metzudos Dovid 9:27

[2] See Rashi, Ralbag, Metzudos Dovid, and Radak on 9:27

[3] Ralbag 9:27

[4] See Rashi and Radak 9:31

[5] Metzudos Dovid 9:35

[6] Rashi 9:35