2 Chronicles 21:13
in 2 Chronicles 21but 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:
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 21
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd 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
a writing to him from Elijah the prophet
on 2 Chronicles 21:12-13
A writing comes to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, the only piece of writing from Elijah anywhere in Scripture. It names the Lord God of David thy father and sets Jehoram against his own line, not the ways of Jehoshaphat or Asa but the way of the kings of Israel, the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and the slaying of brethren better than himself. The letter's timing raises a real question: 2 Kings 2:11 places Elijah's translation in Jehoshaphat's reign, seemingly before Jehoram's accession, and the commentators divide between an earlier writing delivered later, a later placement of the translation, and simply leaving the text as Scripture gives it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
) 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
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 & Brown1802–1910
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].
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 wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּ֗לֶךְ | vatelekh | and you have walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ | bederekh | in [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| מַלְכֵ֣י | malkhei | [the] kings of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַתַּזְנֶ֤ה | vatazneh | and you have made prostitute [themselves] | H2181 → | 94 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יֹשְׁבֵ֣י | yoshevei | [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| כְּהַזְנ֖וֹת | kehaznot | as made [them] prostitute [themselves] | H2181 → | 94 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אַחְאָ֑ב | ʾachav | Ahab | H256 → | 92 times |
| וְגַ֨ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַחֶ֧יךָ | ʾacheikha | brothers your | H251 → | 630 times |
| בֵית־ | veit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִ֛יךָ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַטּוֹבִ֥ים | hatovim | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| מִמְּךָ֖ | mimekha | more than you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָרָֽגְתָּ׃ | harageta | you killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
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 stopsEach 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 21:6And 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…
- 2 Chronicles 18:1
Through
2 Chronicles 21:4When 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…
- Judges 9:5
Through
2 Chronicles 21:11Jehoram 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.
- Leviticus 20:5
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonDivided kingdomAhabSeventh king of the northern kingdom, son of Omri, who "did evil above all that were before him"; Elijah's chief antagonist, conde…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
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.