2Ch 21:1-5 | Clarke | STEP | Jehoram succeeds his father Jehoshaphat; and commences his reign with the murder of his brethren, and of several of the princes of Israel, . He walks in the way of Ahab, whose bad daughter, Athaliah, he had married, . God remembers his covenant with David, and does not destroy the nation, . The Edomites revolt, . Jehoram restores the high places in the mountains of Judah, and greatly corrupts the morals of the people, . A letter comes to him from Elijah, . The Philistines and Arabians come up against him, pillage his house, and take away his wives, with all his sons except Jehoahaz, , . He is smitten with an incurable disease in his bowels; of which, in two years, he dies miserably, after a profligate reign of eight years, .

‏ 2 Chronicles 21:1-5

Introduction

Jehoram succeeds his father Jehoshaphat; and commences his reign with the murder of his brethren, and of several of the princes of Israel, 2Chr 21:1-5. He walks in the way of Ahab, whose bad daughter, Athaliah, he had married, 2Chr 21:6. God remembers his covenant with David, and does not destroy the nation, 2Chr 21:7. The Edomites revolt, 2Chr 21:8-10. Jehoram restores the high places in the mountains of Judah, and greatly corrupts the morals of the people, 2Chr 21:11. A letter comes to him from Elijah, 2Chr 21:12-15. The Philistines and Arabians come up against him, pillage his house, and take away his wives, with all his sons except Jehoahaz, 2Chr 21:16, 2Chr 21:17. He is smitten with an incurable disease in his bowels; of which, in two years, he dies miserably, after a profligate reign of eight years, 2Chr 21:18-20. Verse 2

And he had brethren - the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel. - Jehoshaphat certainly was not king of Israel, but king of Judah. ישראל Yisrael must be a corruption in the text, for יהודה Yehudah; which is the reading of the Syriac, Arabic, Septuagint, and Vulgate: the Chaldee, only agrees with the Hebrew text. And the reading of the versions is supported by thirty-eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. The word Judah should therefore be restored to the text. Verse 3

The kingdom gave he to Jehoram - He made him co-partner with himself in the kingdom about three years before his death; so that he reigned only five years after the death of his father Jehoshaphat. See the notes on 2Kgs 8:16, etc.; and on the same, 2Chr 1:17, where an attempt is made to settle this disturbed chronology. Verse 4

Slew all his brethren - What a truly diabolic thing is the lust of power! it destroys all the charities of life, and renders those who are under its influence the truest resemblants of the arch fiend. That he might sit the more secure upon his throne, this execrable man imbrues his hands in the blood of his own brothers! There are more instances of this species of cruelty among bad Asiatic kings than among any other class of men. The history of every country abounds in proofs; even that of our own is not the least barren.