There was then no king in Edom, a deputy was
king.
] Which had been the case from the times of David, who subdued
Edom, and placed garrisons in it, and governors over it, (
2 Samuel
8:14 ) and continued through the reign of Jehoshaphat, unto
the times of his son, under whom the Edomites revolted, and set
up a king of their own, ( 2 Kings 8:20
) , with a view to which this is observed, as also to account for
it how Jehoshaphat could build ships in Eziongeber, which was in
the land of Edom, of which in the next verse, because the whole
country was governed by a viceroy, or deputy, under him.