John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 21:5-11
Jehoram was thirty two years old ,.... Of these verses; see Gill on 2 Kings 8:17 , 2 Kings 8:18 , 2 Kings 8:19 , 2 Kings 8:20 , 2 Kings 8:21 , 2 Kings 8:22 read more
Jehoram was thirty two years old ,.... Of these verses; see Gill on 2 Kings 8:17 , 2 Kings 8:18 , 2 Kings 8:19 , 2 Kings 8:20 , 2 Kings 8:21 , 2 Kings 8:22 read more
He had the daughter of Ahab to wife - This was Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who was famous for her impieties and cruelty, as was her most profligate mother. It is likely that she was the principal cause of Jehoram's cruelty and profaneness. read more
A life spent in undoing. For the quarter of a century Jehoshaphat spent all his individual power and devoted all the weight of his royal office to the work of establishing piety, justice, and (in consequence) real prosperity throughout his kingdom. And right well he succeeded. When he died he left Judah much purer, stronger, and richer than he found it. Then came his firstborn son in succession to him. And what came with him? What else but a baneful and lamentable undoing of all that he... read more
A reign of unmitigated shame. To the career of Jehoshaphat of almost exemplary excellence, that of Jehoram, his son, forms a contrast most humiliating. Obviously it is not the least painful feature of this latter that it so inevitably forces into our memory the parental fault, which, if it were not the cause and very foundation of an eldest son s abandoned character and course of conduct, could not fail to have given opportunity for it, and could not fail to incur the responsibility before... read more
The character of Jehoram. I. A DEGENERATE SON . 1. The advantages Jehoram possessed. 2 . The disadvantages under which he laboured. II. AN UNNATURAL BROTHER . 1 . The names of Jehoram ' s brothers. Six in number; they had excellent names. 2 . The ranks of Jehoram ' s brothers. Princes of the blood royal, they were well provided for and well placed by their father, whose crown fell to Jehoram as heir-apparent. Great gifts of silver, gold,... read more
He reigned eight years. This rejoin dates to begin with the twenty-second or twenty-third year of the reign of his father Jehoshaphat, according to note on 2 Chronicles 21:1 , above. The parallel of 2 Kings 8:17-21 may be consulted for our 2 Kings 8:5-11 ; our 2 Kings 8:11 , 2 Kings 8:13 expound in clearer detail the "evil" that Jehoram wrought than the narrative of Kings. read more
The daughter of Ahab to wife . That is, Athaliah, called ( 2 Chronicles 22:2 ; 2 Kings 8:26 ) the daughter, that is, granddaughter, of Omri . read more
2 Chronicles 21:5. Jehoram was, &c. Of this and several of the following verses, see notes on 2 Kings 8:17, &c. read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 21:1-11
We find here, I. That Jehoshaphat was a very careful indulgent father to Jehoram. He had many sons, who are here named (2 Chron. 21:2), and it is said (2 Chron. 21:13) that they were better than Jehoram, had a great deal more wisdom and virtue, and lived up to their education, which he went counter to. They were very hopeful, and any of them more fit for the crown than he; and yet, because he was the first-born (2 Chron. 21:3), his father secured the kingdom to him, and portioned his brethren... read more