2 Kings 8:18

18 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab's family had done, because his wife was Ahab's daughter. So he did what the LORD considered evil.

2 Kings 8:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 8:18

And he walked in the way of the king's of Israel, as did the
house of Ahab
Imitated them in idolatry:

for the daughter of Ahab was his wife;
whose name was Athaliah, ( 2 Kings 8:26 ) , and by her he was drawn into idolatrous practices; of such bad consequence are marriages with idolaters; it is very much that so good a king as Jehoshaphat his father was should contract such an affinity; he suffered for it in more instances than one:

and he did evil in the sight of the Lord;
was guilty of idolatry, than which nothing was more displeasing to the Lord; for he made high places, and compelled his subjects to commit idolatry, ( 2 Chronicles 21:11 ) .

2 Kings 8:18 In-Context

16 Joram (Ahab's son) was in his fifth year as king of Israel when Jehoram, son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, began to rule. Jehoram ruled while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.

17 He was 32 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem.

18 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab's family had done, because his wife was Ahab's daughter. So he did what the LORD considered evil.

19 But for David's sake the LORD didn't want to destroy Judah. The LORD had told David that he would always give him and his descendants a [shining] lamp.

20 During Jehoram's time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king.