2 Chronicles 21 Study Notes

21:1 Jehoram: Fifth king of Judah; son of Jehoshaphat; promoted Baal worship; brought calamity on Judah. In the next few chapters, we speed through several generations. Because the reigns end early, the kings get younger and younger, leading up to Athaliah usurping the throne of Judah when the next rightful heir was only one year old. Jehoshaphat was about eighteen years old when Jehoram was born. Jehoshaphat ascended the throne at thirty-five and ruled for twenty-five years. His son Jehoram ruled for eight years. Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became king at age twenty-two but reigned for only one year. When Ahaziah died he left behind an infant heir-apparent.

21:2-6 Jehoshaphat may have thought that by having his son Jehoram marry the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (v. 6), Jehoram might eventually become ruler of a kingdom that was once again united, and thus perhaps return all Israel to the worship of God and obedience to the law. But rather than being a new David, Jehoram became the personification of Ahab in Judah. Together with Athaliah, his wife, Jehoram began to refashion the kingdom of Judah so it would look just like the northern kingdom, where Baal was supreme and assassination was the preferred method of changing government. As soon as Jehoram had full grasp of the southern kingdom, he proceeded to kill all his brothers and anyone else who might have some claim on the throne.

21:7 The only reason the Lord did not destroy Jehoram was that he graciously continued to fulfill his promise that the Davidic dynasty would last (see note at 6:40-42; cp. 2Sm 7:13,16; Ps 89:29).

21:8-9 The Edomites had suffered defeat during the time of Jehoram’s father, Jehoshaphat. When they realized that Jehoram was not worshiping the same powerful God as Jehoshaphat had done (see v. 10; cp. 20:29), they declared their independence from Judah and reestablished their own government. Jehoram set out to attack the insurgent Edomites, crossing into their territory with bulky chariots and a large force, but God was not on his side. He quickly found himself surrounded.

21:10 The report that Edom is still in rebellion . . . today shows that Jehoram’s mission was unsuccessful. Also, the town of Libnah in Judah rebelled against Jehoram. The citizens of this town refused to follow Jehoram because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. Not everyone turned a blind eye to the disaster into which Jehoram was taking his country.

21:11 Jehoram kept busy installing places of idol worship throughout Judah. The statement that he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves can be both literal and symbolic. In a symbolic sense, the people were committing spiritual adultery; in the literal sense, many of the pagan practices involved sexual lewdness. While it is the king’s duty to provide spiritual leadership and he is held responsible when his people are led astray, ultimately the people are also responsible for their own actions. People can always refuse to follow a wicked king, as the people of Libnah proved (v. 10; cp. Ac 4:18-20).

21:12-15 Since Jehoram was Ahab’s son-in-law, it is not surprising that the prophet Elijah—Ahab’s long-standing opponent—chastised Jehoram for the same behavior for which he had rebuked Ahab. Elijah’s letter mentioned the many sins that Jehoram had committed, including idolatry and fratricide, and promised a swift and harsh punishment. Just as Jehoram eliminated his brothers, now Jehoram’s household would be eliminated.

21:16-17 It had not been long since the Philistines and their Arab neighbors had come calling on Jehoshaphat of Judah (17:11) to bring tribute. Now they came calling again, but this time they took back the tribute and everything else in the king’s palace. They killed all of Jehoram’s sons except Jehoahaz (who is subsequently called Ahaziah) and all his wives except Athaliah, the one who shared responsibility for this catastrophe.

21:18-20 Just as Elijah had predicted, Jehoram contracted a horrible disease in his intestines from which he eventually died. None of his subjects mourned his departure. He was not accorded a ceremonial fire of honor, and he was not buried alongside other kings of Judah.