2 Kings 8:21

21 Jehoram along with all his chariots crossed over to Zair. He got up at night to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but his army fled back home.

2 Kings 8:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 8:21

So Joram went over to Zair
A city in Edom, the same with the Zaara of Ptolemy ^F9; some take it to be the same with Seir, the mountain or country of that name:

and all the chariots with him;
all the chariots of war he had:

and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about;
who came out of their cities in great numbers, and surrounded him, he having entered into their country in an hostile way, to subdue them:

and the captains of the chariots:
which belonged to the Edomites; those he smote, ( 2 Chronicles 21:9 )

and the people fled into their tents;
the army being routed.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Geograph. l. 5. c. 17.

2 Kings 8:21 In-Context

19 Nevertheless, because of his servant David, the LORD wasn't willing to destroy Judah. The LORD had promised to preserve a lamp for David and his sons forever.

20 During Jehoram's rule Edom rebelled against Judah's power and appointed their own king.

21 Jehoram along with all his chariots crossed over to Zair. He got up at night to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but his army fled back home.

22 So Edom has been independent of Judah to this day. Libnah rebelled at the same time.

23 The rest of Jehoram's deeds and all that he accomplished, aren't they written in the official records of Judah's kings?

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb Joram (also in 8:23-24); the king’s name is usually spelled in its long form Jehoram (cf 2 Chron 21:9).
• [b]. Heb uncertain