Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 9:13

Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put [it] under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

13. Then they hasted ] The LXX. gives ‘they heard it and hastened’. This action on the part of the generals shews how little they were attached to the house of Ahab.

took every man his garment ] The loose Oriental robe which could easily be laid aside, and which they probably had laid aside or allowed to fall off during the consultation.

and put it under him ] They made a seat for Jehu by folding their garments, and piling them together. The expression ‘under him’ shews what use was made of all the garments. Some have thought that the robes were used as a carpet, and laid all the way up the stairs from the court where they had been in conference. The stairs were outside the building and went from the courtyard up to the roof. Thus Jehu would have walked in state to the place which they chose for the proclamation. But the conspirators were in too great haste for this sort of parade. They extemporised a cushion with their robes, and set Jehu upon them.

on the top of the stairs ] There is some difficulty in explaining the word rendered ‘top’. Primarily it means ‘a bone’. Then something strong and firm. Hence it has been thought to have the sense here of the body of the staircase, and so to signify ‘the stairs themselves’. Thus the translation would be merely ‘on the stairs’. Others clinging to the sense of ‘bone’ have translated ‘on the bare steps’ (R.V. margin). The Vulgate appears to have taken the word as equivalent to ‘in the manner of’ and translates ‘in similitudinem tribunalis’. But without the steps there could be little made by the garments to look like a rostrum or tribune. The LXX. merely transliterates the Hebrew word . The sense ‘top’ is obtained by considering that the prominent part of the staircase is meant by this expression, and that for the purpose here desired, the best possible place was that where Jehu would be set above the people. The generals must have gathered such a company as they could on a short notice, and when Jehu was seated in the best state they could prepare, have made their proclamation while he sat on the extemporized throne.

blew with trumpets ] For this cf. the proclamation of Solomon (1Ki 1:34).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Took every man his garment, and put it under him – The outer cloak of the Jews was a sort of large shawl or blanket, which might well serve for a carpet of state. Such a carpet is commonly represented on the seat of an Assyrian throne in the Nineveh sculptures.

The stairs rose against the walI of the house from the pavement of the court to the level of the upper story, or of the roof. At the top of the stairs would be a flat platform, and this would form a throne, on which the new king could exhibit himself to his subjects.

Blew with trumpets – On this recognized part of the ceremony of a coronation, see 2Ki 11:14; 2Sa 15:10; 1Ki 1:39.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. Took every man his garment] This was a ceremony by which they acknowledged him as king; and it was by such a ceremony that the multitudes acknowledged Jesus Christ for the Messiah and King of Israel, a little before his passion: see Mt 21:7, and the note there. The ceremony was expressive: “As we put our garments under his feet, so we place every thing under his authority, and acknowledge ourselves his servants.”

On the top of the stairs] The Chaldee, the rabbins, and several interpreters, understand this of the public sun-dial; which in those ancient times, was formed of steps like stairs, each step serving to indicate, by its shadow, one hour, or such division of time as was commonly used in that country. This dial was, no doubt, in the most public place; and upon the top of it, or on the platform on the top, would be a very proper place to set Jehu, while they blew their trumpets, and proclaimed him king. The Hebrew maaloth is the same word which is used 2Kg 20:9-11, to signify the dial of Ahaz; and this was probably the very same dial on which that miracle was afterwards wrought: and this dial, maaloth, from alah, to go up, ascend, was most evidently made of steps; the shadows projected on which, by a gnomon, at the different elevations of the sun, would serve to show the popular divisions of time. 2Kg 20:9, &c., and the diagram at the end of that chapter.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Then they hasted; being well-pleased with the thing; partly, from the advantage which hereby they expected; partly, from that desire of change which is in most mens natures; and principally, by Gods providence inclining their hearts to Jehu.

Took every man his garment, and put it under him; a ceremony used in the eastern parts towards superiors, in token of great reverence to his person, that they would not have his feet to touch the ground, and that they put themselves and their concerns under his feet, and into his disposal. See Poole “Mat 21:7“.

