2 Chronicles Chapter 21    

“All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.” Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah, not Israel. Calling him the king of Israel may be because so many people of Israel migrated into Judah, or it may be because there always should have been a united monarchy with one true king.

“some of the officials of Israel.” In this case, “Israel” may refer to Judah, or it is possible that his wife convinced him to actually kill some of the officials of the northern kingdom, Israel.

“Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to reign.” This is parallel to 2 Kings 8:17.

“Then Jehoram crossed over.” Jehoram crossed over the Jordan River and the Rift Valley.

“pagan shrines.” The Hebrew word “shrines” is bamot, which referred to a place that was leveled and built up and on which were placed various idols and objects of worship. Many of the towns had such shrines (see commentary on Num. 33:52).

“to prostitute themselves.” Both physically and spiritually. Ritual sex was often a part of the worship of pagan gods.

“Elijah.” This is the only mention of Elijah in Chronicles.

“and also have killed your brothers, members of the house of your father.” This indicates that Jehoram likely killed “brothers,” relatives, that were not just his full brothers, but relatives who he felt threatened by.

“afflict your people...with a great affliction.” The Hebrew is more idiomatic, literally, “strike with a great striking.” The word “strike” is sometimes used of a plague, so in some contexts “plague with a great plague.”

“and all your personal property.” This would include any animals or livestock a person owned, and even possibly slaves.

“severe sickness.” The Hebrew is plural, so some versions have “many sicknesses,” but it is likely that the Hebrew is plural of emphasis, a severe sickness. At the end of the sentence in the phrase “because of the sickness,” the word “sickness is singular.

“until your bowels come out because of the sickness.” Jehoram may have had a hernia. Whatever it was, it eventually caused his death (cp. 2 Chron. 21:19).

“the spirit of the Philistines, and also of the Arabians.” These are the same people that gave Jehoram’s father, Asa, gifts (2 Chron. 17:11). Godliness does protect from harm, and godlessness brings trouble.

It is possible that this invasion is the background of Obadiah, although most scholars put Obadiah later than this.

“the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians.” The natural reading of this is that at that time in history, there were some Arabians who had migrated to Africa and were near the Ethiopians.

“Jehoahaz.” He is called Ahaziah in 2 Chronicles 22. The name change just depends on where in the name the “Yah” is put. The root is “ahaz,” to grasp, and here in 2 Chron. 21, the Yah is put in the front, but the Y becomes a J. When the Yah is put at the end, it becomes “Ahaz” “Yah,” or “Ahaziah.”

“Then it happened.” Then “it,” what Elijah said, happened.

“as time passed.” The Hebrew is idiomatic: “to days from days.”

“a memorial fire for him.” Jehoram and other kings were not cremated (Jehoram was buried; 2 Chron. 21:20), but the fire was a way of expressing a memorial for the king’s life (cp. 2 Chron. 16:14).

“and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.” So Jehoram died at 39 years old. So his youngest son Ahaziah could not have been 42 when he began to reign (2 Chron. 22:1), because then Ahaziah would have been older than his father, which is impossible.

“and he departed to no one’s regret.” The Common English Bible has, “No one was sorry when he died,” and this is the most likely meaning of the text, especially in light of the fact that the people would not burn a memorial fire for him or bury him in the tombs of the kings. However, the Hebrew text can legitimately be translated as something like “He departed without joy (or desire)” (cp. CJB).