21:6Jehoram, the new king of Judah, married Athaliah, one of the daughters of King Ahab of Israel. She became the mother of Judah's next king, Ahaziah (22:2). Athaliah’s mother was Jezebel, the most wicked woman Israel had ever known. Jehoram’s marriage to Athaliah was Judah’s downfall, for Athaliah brought her mother’s wicked influence into Judah, causing the nation to forget God and turn to Baal worship (22:3).
Life Application Study Bible2 ChroniclesChapter 21
2 Chronicles 21
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 694, 695
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
212 Chronicles 21
Jehoram Rules in Judah
121 When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then 2 iKos 39-50 his son Jehoram became the next king.: 2Jehoram’s brothers—the other sons of Jehoshaphat—were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.* 3Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of silver, gold, and costly items, andalso 213 1,.; some of Judah’s fortified towns. However, he designated Jehoram as the next king because he was the oldest, 4But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah. SJehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem 2 ‘Roe 8:16-2 4 eight years. 6But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked aS 94.g, King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the 1 Kgs 12:28-30 LORD’s sight. 7But the LORD did not want to destroy David's dynasty, for he had made a cov-, ral 18: enant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a 2 Sam 7:12-17 lamp forever.. 1 Kgs 11:13 8During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. 01.8 9So Jehoram went out with his full army and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him 3 Chr 20:22-23; and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them* under cover of —— darkness. 10Even so, Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. All this happened because Jehoram had abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors. tHe had built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah and 21:4 joss had led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to give themselves to pagan gods andtogoastray. 1 Kgs 11:7 11This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. 13Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. 14So now the LORD is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.” 16Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians,* to attack Jehoram. 17They marched against Judah, broke down its defenses, and carried away everything of value in the royal palace, including the king’s sons and his wives. Only his youngest son, Ahaziah,* was spared. 18After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with the severe intestinal disease. 19The disease grew worse and worse, and at the end of two years it caused his bowels to come out, and he died in agony. His people did not build a great funeral fire to honor him as they had done for his ancestors. 20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.
Textual footnotes
- never set sail for Tarshish.
- tative of the true Israel. See also some Hebrew manuscripts, Greek and Syriac versions, and Latin Vulgate.
- went out and escaped. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- A
- 21:2 Hebrew of Israef; also in 21:4. The author of Chronicles sees Judah as represen-
- 21:9 Or he
- 21:16 Hebrew the Cushites.
- 21:17 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant spelling of Ahaziah; compare 22:1.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
21:7God promised that a descendant ef David would always sit on the throne (2 Samuel 7:8-16). What happened to this promise when the nation was destroyed and carried away? There were two parts to God’s promise. (1) In the physical sense, as long as there was an actual throne in Judah, a descendant of David would sit upon it, But this part of the promise depended on the obedience of these kings. When they disobeyed, God was not bound to continue David's temporal line. (2) In the spiritual sense, this promise was completely fulfilled in the coming of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David, who would sit on the throne of David forever.
21:8-11Jehoram’s reign was marked by sin and cruelty. He married a woman who worshiped idols; he killed his six brothers; he allowed and even promoted idol worship. Yet he was not killed in battle or by treachery—he died by a lingering and painful disease (21:18, 19). Punishment for sin is not always immediate or dramatic. But if we ignore God's laws, we will eventually suffer the consequences of.our sin.
21:12Chronicles mentions Elijah only here. Much more about this great prophet can be found in 1 Kings 17:1—2 Kings 2:11. Elijah’s Profile is found in 1 Kings 17, p. 545.