2 Kings 9:25
“Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jehu instructs his captain Bidkar to cast Joram's body into Naboth's field, reminding him of the prophecy spoken years before when they rode with Ahab.
Context
This verse reveals that Jehu served under Ahab and was present when prophecy was spoken against the king's house. The burden refers to the oracle of judgment. Bidkar is called as a witness to the fulfillment of what was declared.
What Does 2 Kings 9:25 Mean?
Jehu speaks now with the voice of one who remembers. He calls to his captain Bidkar and reminds him: we rode together in those days when Ahab was king. We heard the word of the LORD spoken against this house. That word, which seemed distant then, which we may have tried to forget or ignore, is now being fulfilled. The body of Joram must be cast into the field of Naboth not out of contempt for the dead, but as a witness. The grave itself will speak the truth that Jehu is not acting on his own authority but as the executor of prophecy.
In this moment, we see Jehu's awareness that he is not an autonomous actor but a vessel for God's will. He speaks as one who understands the long arc from prophecy to fulfillment, from the word spoken to the deed accomplished. He calls Bidkar as a witness precisely because there were witnesses to the original word. The memory of the prophet's word, preserved and now enacted, is what gives weight and meaning to what is occurring.
In the Original Language
Masa (משא), burden -- the prophetic word of judgment, particularly the oracle against Ahab spoken by Elijah (1 Kings 21:19)
Application
When we remember the word of the Lord and see it fulfilled in our own time, we are called to bear witness. We are to speak and act as those who have heard and seen, who can testify to the faithfulness of God's word across years and generations.