2 Kings 8:16-24

Joram Reigns in Judah

16 Now in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Joram son of Jehoshaphat became the king of Judah.
17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife, and he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh.
19 Yet Yahweh was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, as he had promised to give him a lamp for his sons always.
20 In his days, Edom rebelled {against the rule} of Judah, and they set up a king over them.
21 So Joram crossed over to Zair and all the chariots with him. It happened that he arose [by] night and attacked Edom who had surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots; but the army fled to their tents.
22 So Edom has rebelled {against the rule} of Judah until this day; then Libnah [also] rebelled at that time.
23 The remainder of the acts of Joram and all that he did, [are] they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?
24 So Joram slept with his ancestors, and he was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son became king in place of him.

2 Kings 8:16-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of some advice Elisha had formerly given to the Shunammite woman, and of the success of it, 2Ki 8:1-6 and of the sickness of the king of Syria, who sent to Elisha, then being at Damascus, by Hazael, to know whether he should recover; by whom a message was returned, and Hazael was told by the prophet he should be king of Syria, and exercise great cruelty in Israel, 2Ki 8:7-15 and of the bad reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, over Judah, 2Ki 8:16-24 and of the reign of his son Ahaziah, 2Ki 8:25-29.

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. This likely indicates a coregency in Judah at the time.
  • [b]. Literally "from under the hand"
  • [c]. Literally "from under the hand"
  • [d]. Or "fathers"
  • [e]. Or "fathers"
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