The shocking end of a powerful queen reveals how a divine decree is carried out with absolute precision, leaving behind only a few remnants that carry profound historical and spiritual meaning. Following her death, her body was left lying outside for an extended period. This delay happened because Jehu, having just completed a series of assassinations, sat down to eat. Only later did he remember his obligation to arrange for her burial. In the meantime, stray dogs, which acted as scavengers during that era, consumed the majority of her remains [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The dogs dragged the main structure of her body, including the spine and thighs, to the field of Naboth the Jezreelite to consume them there. This perfectly fulfilled the prophecy regarding the exact location of her punishment, leaving only her extremities at the site of her death [מלבי״ם].
When messengers finally arrived to bury her, they discovered nothing but her skull [מצודת ציון], along with her feet and the palms of her hands. The primary approach among commentators is that the survival of these specific body parts was not a coincidence, but rather the result of a unique merit she possessed. According to Rabbinic tradition, she made it a practice to bring joy to brides on their wedding days. She would dance with her feet, clap her hands, and nod her head in celebration. Because she actively participated in the joy of a newly wedded couple, those specific limbs were spared from the dogs.
A discussion arises regarding whether these remaining parts were ever buried. On one hand, the prophecy declared that she would have no one to bury her, and indeed, the vast majority of her body was consumed before a burial could take place [רד״ק]. On the other hand, the central approach emerging from the Midrash is that these surviving limbs were ultimately buried. From a legal perspective, the bones of the head, hands, and feet make up the majority of the bones in the human body, making it appropriate to bury them [מלבי״ם]. On a deeper level, limbs that actively participated in the joy of a Commandment are spared from total destruction, as if they themselves rejoice in being saved and receiving a dignified burial [חומת אנך].