touched by the generous treatment of his soldiers, that for some considerable space he refrained from further hostilities against the Israelites. During this interval "the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel" (ibid. ver. 23).

But in his heart Benhadad had not laid aside his ambitious projects. It cannot have been many years later that, suddenly and without further provocation, he "gathered all his host," invaded Israel, and, carrying all before him, advanced into the heart of the country, and laid siege to the capital (ver. 24). His troops blocked the city in on every side, and reduced the inhabitants to such straits that "an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver" (ver. 25). The famine within the place was intense. Tender and delicate women were driven to devour their own children; and the king became cognizant of the fact, as he was going the round of the wall, inspecting the garrison (vers. 26-30). Thereupon he threatened to take the life of Elisha, whom he regarded as responsible, since he supposed that, by miracle, the prophet could at any time give deliverance, if he chose. Elisha saved himself by a prophecy-within four and twenty hours, he declared, should wheaten flour be sold in Samaria at the rate of a shekel (half a crown) for a peck and a half, and barley at the rate of a shekel for three pecks (2 Kings vii. 1). Incredible as the prophecy appeared, it produced a certain effect, and procured the prophet a short respite. The general inclination was to wait and see what would be the result, and the king gave way to the popular voice. The morrow was anxiously expected, but ere the morrow's dawn broke, sure intelligence reached Jehoram that the siege was raised. At nightfall the Syrians had heard sounds, which they interpreted as signifying the approach of a vast hostEgyptians, they supposed, or Hittites, summoned to assist them by the Samaritans (ver. 6) :—unprepared to face a new enemy, they fled with all speed "in the twilight," leaving their tents standing, with the baggage animals tethered, and only endeavouring to put a broad space between themselves and their foes. A little knot of deserters-lepers-learnt the facts during the night, and reported them ere morning came to the king. With the first dawn of day, the famished multitude of Samaria quitted the shelter of their walls and poured into the Syrian camp. It was almost as when the Grecian army at Platea

assaulted and took the fortified camp of the Persians. Costly vessels, gold, and precious raiment lay about on all sides (ver. 8), and became the prey of the conquerors. Such an abundance of provisions was found in the camp that Elisha's prediction received its accomplishment in the letter. Ere evening fell, a measure of fine (wheaten) flour was sold for a shekel" in the gate of Samaria, and "two measures of barley" for the same money (ver. 16)—scarcity was replaced by plenty, extreme peril by complete safety, despair by triumph and jubilation. A ghastly circumstance impressed the occurrence with extreme force upon the mind of the people. When Elisha delivered his prophecy, the great lord on whose hand the king of Israel leant had openly declared himself incredulous (ver. 2); Elisha had thereupon warned him, that, though he should witness the accomplishment of the prediction, it should be of no personal advantage to him. Now it happened that this identical lord was selected by Jehoram to preside over the gate of Samaria which lay opposite the Syrian camp, and through which crowds of persons were continually passing and repassing in haste to reach the camp or returning from it with their booty. The crush and throng were such, that in the course of the day, the lord, while striving to preserve order, was himself thrown to the ground by the eager people and unfortunately trampled to death (vers. 17-20).

The further course of the Syrian war is not given in Scripture with any detail; but it appears that Jehoram, shortly after this panic flight of the enemy, took the offensive, and, in conjunction with his nephew and ally, Ahaziah king of Judah, invaded the Syrian possessions in northern Peræa, and recovered the important city of Ramoth-Gilead, which Ahab and Jehoshaphat had failed to take (1 Kings xxii. 29-36; 2 Kings viii. 28, ix. I, 14). He received, however, severe wounds in the course of the siege, and in consequence withdrew to Jezreel for medical aid, leaving his army in Ramoth-Gilead under the command of Jehu, one of the captains of the host, to watch over the place (2 Kings ix. 14) and defend it, should the Syrians attempt its re-capture.

It was while matters were in this position, that Elisha, regarding the fitting time as at last arrived, proceeded to carry out the commission, which had been entrusted to Elijah many

Herod. ix. 80.

