And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels ,.... Which was a just retaliation to him, for having no bowels of compassion on his brethren whom he slew: until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day ; that continuing day after day, and even year after year, the space of two years, as appears from 2 Chronicles 21:19 . read more
Moreover, the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines ,.... Which had been depressed in the times of Jehoshaphat, to whom they brought their presents and tribute willingly, 2 Chronicles 17:11 . and of the Arabians that were near the Ethiopians ; not the Ethiopians of Africa, as the Targum, for the Arabians were not near them, but the Chusaean Arabs or Midianites, see Numbers 12:1 . The Targum is, the Word of the Lord did this. read more
And they came up into Judah, and brake into it , &c.; l In an hostile manner: and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house , his gold, silver, and precious things, the rich furniture of his palace; no mention is made of any other plunder in the city, or the country; so that they seem to have had their principal eye to the king's palace, and the spoil of that; being so directed by the providence of God, who had stirred them up to do this as a punishment of... read more
After all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease. What it was is not agreed upon; some take it be an "hernia", or rupture; others, the falling of the "anus", or a fistula in it; others, the colic, or iliac passion; but generally it is thought to be a dysentery, or bloody flux; the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord broke him.' read more
And it came to pass that in process of time, after the end of two years ,.... So long he was afflicted and tortured with the above disease: his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness ; either in like manner as Judas's did, Acts 1:18 or as in the manner the bowels of Arius are said to do, while sitting on the seat of the vault F1 Sozomen. Eccl. Hist. l. 2. c. 29, 30. ; or perhaps only what was contained in the bowels is meant, if it was the colic: so he died of sore diseases... read more
Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years ,.... See 2 Kings 8:17 , and departed without being desired ; to live, either by himself, being weary of life through the pain he endured; or by his people, he being so wicked a prince, and so ill beloved by them, that nobody wished to have him live, but were glad to hear of his death; the meaning is, he died unlamented; his death is expressed by a departing out of this world into another, a... read more
And he had brethren - the sons of Jehoshaphat , king of Israel . - Jehoshaphat certainly was not king of Israel, but king of Judah. ישראל Yisrael must be a corruption in the text, for יהודה Yehudah ; which is the reading of the Syriac, Arabic, Septuagint, and Vulgate: the Chaldee, only agrees with the Hebrew text. And the reading of the versions is supported by thirty-eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. The word Judah should therefore be restored to the text. read more
The kingdom gave he to Jehoram - He made him co-partner with himself in the kingdom about three years before his death; so that he reigned only five years after the death of his father Jehoshaphat. See the notes on 2 Kings 8:16 , etc.; and on the same, 2 Chronicles 1:17 , where an attempt is made to settle this disturbed chronology. read more
Slew all his brethren - What a truly diabolic thing is the lust of power! it destroys all the charities of life, and renders those who are under its influence the truest resemblants of the arch fiend. That he might sit the more secure upon his throne, this execrable man imbrues his hands in the blood of his own brothers! There are more instances of this species of cruelty among bad Asiatic kings than among any other class of men. The history of every country abounds in proofs; even... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 21:14
Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people ,.... They going into the same idolatry with himself willingly, at least great part of them, and therefore deserved to be smitten, and which would be a punishment to him: and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods ; which should be carried captive, as the event shows. read more