2 Chronicles chapter 21

Jehoram becomes king of Judah.

 


 

JEHORAM BECOMES KING OF JUDAH

 

VERSE 1. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers. That is, “Jehoshaphat died.”

Jehoram his son reigned in his place. Jehoshaphat’s firstborn son Jehoram becomes king.

Like many of our politicians of today, Jehoram is self-centered. And cruel. And does evil but calls it good.

 

VERSE 2. He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

Jehoshaphat king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was actually the king of Judah.

But in this verse, the Hebrew word is “Israel.”

 

VERSE 3. Their father gave them great gifts of silver, of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

 

VERSE 4. Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.

he killed all his brothers with the sword. Jehoram slaughters his own brothers.

He is cruel and self-centered. And does evil but calls it good.

 

VERSE 5. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

 

VERSE 6. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he had Ahab’s daughter as his wife. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.

He walked in the way of the kings of Israel. That is, he is cruel and self-centered. And does evil but calls it good.

And he worships idols.

 

VERSE 7. However the LORD would not destroy David’s house, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children always.

to give a lamp to him. The house of David was to be a light. It was to shine to the farthest corner of the world.

In our own lives, the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to be a light that shines.

In ancient days, a candle burned in the Tent of Meeting. But in our day, the light is to shine from within us. How can you let your light shine? Read more »

 

VERSE 8. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

 

VERSE 9. Then Jehoram went there with his captains and all his chariots with him. He rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of the chariots.

 

VERSE 10. So Edom has been in revolt from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.

 

VERSE 11. Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute, and led Judah astray.

made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute. Jehoram requires his people to worship idols.

led Judah astray. Jehoram leads his nation into decrepitude.

 

VERSE 12. A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “the LORD, the God of David your father, says, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

from Elijah the prophet. The great Elijah the prophet intervenes.

 

VERSE 13. but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the prostitute like Ahab’s house did, and also have slain your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than yourself,

 

VERSE 14. behold, the LORD will strike your people with a great plague, including your children, your wives, and all your possessions;

strike your people with a great plague. Because of Jehoram, the entire nation will suffer.

But Jehoram is self-centered and cruel. And does evil but calls it good.

So he won’t care that people suffer because of his actions.

 

VERSE 15. and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’ ”

until your bowels fall out. This is great suffering.

 

VERSE 16. The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians;

 

VERSE 17. and they came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, including his sons and his wives, so that there was no son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

 

VERSE 18. After all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

 

VERSE 19. In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

 

VERSE 20. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in David’s city, but not in the tombs of the kings.

He departed with no one’s regret. Jehoram dies an unlamented death.

Not one person grieves for this cruel, self-centered, evil man.

 


next chapter »

« previous chapter


2 CHRONICLES

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Mount Moriah, The Cloud of Glory

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.