2 Kings 8:20

A SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF JORAM (JEHORAM) IN JUDAH

"In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents. So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then did Libnah revolt at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead."

The Edomites had been subjected by David and remained under the dominion of Solomon, from whom they revolted for a time when the kingdom divided. However, they again came under the dominion of Judah during the reign of Jehoshaphat, but this revolt against Joram resulted in their independence. "They remained from henceforth a separate and independent nation; and the kings of Edom are often mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions."[30]

"The text of 2 Kings 8:21 here is confused";[31] but what seems to be reported here is a disastrous route of Joram's army and his being surrounded by the Edomite troops. "Jehoram with his chariots was able to break through the surrounding Edomites and escape with his life, leaving the rest of his army to escape as best they could."[32]

"This military disaster which stopped just short of being complete ... was followed by the loss of Libnah a city to the southwest of Judah, probably in the area of the Philistines."[33]