On the top of the stairs; in some high and eminent place, whence he might be seen and owned by all the soldiers, who were called together upon this great occasion.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

13. they hasted, and took every manhis garmentthe upper cloak which they spread on the ground, asa token of their homage to their distinguished commander (Mt21:7).

top of the stairsfromthe room where the prophet had privately anointed Jehu. That generalreturned to join his brother officers in the public apartment, who,immediately on learning his destined elevation, conducted him to thetop of the stairs leading to the roof. This was the most conspicuousplace of an Oriental structure that could be chosen, being at thevery top of the gate building, and fully in view of the people andmilitary in the open ground in front of the building [KITTO].The popularity of Jehu with the army thus favored the designs ofProvidence in procuring his immediate and enthusiastic proclamationas king, and the top of the stairs was taken as a most convenientsubstitute for a throne.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs,…. That is, under Jehu, that he might be raised higher, and put on an eminence above them, agreeably to the high rank and dignity he was raised unto, and which they hereby acknowledged; and that he might be conspicuous to others: and this was done upon the top of the stairs, the first and highest of them, which led up either to an upper room, or to a scaffold erected for this purpose; the Targum is, on the degree of hours, a sun dial, a stone on which were engraven the twelve hours of the day, and which, by the sun’s shadow on it, it might be known what hour it was; and at, or upon this stone, they laid their clothes, for Jehu to sit upon; not their wearing apparel, but carpets, or pieces of tapestry, or such like things:

and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king; and they might come the more easily into such an acknowledgment of him as such, though he was anointed by one whom they had just called a mad fellow; being not so well affected to Ahab’s family, and having a great respect for Jehu, the chief commander of the army, and especially being under a particular influence of the divine Providence, which moved them to take such a step.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(13) Then (and) they hasted.LXX., and they heard, and hasted. This is probably original, the sense being that the moment they heard it, they hastily took up their outer garments, and laid them as a carpet for Jehu to walk upon. (Comp. Luk. 19:36.) The instantaneous action of the generals shows that there must have existed a strong feeling against Joram in the army and an enthusiasm for Jehu which only required a word from him to precipitate a revolution.

Put it under him on the top of the stairs.So Kimchi, at the uppermost step. The words are much discussed by commentators. The LXX. has, and put it underneath him on the garem of the steps (retaining the Hebrew word grem); the Syriac, and put it under him on a seat of steps; the Targum, at the steps of the hours, i.e., a flight of steps which served as a sundial (comp. 2Ki. 20:11); the Vulg., and each one, taking his cloak, put it under his feet in similitudinem tribunalis, i.e., in the fashion of a rostrum, or elevated platform; the Arabic, on the steps of the rise (or elevation).

The word grem, rendered top, can hardly have that meaning. In Hebrew it rarely occurs (Pro. 17:22; Pro. 25:15), and means bone, for which in Aramaic it is the usual term (Dan. 6:25). In Arabic the word means body, and it is usually so explained in one passage of the Bible (Gen. 49:14), Issachar is a strong ass; literally, an ass of body. As the Aramaic garm is used in the sense of self, some would render the present phrase, on the stairs themselves. But perhaps we may better translate on the analogy of the Arabic word, They put (their cloaks) under him, on to (el) the body of the stairs. The stairway on the outside of the house, leading to the roof, served as an extemporised throne, or rather platform, for the king. (Comp. 2Ki. 11:14.) Some Hebrew MSS. have upon for on to. (Comp. 2Sa. 21:10, on the rock.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

13. Took every man his garment This spreading of garments down for sovereigns to tread upon was and is a common custom in the East.

Compare Mat 21:7. It was a public expression of subjection and homage.

On the top of the stairs Literally, On the bone of the steps, that is, on the very steps, or stairway, leading up to the house wherein these warriors were assembled. In their haste to proclaim Jehu king, they did not stop to go and erect a suitable platform and a throne, but used for this purpose the very steps of the house where they were sitting. “The stairs doubtless ran round the inside of the quadrangle of the house, as they do now, for instance, in the ruin called the house of Zaccheus at Jericho, and Jehu sat where they joined the flat platform which formed the top or roof of the house. Thus he was conspicuous against the sky, while the captains were below him in the quadrangle.” Stanley.

Blew with trumpets A common custom when a new king was proclaimed. Compare 1Ki 1:39-40.

Jehu is king “Their readiness in throwing off their allegiance to Jehoram is something remarkable. But it was known that the house of Ahab was in this generation doomed to destruction. This was a thing people were not likely to forget. It was known that Elisha, who had sent this man, was a commissioned prophet, authorized to declare the will of the Lord. And it is probable that the military were dissatisfied with the rule of a house so completely under the influence of one bad woman, and the errors and crimes of which had, first and last, brought so much discredit upon the nation. Add to this, that in the absence of a fixed succession to a throne which so many successful adventurers had already won, loyalty sits but lightly upon the soldiery; and they are very prone to vote a popular commander into the throne when it becomes vacant, or even to make it vacant for him.” Kitto.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments