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2 Chronicles 21:13

in 2 Chronicles 21

but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like as the house of Ahab did, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, who were better than thyself:

KJV

But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:

This verse in 2 Chronicles 21

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
And hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel,.... Worshipping the calves, and even Baal, with other idols, as they did: and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab; meaning spiritual whoredoms or idolatries: and hast also slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself; more religious, more humane, more prudent, and fitter for government.

This site's exposition

Jehoram from Elijah the prophet

on 2 Chronicles 21:12-13

A letter comes to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, his only writing in Scripture. Second Kings 2:11 appears to place Elijah's departure before Jehoram's accession. Commentators divide between a letter written earlier and delivered later, a later date for the departure, and leaving the text as it stands.

This site's exposition

who were better than you

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown identify the idolatry as the Phoenician worship Ahab's house brought in, the enticement Deuteronomy 13 treats as a capital crime. Gill explains better than you as more devout, more humane and wiser, and Matthew Henry judges any of them fitter for the crown than Jehoram.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

) that they were better than Jehoram, had a great deal more wisdom and virtue, and lived up to their education, which he went counter to. They were very hopeful, and any of them more fit for the crown than he; and yet, because he was the first-born (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

These are the heads of the indictment against him. Judgment is given against him for these crimes; he is plainly told that his sin should certainly be the ruin, (1.) Of his kingdom and family (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem . . . like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab--that is, introduced the superstitions and vices of Phœnician idolatry (see on De 13:6-14). On this account, as well as for his unnatural cruelties, divine vengeance was denounced against him, which was soon after executed exactly as the prophet had foretold.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-curly-quotes

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

And a letter came to him from Elijah After he had ascended to heaven, this prophetic letter came to him [i.e., to Joram].
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Chronicles 21:12:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַתֵּ֗לֶךְand you have walked

    vatelekhH1980 →1546 times

  • בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙in [the] way of

    bederekhH1870 →707 times

  • מַלְכֵ֣י[the] kings of

    malkheiH4428 →2525 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • וַתַּזְנֶ֤הand you have made prostitute [themselves]

    vataznehH2181 →94 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • יְהוּדָה֙Judah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • יֹשְׁבֵ֣י[the] inhabitants of

    yosheveiH3427 →1079 times

  • יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem

    yerushalimH3389 →643 times

  • כְּהַזְנ֖וֹתas made [them] prostitute [themselves]

    kehaznotH2181 →94 times

  • בֵּ֣ית[the] house of

    beitH1004 →2046 times

  • אַחְאָ֑בAhab

    ʾachavH256 →92 times

  • וְגַ֨םand also

    vegamH1571 →769 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • אַחֶ֧יךָbrothers your

    ʾacheikhaH251 →630 times

  • בֵית־[the] house of

    veit-H1004 →2046 times

  • אָבִ֛יךָfather your

    ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times

  • הַטּוֹבִ֥ים<the> good

    hatovimH2896 →538 times

  • מִמְּךָ֖more than you

    mimekhaH4480 →1188 times

  • הָרָֽגְתָּ׃you killed

    haragetaH2026 →167 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Chronicles 21:6

    And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the…

    it leads to

    • 2 Chronicles 18:1

      Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.

    • 2 Kings 8:18

      And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the…

    • 1 Kings 12:28–30

      After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out…

  • Through

    2 Chronicles 21:4

    When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.

    it leads to

    • Judges 9:5

      He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.

    • 2 Chronicles 22:10

      When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.

    • Genesis 4:8

      Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

    • 2 Chronicles 21:17

      So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except…

  • Through

    2 Chronicles 21:11

    Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

    it leads to

    • Leviticus 20:5

      then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About 2 Chronicles

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.