2 Chronicles 21:4
in 2 Chronicles 21When 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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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This verse in 2 Chronicles 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseStrengthened 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.
This site's exposition
slew all his brethren
on 2 Chronicles 21:4-5
Once he holds the throne alone Jehoram strengthens himself by killing every brother the gifts of the previous verses had made rivals, and divers of the princes besides. Chronicles states outright what 2 Kings 8 only implies about the reign's character, the same royal fratricide the ancient Near East saw often at a succession, here turned on the house of David itself. He reigns eight years from age thirty-two, the span the chapter will repeat word for word at its close.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Through the influence of Athaliah he abolished the worship of the Lord, and encouraged an introduction of all the corruptions prevalent in the sister kingdom. The divine vengeance was denounced against him, and would have utterly destroyed him and his house, had it not been for a tender regard to the promise made to David (2Sa 7:29;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֨קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| יְהוֹרָ֜ם | yehoram | Jehoram | H3088 → | 29 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מַמְלֶ֤כַת | mamlekhat | [the] kingdom of | H4467 → | 117 times |
| אָבִיו֙ | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וַיִּתְחַזַּ֔ק | vaiyitchazak | and he strengthened himself | H2388 → | 291 times |
| וַיַּהֲרֹ֥ג | vaiyaharog | and he killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶחָ֖יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| בֶּחָ֑רֶב | becharev | with the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְגַ֖ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| מִשָּׂרֵ֥י | misarei | some of [the] leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיָּ֨קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
יְהוֹרָ֜םJehoram
yehoramH3088 →29 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מַמְלֶ֤כַת[the] kingdom of
mamlekhatH4467 →117 times
אָבִיו֙father his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
וַיִּתְחַזַּ֔קand he strengthened himself
vaiyitchazakH2388 →291 times
וַיַּהֲרֹ֥גand he killed
vaiyaharogH2026 →167 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֶחָ֖יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
בֶּחָ֑רֶבwith the sword
becharevH2719 →413 times
וְגַ֖םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
מִשָּׂרֵ֥יsome of [the] leaders of
misareiH8269 →421 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
Genesis 4:8Then 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.
it leads to
- Matthew 23:35
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and…
- Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
- 1 John 3:12–15
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- Proverbs 26:24–26
A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
- Luke 11:51
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.
- Matthew 23:35
Through
2 Chronicles 21:17So 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…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 22:1
Then 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.…
- 2 Chronicles 22:1
Through
Judges 9:5He 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.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 11:1–2
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.
- Judges 6:24
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
- 2 Kings 11:1–2
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.