Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 9:26

"Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith Jehovah; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith Jehovah. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat [of ground], according to the word of Jehovah." — 2 Kings 9:26 (ASV)

Surely. —Literally, if not; a formula of emphatic assertion, which originally must have been something like: “If I have not seen, may I perish.” The inappropriateness of such an expression spoken by the Deity is obvious; but that only shows how completely the original meaning of the formula was forgotten in everyday usage.

Yesterday. —This means that Ahab seized the vineyard the day after the murder of Naboth, a detail not exactly specified in 1 Kings 21:16.

The blood. —The plural (as noted in the margin) implies death by violence (Genesis 4:10).

And the blood of his sons. —The murder of the sons of Naboth is neither stated nor implied in 1 Kings 21, an omission which has needlessly troubled the minds of commentators. Regarding the fact, it would be entirely consistent with ancient practice to kill the sons of one accused of blasphemy along with their father ; and the crafty Jezebel would not be likely to spare persons whose wrongs might one day prove dangerous. The difference in the two narratives is accounted for by the fact that the present is the exact version of an eyewitness, namely, Jehu himself, while the former was probably derived from a less direct source.

Says the Lord. —Literally, is the thing spoken by Jehovah. This phrase, which is uncommon except in the writings of the prophets, and the word rendered “burden” in the last verse, which also belongs to prophetic terminology, together establish the historical authenticity of the short oracle of Elijah, recorded in this verse. Its brevity and the solemnity with which it was pronounced would, we may be sure, stamp it indelibly upon the memory of those who heard it. (Compare 1 Samuel 2:30; and 2 Kings 19:33, see below.)

I will repay you in this plot. —Another important detail not given in the former account.

Plot. — Portion, as in 2 Kings 9:25 (twice).