2 Chronicles 21:1

JEHORAM; WICKED SON-IN-LAW OF AHAB; RULES JUDAH

V. JEHORAM (949-942 B.C.)

"This chapter is a commentary on the man who married the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and who walked in their ways (2 Chronicles 21:6). It describes his viciousness and his apostasy (2 Chronicles 21:1-11), and God's condemnation of him through the prophet Elijah, and the failures both national and personal that overwhelmed him as a result (2 Chronicles 21:12-20)."[1]

His evil wife was Athaliah who in time also became a ruler of Judah. She attempted to destroy completely the house of David and almost, but not quite, succeeded in doing so. She was, in many respects, a carbon copy of her evil mother Jezebel. Athaliah was never accepted by Judah, and her name was never included in the list of Judah's legitimate rulers.

THE DEATH OF JEHOSHAPHAT AND SUCCESSION OF JEHORAM

"And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephaliah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. And their father gave them great girls, of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram, because he was the first-born."

"Azariah ... Azariah" (2 Chronicles 21:2). "These names are written differently in the Hebrew: Azarjah and Azarjahu."[2] It is not clear why the translators rendered the two names alike. On the strange identification of Jehoshaphat as king of Israel (2 Chronicles 21:2), this designation was correct, because Judah was indeed the true Israel; and those northern tribes who called themselves Israel were no longer part of God's true Israel.