2 Chronicles 21:4

2 Chronicles 21:4 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

Context of 2 Chronicles 21:4

2His brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. 3Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. Then he killed all his brothers, as well as some of the officials of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 6He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 21:4 word by word

וַיָּ֨קָם יְהוֹרָ֜ם עַל־מַמְלֶ֤כַת אָבִיו֙ וַיִּתְחַזַּ֔ק וַיַּהֲרֹ֥ג אֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֖יו בֶּחָ֑רֶב וְגַ֖ם מִשָּׂרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now when Jehoramיְהוֹרָםyehôrâm · JehoramH3088
• was risen upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• to the kingdomמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
• of his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• he strengthenedחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• himself, and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• all his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• also of the princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 21:4

• 2 Chronicles 21:17They attacked Judah and swept through it. They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah.
• 2 Chronicles 22:8While Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab’s family, he discovered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who were serving Ahaziah and killed them.
• Genesis 4:8Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
• Judges 9:5He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, the seventy legitimate sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, because he hid.
• 1 John 3:12not like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 21:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Slew 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The execution of several “princes of Israel” (i. e. of Judah; see 2 Chronicles 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.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-7Jehoram, whose wife was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chronicles 18:1; 21:6; 22:2), was the first king from David's line to receive a completely negative evaluation. His murders (2 Chronicles 21:4) seriously threatened the dynasty's survival, which was only preserved because of the Lord's loyal faithfulness to David (21:7). On three other occasions, violence against the royal family nearly ended the dynasty (see 2 Chronicles 21:17; 22:8–9…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-42Ch 21:1-4. Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat. 1-4. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers ... Jehoram ... reigned--The late king left seven sons; two of them are in our version named Azariah; but in the Hebrew they appear considerably different, the one being spelt "Azariah," and the other "Azariahu." Though Jehoshaphat had made his family arrangements with prudent precaution, and while he divided the functions of royalty in his lifetime (compare 2Ki 8:16), as…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 21:4

• Fratricide
• Homicide
• Jehoram
• King
• Michael

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jehoram
• Jehoram; Joram
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Fornication
• Jehoash
• Michael
• Revolt
• Athaliah

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings