Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.
Parallel Translations
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Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.
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Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.
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Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to 2 Chronicles 21:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Judges 9:5 He went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
- Genesis 4:8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
- 2 Chronicles 21:17 and they came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, including his sons and his wives; so that there was no son left him, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
- 2 Chronicles 22:10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah.
- Judges 9:56-57 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in killing his seventy brothers; and God repaid all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads; and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came on them.
- 2 Chronicles 22:8 When Jehu was executing judgment on Ahab’s house, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, serving Ahaziah, and killed them.
- 1 John 3:12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Because the wicked live ever in fear, and also…
Because the wicked live ever in fear, and also are ambitious, they become cruel, and spare not to murder them, whom by nature they ought most to cherish and defend.
Meaning, of Judah and Benjamin.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Ch 21:4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to…
2Ch 21:4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and [divers] also of the princes of Israel.
Ver. 4. He strengthened himself.] By gifts, likely, he gained to his party vain men, as Jeroboam also did, in those cities that were given to his brethren.
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He slew all his brethren with the sword.] All, lewd losel (profligate)! what a bloody foundation was here laid of his kingdom - not unlike that of Cain, of Cambyses, of Romulus, of Jugurtha, of Caracalla, of the cruel Turks at this day - but it came home to him, as God is the avenger of all such. See God’s judgments upon his sons shortly after, {2Ch 21:17} and also upon his grandchildren. {2Ch 22:10-11} Only Jehoahaz was left of the one, and Joash of the other; and these also merely for God’s promise’ sake to David. {2Ch 21:7}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He strengthened himself; he took courage and hardened his…
He strengthened himself; he took courage and hardened his heart, as that word sometimes signifies.
Slew all his brethren with the sword; partly because they either did, or he knew that they would, oppose him in his wicked designs; and partly for his own security, lest his people, who, as he believed, would be highly exasperated with the execution of his counsels, should advance any of them to the throne, and depose him.
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Of the princes of Israel; either,
1. Of Judah, here called Israel, or which See Poole "2Ch 21:2". Or,
2. The princes or chief men of Israel, properly so called; not the princes of all Israel, or of the several tribes thereof, but the chief of those Israelites who, out of love to God and to the true religion, had forsaken their estates and worthy advantages in the kingdom of Israel, and were now incorporated with the kingdom of Judah. These he especially struck at, either,
1. Because his wife instigated him thereunto, both to punish them for their revolt from her father, and to deter others from following their example. Or,
2. Because he justly and truly thought these would be most firm and constant to and zealous for that religion which he was resolved to oppose, being both by their conscience and interest obliged to it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Jehoram was thirty two years old,.... Of these verses;…
Jehoram was thirty two years old,.... Of these verses; see Gill on Kg2 8:17, Kg2 8:18, Kg2 8:19, Kg2 8:20, Kg2 8:21, Kg2 8:22
2 Chronicles 21:11
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ch2 21:11
ch2 21:11
ch2 21:11Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah,.... Temples and altars for idols, which, being built on mountains, had the name of high places; and these Jehoram made or rebuilt were those which had been pulled down by Asa and Jehoshaphat:
and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication; that is, idolatry, drawing them by his own example to worship Baal, for he did what Ahab and his family did, Ch2 21:6, and compelled Judah thereto; the inhabitants of Jerusalem falling into the same idolatrous practice with him, he forced the inhabitants of the cities, and in the country, to do the same, who it seems were not so willing and ready to comply therewith.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Strengthened himself - He hardened his heart, as that…
Strengthened himself - He hardened his heart, as that word sometimes signifies. Princes - The chief of those Israelites, who out of love to God and the true religion, had forsaken their estates in the kingdom of Israel, and were now incorporated with the kingdom of Judah: because he thought these would be most zealous for that religion which he was resolved to oppose.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. Slew all his brethren] What a truly…
Verse 4. Slew all his brethren] What a truly diabolic thing is the lust of power! it destroys all the charities of life, and renders those who are under its influence the truest resemblants of the arch fiend. That he might sit the more secure upon his throne, this execrable man imbrues his hands in the blood of his own brothers! There are more instances of this species of cruelty among bad Asiatic kings than among any other class of men. The history of every country abounds in proofs; even that of our own is not the least barren.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 2Ch 21:4. He strengthened himself — Hardened his heart,…
2Ch 21:4. He strengthened himself — Hardened his heart, as the word חזק, chazak, often signifies; and slew all his brethren with the sword — Either by false accusation, under colour of law, or rather by assassination, pretending, it is likely, that he could not think himself safe in the government till they were taken out of the way. Those that mean ill themselves, are commonly, without cause, jealous of those about them. And divers also of the princes of Israel — Either, 1st, Of Judah, here called Israel, as in 2Ch 21:2. Or rather, 2d, Of Israel properly so called; not the princes of all Israel, or of the several tribes thereof, but the chief of those Israelites who, out of love to God and the true religion, had forsaken their estates in the kingdom of Israel, and were now incorporated with the kingdom of Judah: these he slew, because he thought they would be most zealous for that religion which he was resolved to oppose.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The execution of several “princes of Israel” (i. e.…
The execution of several “princes of Israel” (i. e. of Judah; see 2Ch 20:34 note) implies that Jehoram’s brothers found supporters among the chief men of the country, and that Jehoram’s sole sovereignty was not established without a struggle.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Sword. This cruel policy (H.) has been very common…
Sword. This cruel policy (H.) has been very common in the East. C. --- Israel. They had perhaps opposed his impious plans, animated by his brethren. God presently chastised him with the rebellion of Idumea; and though Joram gained a victory over Seir, (4 K. viii. 21.) he was not able to reduce the nation, being called off by other wars, v. 16. His own subjects at Lobna, a Levitical city in Juda, also abandoned him. Dreadful evils were denounced in a letter from the prophet Elias, who had been translated to paradise nine years before, and at last the honours of sepulture were denied to the wicked king. T.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. to the kingdom] R.V. over the kingdom.
4. to the kingdom] R.V. over the kingdom.
he strengthened himself, and slew] R.V. and had strengthened himself, he slew. For “strengthened himself” cp. 2Ch_1:1 (note).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Slew all his brethren and also of the princes…
Slew all his brethren and also of the princes of Israel. It may be, as suggested by the genius of the last clause of our yet. 13, that Jehoram"s wicked heart prompted him the rather because his own works were evil and his brothers" righteous. He may have thought their practical witness against him, and that of the "princes" who shared their fate, would be growingly inconvenient, and would work in them a necessary disloyalty. (Jud 9:1-5) On the ether showing, the "princes" now cut down may have shown partiality and affection to the six brothers, one or other of them.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 risen up over his father's kingdom
risen up over his father's kingdom
To "rise up over" something is an idiom that means to control it. AT: "taken complete control over his father's kingdom" (See: Idiom)
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he killed all his brothers with the sword
Jehoram probably did not kill them personally, but had other people do it for him. AT: "he caused all of his younger brothers to be killed" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
kingdom
sword
reign
Jerusalem
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.