Jehoram's Actions Compared to His Brothers in 2 Chronicles
Jehoram, king of Judah, distinguished himself from his brothers by initiating his reign with a brutal consolidation of power, murdering all six of his siblings and several Israelite leaders [1, 2, 4]. This act is explicitly recorded in 2 Chronicles 21:4, which states, "And Jehoram rose up over the kingdom of his father and made himself strong. And he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also of the leaders of Israel" [1]. Flavius Josephus also records this event, noting that Jehoram "betook himself to the slaughter of his brethren, and his father's friends, who were governors under him, and thence made a beginning and a demonstration of his wickedness" [4].
This action stands in stark contrast to the provisions made by his father, Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat had carefully arranged for his other sons, Jehoram's brothers, to be well-provided for, giving them "presents in silver, gold, and precious things," and appointing them as commandants of fortresses in Judah with ample revenues [6, 9]. While Jehoshaphat secured the kingdom for Jehoram as the firstborn, he ensured his other sons would be comfortable and not pose a threat to Jehoram's rule [6, 10]. Matthew Henry notes that these brothers were likely "better than Jehoram, had a great deal more wisdom and virtue," making Jehoram's decision to murder them even more egregious [10].
The biblical narrative in 2 Chronicles highlights Jehoram's wickedness from the outset of his sole reign [4, 11]. While he had previously reigned with his father for some years, his full assumption of power was marked by this violent purge [7]. John Gill suggests that Jehoram "strengthened himself" in the kingdom by securing the loyalty of princes and people, and then, feeling established, hardened his heart to commit the murders [7]. This act was a clear departure from the righteous reign of his father, Jehoshaphat, who is consistently portrayed as one of Judah's good kings [11].
It is important to distinguish Jehoram of Judah from Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, who also reigned during this period [5]. The Jehoram of Israel, though still considered a "bad man," is noted for removing his father's idols, indicating a degree of reform, albeit limited [8, 12, 13]. Matthew Henry suggests that Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab's house, while detrimental to his own family, might have influenced some positive changes in Ahab's line, including Jehoram of Israel's actions [8]. However, the Jehoram of Judah, the subject of 2 Chronicles 21, showed no such commendable actions at the start of his reign; instead, he plunged his kingdom into violence and wickedness [11]. The book of 2 Kings also records the acts of Jehoram of Judah, referring to "the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah" for further details [3].
Sources
- II Chronicles “II Chronicles 21:4 (LITV) — And Jehoram rose up over the kingdom of his father and made himself strong. And he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also of the leaders of Israel.”
- 2 Chronicles “Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and various also of the princes of Israel. -- 2 Chronicles 21:4”
- II Kings “II Kings 8:23 (BSB) — As for the rest of the acts of Jehoram, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 5, section 1: . Concerning The Wickedness Of Jehoram King Of Jerusalem; His Defeat And Death. 1. Now Jehoram the king of Jerusalem, for we have said before that he had the same name with the king of Israel, as soon as he had taken the government upon him, betook himself to the slaughter of his brethren, and his father's friends, who were governors under him, and thence made a beginning and a demonstration of his wickedness; nor was he at all better than those kings of Israel who at first transgressed against the laws of their country, and of t”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jehoram — (whom Jehovah has exalted). + Son of Ahab king of Israel, who succeeded his brother Ahaziah B.C. 896, and died B.C. 884. The alliance between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, commenced by his father and Jehoshaphat, was very close throughout his reign. We first find him associated with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom in a war against the Moabites. The three armies were in the utmost danger of perishing for want of water. The piety of Jehoshaphat suggested an inquiry of Jehovah, thorough Elisha. After reproving Jehoram, Elisha, for Jehoshaphat's sake, inqui”
