2 Kings 8 Study Notes

8:19 Again, as in the case of the wicked king Abijam (1Kg 15:4-5), God tolerated and preserved a wicked king and his kingdom because of David’s character. The paradigm of Jeroboam I was an evil force that destroyed his successors. The faithful example of David preserved even wicked successors and a wicked kingdom from destruction.

8:20-21 During the reigns of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, both kingdoms could make claims of empire, though Ahab was clearly the senior member of the alliance. These verses record the loss of Judah’s last pretense to empire for this cycle as both kingdoms moved into a period of idol worship and weakness.

The brief description of the night attack against surrounding Edomites could be translated in two ways. The critical sentence could be either “at night he and his chariot officers attacked the surrounding Edomites” or “at night he attacked the surrounding Edomites and their chariot officers.” The first option is more likely because, even in decline, Judah was more likely to have a small chariot division than Edom was. Then the next sentence, “The people (his troops) fled to their tents (homes),” is also ambiguous. “The people” could be the Edomites, who fled so that the rebellion was not crushed, or they could have been Jehoram’s chariots, who went home without subduing the rebellion. This time the second option is more likely. By losing control of Edom, Judah lost control of the caravan routes to the south. Judah also lost Libnah on the border of the former Philistine territory.

8:22 Today refers to the date of the writing of an earlier document that was incorporated into the canonical version of 2 Kings. The final composer of 2 Kings incorporated parts of this earlier document into his finished work.

8:23-24 The closing statements for Jehoram’s rule are completely formulaic.

8:25-27 The corrupting relationship with the house of Omri and Ahab is highlighted: his mother was from that family. The ways of . . . Ahab probably alludes to bringing the worship of Baal-melkart into Judah (see note at 1Kg 16:25).

8:28-29 The notice about the continued conflict with Hazael of Damascus informs the reader that Israel, with Judah as an ally, could still contest control of Gilead with Hazael, the new, more aggressive ruler of Damascus. The big step in the decline of Israel’s political power would come with Jehu’s widespread massacres. There is no notice for the end of Ahaziah’s reign since his death is recorded later as part of Jehu’s massacres.