years previously (1 Kings xix. 16), of anointing a new king to the throne of Israel in the place of Jehoram, whose sins had forfeited his crown. One of the " sons of the prophets" was sent by him to the Israelite army at Ramoth-Gilead, with instructions to seek out Jehu, the son of Nimshi, and, having obtained a private audience, to anoint him king of Israel with the holy oil of the sanctuary, a portion of which the prophet put into his hands (2 Kings ix. 1). The mission was carried out. The young man hastened to Ramoth-Gilead, and “found Jehu in the midst of his brother-officers, who were probably holding a council of war." He led him apart to a "chamber within a chamber, ¿.e., to the innermost room of the house, hastily explained to him his commission from Elisha," anointed him with the holy oil, and "disappeared, as if fleeing from the sight of men." Jehu went back to his brother-officers, and when asked what the "wild fellow" had come about, taxed them with being in complicity with him and knowing his errand. This they denied (ver. 12), but when Jehu explained that the man had come to "anoint him king over Israel," they readily threw in their lot with his, acclaimed him monarch, and enthroned him after a rude fashion, on the head of the outer staircase which led down from the room wherein they were sitting to the court. Having exhorted them to keep the matter secret, and let no one leave the town to carry the news to Jehoram, Jehu mounted his chariot, and, accompanied by a strong escort, drove in haste to Jezreel. There, as he approached, he was espied from a watch-tower, and the king was informed of the unusual occurrence. After sending two horsemen to inquire whether all was well whom Jehu detained, Jehoram himself, accompanied by Ahaziah king of Judah, who happened to be with him on a visit, went forth from the gate of Jezreel in his chariot, Ahaziah following in another, to meet the new comers. Jehu had been recognized by the warder in the watch-tower, and the kings probably went out to learn what had brought him in such hot haste from his post of duty at Ramoth-Gilead to the royal residence. Had his army suffered a defeat? Were the Syrians on their way to renew the siege of Samaria? "Is all well?" Jehoram asked him, as he drew near. The reply

Ewald, "History of Israel," vol. iv. p. 97, Eng. tr.

2 See the note on 2 Kings ix. 13 in the "Speaker's Commentary," vol. iii. p. 45.

"How

revealed the fact that Jehu was a rebel and an enemy. can all be well, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her many witchcrafts, continue?" Jehoram understood the situation in a single moment, and turned and fled, shouting a warning to his brother monarch (ver. 23). But the movement and the warning were alike too late. Jehu seized his bow, and shot Jehoram in the back immediately between the shoulders, with such force that the arrow pierced to the heart, and the king sank down in his chariot and died. The scene of the fatal deed was close by "the plat of Naboth"; and Jehu, remembering the prophecy of Elijah (1 Kings xxi. 21), ordered Jehoram's body to be cast into the plat and left to the dogs and vultures. Ahaziah was also pursued by Jehu's orders, and wounded so that he died.

Thus perished Jehoram, the last monarch of the house of Omri, which had reigned for three generations and had given four kings to Israel. He was a less irreligious ruler than either his father or his brother, and submitted himself in a certain measure to the guidance of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings vi. 2123); but his character, on the whole, was weak and unsatisfactory; he had no stability of principle, no strong religious convictions. The influence of his mother dominated him ; and he was himself subject to sudden impulses, which, if they had not met with external restraint, might have led him to the commission of great crimes (ibid. ver. 31). As a military commander his talents were respectable, but not first-rate. He somewhat raised the position of Israel among the nations which surrounded her; but he was unable to assume any great or commanding position. In the eye of the general historian, the leading figures of the time are rather Benhadad and Hazael, than Ahaziah or Jehoram. The reign of Jehoram lasted twelve years.

∞

CHAPTER XIV.

JEHORAM OF JUDAH.

Date of Jehoram's accession-Probably associated in the kingdom by his father-His sole reign- Unsuccessful war with Edom Revolt of Libnah-Jerusalem plundered by the Philistines and Arabs-Baalworship introduced into Judah through the influence of Athaliah— Character of Jehoram-Warning reaches him from Elijah-His sickness and death.

THE successor of Jehoshaphat on the throne of Judah was his son Jehoram (1 Kings xxii. 50). There is some doubt about the time of his accession. In 2 Kings i. 17, his reign is made to precede by a year that of Jehoram of Israel; but in 2 Kings viii. 16 the order is reversed, and the Judæan Jehoram only becomes king in the fifth year of his Israelite namesake. The accounts are reconciled by the not improbable supposition that Jehoshaphat associated his son, Jehoram, with him in the kingdom in his sixteenth year, when he was about to join Ahab in his attack upon Ramoth-Gilead, and that the two reigned conjointly till Jehoshaphat's death in his twenty-fifth year, when Jehoram became sole king. He then had a reign of eight years, which was signalized by a series of disasters. First, the Edomites rose up in rebellion against him (2 Kings viii. 20), and, though Jehoram invaded their country, penetrating as far as Mount Seir,' and defeated their forces by a night attack, when they had surrounded him and brought him into peril (2 Kings viii. 21), yet he found it impossible to re-subjugate the people, and was compelled after a time to withdraw, and acknowledge their independence. About the same time, probably while the war was in progress within the territory of Idumæa, and the

The "Zair" of 2 Kings viii. 21, from which it differs only in the sibilant, which is instead of .