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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 Chronicles 21:1 - 21:11
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The Wickedness of Jehoram
v. 1. Now, Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David, in the tombs of the kings. And Jehoram, his son, son-in-law of the wicked Ahab of Israel, reigned in his stead. He may have been coregent with his father for a while before this.
v. 2. And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah (Hebrew, Azariahu), and Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel, the word in this instance being the designation of the southern kingdom.
v. 3. And their father gave them, had given them before he died, great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things with fenced cities in Judah, thus assuring to each one an independent income and at least a subordinate position in the kingdom as commandants of fortified cities; but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram, because he was the first-born, he was designated as the crown prince of the realm and the successor of Jehoshaphat, and this decision was accepted without opposition by the other princes.
v. 4. Now, when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, he summoned all his energy, and slew all his brethren with the sword and divers also of the princes of Israel, such as he suspected of a loyal interest in the princes and liable to avenge their death. It was an unwarranted act of tyrannical cruelty, a tragedy showing the wickedness of Jehoram.
v. 5. Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
v. 6. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, in all their idolatry and unexampled wickedness, like as did the house of Ahab, whose evil spirit was Jezebel, the wife of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife; and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, thus completely obliterating the effect of the splendid example of his father, since he encouraged the introduction of every idolatrous custom connected with the worship of the heathen deities.
v. 7. Howbeit, the Lord would not destroy the house of David, richly as Jehoram's behavior merited such a fate, because of the covenant that He had made with David, 2 Samuel 1, and as He promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever, to keep the descendants of David on the throne of Judah and thus to keep his family alive.
v. 8. In his days the Edomites, who had been overthrown by David, 2Sa_8:14, revolted from under the dominion of Judah and made themselves a king, once more proclaiming themselves an independent state.
v. 9. Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, the generals of his army, and all his chariots with him, the strongest division of his army; and he rose up by night, when he found himself surrounded by the enemy's forces, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots, thereby succeeding merely in effecting his escape, while his army promptly fled to the security of their homes.
v. 10. So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day, the time when the original account was written from which the inspired writer drew, for the victory of Amaziah over the Edomites, 2Ch_25:14-16, seems to have had no lasting effects. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand, this being a city with its surrounding territory on the southwestern border, both Philistines and Phenicians aiding them in their rebellion, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.
v. 11. Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, altars on the summits of the mountains dedicated to idolatry, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, spiritual adultery in rejecting Jehovah and in serving false gods, and compelled Judah thereto. The history of Jehoram shows how quickly wicked rulers can undo the reform work of many years. Unbelief, idolatry, false doctrine, is accepted much more readily than the true worship of God.