2 Chronicles 21:16
in 2 Chronicles 21Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians that are beside the Ethiopians:
KJV
Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseMoreover, the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines,.... Which had been depressed in the times of Jehoshaphat, to whom they brought their presents and tribute willingly, 2Ch 17:11. and of the Arabians that were near the Ethiopians; not the Ethiopians of Africa, as the Targum, for the Arabians were not near them, but the Chusaean Arabs or Midianites, see Num 12:1. The Targum is, the Word of the Lord did this.
This site's exposition
stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines
on 2 Chronicles 21:16-17
The first half of Elijah's sentence lands: the Lord stirs up the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians near the Ethiopians, peoples Jehoshaphat had kept as tribute-paying neighbors, and they break into Judah and carry off the substance of the king's house along with his sons and his wives. Only Jehoahaz, the youngest, is left him, so that the line the covenant of verse 7 protects survives by one child rather than by Jehoram's own care.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Just read the books of Paralipomenon and this is what you will find written in the second book: "And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who border on the Ethiopians. And they came up to the land of Judah and wasted it, and they carried away all substance that was found in the king's house." Here we have a clear indication of how God stirs up enemies to lay waste those countries that he judges to be deserving of such punishment. And yet, was it not of their own will that the Philistines and Arabs came to lay waste the country of Judah? Or did they so come of their own will that the Scripture lies where it tells us that the Lord stirred up their spirit to do so? On the contrary. Both statements are true because they did come of their own will and God did stir up their spirit. The same thing could also be expressed by saying that God both stirred up their spirit and that they came nevertheless of their own will. For the Almighty, who cannot possibly will anything unjust, is able to set in motion even the inclinations of their will in human hearts in order to accomplish through these people whatever he wishes to achieve through their agency.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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
The Philistines, and - the Arabians - We have no other account of this war. Though it was a predatory war, yet it appears to have been completely ruinous and destructive. What a general curse fell upon this bad king; in his body, soul, substance, family, and government!
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians - Probably Joktanian Arabs from the neighborhood of the Cushites. Southern Arabia was originally occupied by Cushites, or Ethiopians Gen 10:7, whose descendants still exist in a remnant of the Himyaritic Arabs.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֨עַר | vaiyaar | and he stirred up | H5782 → | |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְהוֹרָ֗ם | yehoram | Jehoram | H3088 → | 29 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| ר֤וּחַ | ruach | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ | hapelishtim | the Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וְהָ֣עַרְבִ֔ים | vehaarvim | and the Arabs | H6163 → | 9 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [were] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יַ֥ד | yad | [the] hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כּוּשִֽׁים׃ | kushim | [the] Cushites | H3569 → | 26 times |
וַיָּ֨עַרand he stirred up
vaiyaarH5782 →
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְהוֹרָ֗םJehoram
yehoramH3088 →29 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
ר֤וּחַ[the] spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים֙the Philistines
hapelishtimH6430 →287 times
וְהָ֣עַרְבִ֔יםand the Arabs
vehaarvimH6163 →9 times
אֲשֶׁ֖רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[were] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יַ֥ד[the] hand
yadH3027 →1618 times
כּוּשִֽׁים׃[the] Cushites
kushimH3569 →26 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 33:11So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:36
The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone.
- Deuteronomy 28:36
Through
2 Chronicles 17:11Some Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 26:8
The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, for he had become exceedingly powerful.
- 2 Chronicles 9:14
not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
- 2 Samuel 8:2
David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one…
- 2 Chronicles 26:8
Through
2 Chronicles 22:1Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, the youngest son of Jehoram, king in his place, since the raiders who had come into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older sons.…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 21:16–17
Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
- 2 Kings 8:24–29
And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
- 2 Chronicles 21:16–17
Through
1 Kings 11:23And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah,
it leads to
- 1 Kings 11:14
Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.
- 2 Samuel 8:3
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
- 1 Kings 11:14
About 2 Chronicles

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON GRACE AND FREE WILL 21.42; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.
