וַיִּשְׁכַּב יְהוֹשָׁפָט עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹרָם בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃   21:1

2Chr. 21:1   And Jehoshaphat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his forefathers in the city of David, and Jehoram, his son, became king in his place.

This verse is similar to 1Kin. 22:51.

וְלוֹ־אַחִים בְּנֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט עֲזַרְיָה וִיחִיאֵל וּזְכַרְיָהוּ וַעֲזַרְיָהוּ וּמִיכָאֵל וּשְׁפַטְיָהוּ כָּל־אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט   21:2

 מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Chr. 21:2   And his brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah and Jehiel and Zechariah and Azariahu and Michael and Shephatiah.  All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel.

This is the only place that Jehoshaphat’s sons are named.

וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם מַתָּנוֹת רַבּוֹת לְכֶסֶף וּלְזָהָב וּלְמִגְדָּנוֹת עִם־עָרֵי מְצֻרוֹת בִּיהוּדָה וְאֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה   21:3

  נָתַן לִיהוֹרָם כִּי־הוּא הַבְּכוֹר׃

2Chr. 21:3   and their father gave many gifts to them, in silver and in gold and in choicest materials, with stronghold cities throughout Judah, and he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, for he was the first born.

This verse and the next offer new information.

וַיָּקָם יְהוֹרָם עַל־מַמְלֶכַת אָבִיו וַיִּתְחַזַּק וַיַּהֲרֹג אֶת־כָּל־אֶחָיו בֶּחָרֶב וְגַם מִשָּׂרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   21:4

2Chr. 21:4   When Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself, then he killed all his brothers by the sword, and even some of the princes of Israel.

בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה יְהוֹרָם בְּמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   21:5

2Chr. 21:5   Jehoram was thirty-two years of age on his becoming king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years,

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 8:17.

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בֵּית אַחְאָב כִּי בַּת־אַחְאָב הָיְתָה לּוֹ אִשָּׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי   21:6

 יְהוָה׃

2Chr. 21:6   and he walked in the path of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Part of this verse is reminiscent of part of 2Kin. 8:18.

וְלֹא־אָבָה יְהוָה לְהַשְׁחִית אֶת־בֵּית דָּוִיד לְמַעַן הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת לְדָוִיד וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לָתֵת לוֹ נִיר   21:7

 וּלְבָנָיו כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃

2Chr. 21:7   Yet the Lord refused to destroy the house of David because of the covenant that He had made for David, that, as he had promised, to provide a lamp for him and for his sons always.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 8:19.

בְּיָמָיו פָּשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה וַיַּמְלִיכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ׃   21:8

2Chr. 21:8   In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and reestablished a king over themselves.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 8:20.

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוֹרָם עִם־שָׂרָיו וְכָל־הָרֶכֶב עִמּוֹ וַיְהִי קָם לַיְלָה וַיַּךְ אֶת־אֱדוֹם הַסּוֹבֵב אֵלָיו וְאֵת שָׂרֵי הָרָכֶב׃   21:9

2Chr. 21:9   And Jehoram crossed over with his commanders, and all the chariots were with him.  When it was night he rose and smote Edom who had surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots.

This verse and the next are similar to 2Kin. 8:21 and 8:22.

וַיִּפְשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אָז תִּפְשַׁע לִבְנָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ כִּי עָזַב   21:10

 אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָיו׃

2Chr. 21:10   But Edom has revolted from under the hand of Judah until this day.  Then Libnah would revolt at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken the Lord, God of his ancestors.

גַּם־הוּא עָשָׂה־בָמוֹת בְּהָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיֶּזֶן אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּדַּח אֶת־יְהוּדָה׃   21:11

2Chr. 21:11   He also made high places on the mountains of Judah and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem fornicate, and he seduced Judah.

וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו מִכְתָּב מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיךָ תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָלַכְתָּ   21:12

בְּדַרְכֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט אָבִיךָ וּבְדַרְכֵי אָסָא מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה׃

2Chr. 21:12   And writing from Elijah, the prophet, came to him saying, “Thus says the Lord, God of David, your forefather:  ‘Because you do not walk in the ways of Jehoshaphat, your father, or in the ways of Asa, king of Judah,

וַתֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתַּזְנֶה אֶת־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם כְּהַזְנוֹת בֵּית אַחְאָב וְגַם   21:13

אֶת־אַחֶיךָ בֵית־אָבִיךָ הַטּוֹבִים מִמְּךָ הָרָגְתָּ׃

2Chr. 21:13   but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fornicate like the fornications of the house of Ahab, and also your brothers, the house of your father, being better than you, you slew,

הִנֵּה יְהוָה נֹגֵף מַגֵּפָה גְדוֹלָה בְּעַמֶּךָ וּבְבָנֶיךָ וּבְנָשֶׁיךָ וּבְכָל־רְכוּשֶׁךָ׃   21:14

2Chr. 21:14   behold, the Lord is striking a great plague on your people and on your children and on your wives and on all your substance,

וְאַתָּה בָּחֳלָיִים רַבִּים בְּמַחֲלֵה מֵעֶיךָ עַד־יֵצְאוּ מֵעֶיךָ מִן־הַחֹלִי יָמִים עַל־יָמִים׃   21:15

2Chr. 21:15   and you, many ailments, with sickness of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness days upon days.’”

It seems to be clear from 2Kin. 3:11 ff that Elijah had passed before Jehoram’s reign.  As a result, many scholars believe this message, which begins in v. 21:12 above and is not found anywhere else, originated in Heaven.

וַיָּעַר יְהוָה עַל־יְהוֹרָם אֵת רוּחַ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהָעַרְבִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־יַד כּוּשִׁים׃   21:16

2Chr. 21:16   And the Lord roused the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were next to the Ethiopians, against Jehoram,

וַיַּעֲלוּ בִיהוּדָה וַיִּבְקָעוּהָ וַיִּשְׁבּוּ אֵת כָּל־הָרְכוּשׁ הַנִּמְצָא לְבֵית־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגַם־בָּנָיו וְנָשָׁיו וְלֹאָּ   21:17

  נִשְׁאַר־לוֹ בֵּן כִּי אִם־יְהוֹאָחָז קְטֹן בָּנָיו׃

2Chr. 21:17   and they came up into Judah, and they penetrated it and confiscated all the substance that was found belonging to the house of the king, and also his children and his wives, and no son was left to him except only Jehoahaz, youngest of his sons.

                                                                           [Return to Obad. 1:10]                   [Return to 2Chr. 22:1]

וְאַחֲרֵי כָּל־זֹאת נְגָפוֹ יְהוָה בְּמֵעָיו לָחֳלִי לְאֵין מַרְפֵּא׃   21:18

2Chr. 21:18   And after all this, the Lord struck him in his bowels to be incurably sick.

וַיְהִי לְיָמִים מִיָּמִים וּכְעֵת צֵאת הַקֵּץ לְיָמִים שְׁנַיִם יָצְאוּ מֵעָיו עִם־חָלְיוֹ וַיָּמָת בְּתַחֲלֻאִים רָעִיםָּ   21:19

 וְלֹא־עָשׂוּ לוֹ עַמּוֹ שְׂרֵפָה כִּשְׂרֵפַת אֲבֹתָיו׃

2Chr. 21:19   And it was many days and after the passing of time, the end was in two years.  His bowels came out because of his sickness, and he died with malignant diseases.  And his people made no burning for him like the burning of his fathers.

בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם הָיָה בְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּלֹא חֶמְדָּה וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּעִירָּ   21:20

 דָּוִיד וְלֹא בְּקִבְרוֹת הַמְּלָכִים׃

2Chr. 21:20   He was thirty-two on his becoming king, and reigned eight years, and he departed without pleasantness.  And they buried him in the city of David, but not with the tombs of kings.

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