Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
The Jehoram named in the verse is Jehoram of Judah, the son of Jehoshaphat, who came to the throne at the death of Jehoshaphat during the reign of Jehoram of Israel. By marriage to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel he was closely allied by family to the king of Israel. In his eight-year reign in Jerusalem he followed Baal after the pattern of the house of Ahab.
He made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit unfaithfulness and compelled Judah to do so. While Elijah was still alive on earth and not yet translated, Elijah sent Jehoram a written rebuke. It charged that he had not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat and Asa but in the way of the kings of Israel, that he had led Judah and Jerusalem into unfaithfulness like that of the house of Ahab, and that he had killed his own brothers who were better than himself.
The message foretold a great plague upon his people, children, wives, and goods, and severe sickness upon himself. The foretold plague was fulfilled when the Philistines and the Arabians near the Ethiopians were stirred up to come into Judah and carry away all the goods of the king's house with his sons and wives, leaving only his youngest son Jehoahaz, also called Ahaziah and Azariah. He was then struck in his bowels with an incurable disease, died of severe illness after two years, and his son reigned in his place.
The Jehoram named in the verse is Jehoram of Judah, the son of Jehoshaphat, who came to the throne at the death of Jehoshaphat during the reign of Jehoram of Israel. By marriage to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel he was closely allied by family to the king of Israel. In his eight-year reign in Jerusalem he followed Baal after the pattern of the house of Ahab.
He made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit unfaithfulness and compelled Judah to do so. While Elijah was still alive on earth and not yet translated, Elijah sent Jehoram a written rebuke. It charged that he had not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat and Asa but in the way of the kings of Israel, that he had led Judah and Jerusalem into unfaithfulness like that of the house of Ahab, and that he had killed his own brothers who were better than himself.
The message foretold a great plague upon his people, children, wives, and goods, and severe sickness upon himself. The foretold plague was fulfilled when the Philistines and the Arabians near the Ethiopians were stirred up to come into Judah and carry away all the goods of the king's house with his sons and wives, leaving only his youngest son Jehoahaz, also called Ahaziah and Azariah. He was then struck in his bowels with an incurable disease, died of severe illness after two years, and his son reigned in his place.