1 Now Iehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid: and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his stead.
2 And he had brethren the sonnes of Iehoshaphat, Azariah, and Iehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: All these were the sonnes of Iehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 And their father gaue them great giftes of siluer and of golde, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Iudah: but the kingdome gaue hee to Iehoram, because he was the first borne.
4 Now when Iehoram was risen vp to the kingdome of his father, he strengthened himselfe, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and diuers also of the Princes of Israel.
5 ¶ Iehoram was thirtie and two yeeres olde when hee began to reigne, and hee reigned eight yeeres in Ierusalem.
6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for hee had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was euill in the eyes of the Lord.
7 Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of Dauid, because of the couenant that hee had made with Dauid, and as hee promised, to giue a light to him and to his sons for euer.
8 ¶ In his dayes the Edomites reuolted from vnder the dominion of Iudah, and made themselues a king.
9 Then Iehoram went forth with his Princes, and all his charets with him: and he rose vp by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captaines of the charets.
10 So the Edomites reuolted from vnder the hand of Iudah vnto this day. The same time also did Libnah reuolt from vnder his hand, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.
11 Moreouer, he made high places in the mountaines of Iudah, and caused the inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Iudah thereto.
12 ¶ And there came a writing to him from Eliiah the Prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iehoshaphat thy father, nor in the wayes of Asa king of Iudah:
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to goe a whoring, like to the whoredomes of the house of Ahab, and also hast slaine thy brethren of thy fathers house, which were better then thy selfe:
14 Behold, with a great plague wil the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wiues, and all thy goods.
15 And thou shalt haue great sicknesse by disease of thy bowels, vntil thy bowels fall out, by reason of the sickenesse day by day.
16 ¶ Moreouer, the Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were neere the Ethiopians.
17 And they came vp into Iudah, and brake into it, and caried away all the substance that was found in the kings house, and his sonnes also and his wiues; so that there was neuer a sonne left him, saue Iehoahaz, the yongest of his sonnes.
18 ¶ And after all this, the Lord smote him in his bowels, with an incurable disease.
19 And it came to passe, that in processe of time, after the end of two yeres, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickenesse: so hee dyed of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
20 Thirtie and two yeeres old was he when he began to reigne, and he reigned in Ierusalem eight yeeres, and departed without being desired: howbeit, they buried him in the citie of Dauid, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
The wicked reign of Jehoram. (1-11) Jehoram's miserable end. (12-20)1-11 Jehoram hated his brethren, and slew them, for the same reason that Cain hated Abel, and slew him, because their piety condemned his impiety. In the mystery of Providence such men sometimes prosper for a time; but the Lord has righteous purposes in permitting such events, part of which may now be made out, and the rest will be seen hereafter.
12-20 A warning from God was sent to Jehoram. The Spirit of prophecy might direct Elijah to prepare this writing in the foresight of Jehoram's crimes. He is plainly told that his sin should certainly ruin him. But no marvel that sinners are not frightened from sin, and to repentance, by the threatenings of misery in another world, when the certainty of misery in this world, the sinking of their estates, and the ruin of their health, will not restrain them from vicious courses. See Jehoram here stripped of all his comforts. Thus God plainly showed that the controversy was with him, and his house. He had slain all his brethren to strengthen himself; now, all his sons are slain but one. David's house must not be wholly destroyed, like those of Israel's kings, because a blessing was in it; that of the Messiah. Good men may be afflicted with diseases; but to them they are fatherly chastisements, and by the support of Divine consolations the soul may dwell at ease, even when the body lies in pain. To be sick and poor, sick and solitary, but especially to be sick and in sin, sick and under the curse of God, sick and without grace to bear it, is a most deplorable case. Wickedness and profaneness make men despicable, even in the eyes of those who have but little religion.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.