- 2 Chronicles (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Chronicles 21:1: Ch2 21:1-3 Jehoshaphat's death, and the slaughter of his sons by Joram. - Ch2 21:2, Ch2 21:3. Joram had six brothers, whom their father had plentifully supplied with means of subsistence - presents in silver, gold, and precious things - "in the fenced cities of Judah;" i.e., he had made them, as Rehoboam also had made his sons, commandants of fortresses, with ample revenues; but the kingdom he gave to Joram as the first-born. Among the six names two Azariah's occur, - the one written Azarjah, the other Azarjahu. Jehoshaphat is called king of Israel instea”
- 2 Chronicles (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Chronicles 21:3: Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father,.... Succeeded him in it, and reigned alone, for he had reigned with his father some years before his death; see Gill on Kg2 8:16, he strengthened himself; in the kingdom, by some means or another closely attaching the greater part of the princes, and people of the land, unto him, when he thought himself well settled and established on the throne; though some understand it of making strong, or hardening his heart to do what is next mentioned: and slew all his brethren with the sword; either to get th”
- 2 Kings (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 3:1: Jehoram, the son of Ahab, and brother of Ahaziah, is here upon the throne of Israel; and, though he was but a bad man, yet two commendable things are here recorded of him: - I. That he removed his father's idols. He did evil in many things, but not like his father Ahab or his mother Jezebel, Kg2 3:2. Bad he was, but not so bad, so overmuch wicked, as Solomon speaks, Ecc 7:17. Perhaps Jehoshaphat, though by his alliance with the house of Ahab he made his own family worse, did something towards making Ahab's better. Jehoram saw his father and brother cut off for wo”
- 2 Chronicles (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Chronicles 21 (introduction): JEHORAM SUCCEEDS JEHOSHAPHAT. (Ch2 21:1-4) Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers . . . Jehoram . . . reigned--The late king left seven sons; two of them are in our version named Azariah; but in the Hebrew they appear considerably different, the one being spelt "Azariah," and the other "Azariahu." Though Jehoshaphat had made his family arrangements with prudent precaution, and while he divided the functions of royalty in his lifetime (compare Kg2 8:16), as well as fixed the succession to the throne in his oldest son, he appointed each o”
- 2 Chronicles (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 21:1: We find here, I. That Jehoshaphat was a very careful indulgent father to Jehoram. He had many sons, who are here named (Ch2 21:2), and it is said (Ch2 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 (Ch2 21:3), his father secured the kingdom to him, and portioned his brethren and disposed of them so as that they would be easy and give him no disturbance; a”
- 2 Chronicles (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 21 (introduction): Never surely did any kingdom change its king so much for the worse as Judah did, when Jehoram, one of the vilest, succeeded Jehoshaphat, one of the best. Thus were they punished for not making a better use of Jehoshaphat's good government, and their disaffectedness (or coldness at least) to his reformation, Ch2 20:33. Those that knew not now to value a good king are justly plagued with a bad one. Here is, I. Jehoram's elevation to the throne (Ch2 21:1-3). II. The wicked course he took to establish himself in it, by the murder of his brethren (Ch”
- 2 Kings (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Kings 3:1: Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah,.... So that the two years of the reign of his brother Ahaziah were not complete, only part of the seventeenth and part of the eighteenth of Jehoshaphat, since he began to reign in his seventeenth year, at the beginning of that, and died towards the close of the eighteenth, when Jehoram succeeded him, see Kg1 22:51, and reigned twelve years. , and reigned twelve years. 2 Kings 3:2 kg2 3:2 kg2 3:2 kg2 3:2And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord,....”
- 2 Kings (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Kings 3 (introduction): JEHORAM'S EVIL REIGN OVER ISRAEL. (Kg2 3:1-3) Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat--(compare Kg1 22:51). To reconcile the statements in the two passages, we must suppose that Ahaziah, having reigned during the seventeenth and the greater part of the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, was succeeded by his brother Joram or Jehoram, in the end of that eighteenth year, or else that Ahaziah, having reigned two years in conjunction with his father, died at the end of that period when Jeho”