New English Translation
2 Kings 8:18
18He 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 Kings 8:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Context of 2 Kings 8:18
16In the fifth year of the reign of Israel’s King Joram, son of Ahab, Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became king over Judah. 17He was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. He 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. 19But the Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah. He preserved Judah for the sake of his servant David to whom he had promised a perpetual dynasty. 20During his reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king.
Read all of 2 Kings 82 Kings 8:18 word by word
וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֔ב כִּ֚י בַּת־אַחְאָ֔ב הָֽיְתָה־לּ֖וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he walkedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- in the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- of the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- as didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
- for the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- was his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for 2 Kings 8:18
- 2 Kings 3:2He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not to the same degree as his father and mother. He did remove the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.
- 1 Kings 22:52He did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed in the footsteps of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin.
- 2 Kings 9:7You will destroy the family of your master Ahab. I will get revenge against Jezebel for the shed blood of my servants the prophets and for the shed blood of all the Lord’s servants.
- 2 Kings 21:3He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshiped them.
- 2 Chronicles 21:13but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. You also killed your brothers, members of your father’s family, who were better than you.
- Micah 6:16You implement the regulations of Omri, and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; you follow their policies. Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, the city’s inhabitants will be taunted derisively, and nations will mock all of you.”
- 2 Kings 8:26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.
- 1 Kings 21:25(There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
- 2 Chronicles 18:1Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab,
- 2 Chronicles 19:2the prophet Jehu son of Hanani confronted him; he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord? Because you have done this the Lord is angry with you!
- 2 Chronicles 21:6He 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 22:1The residents of Jerusalem made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, for the raiding party that invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah.
- Genesis 6:1When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,
- Deuteronomy 7:3You must not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
- 1 Kings 11:1King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.
- Nehemiah 13:25So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
Commentaries on 2 Kings 8:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18The daughter of Ahab was his wife - This was the infamous Athaliah; and through this marriage Jehoshaphat and Ahab were confederates; and this friendship was continued after Ahab's death.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-19Verses 16-19 The passage is parenthetic, resuming the history of the kingdom of Judah from 1 Kings 22:50. 2 Kings 8:16 The opening words are - “In the fifth year of Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, and of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah;” but they contradict all the other chronological notices of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 22:42, 1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 3:1; 2 Chronicles 20:31, which give him a reign of at least twenty-three years. Hence, some have supposed that…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-24Verses 16-24 A general idea is given of Jehoram's badness. His father, no doubt, had him taught the true knowledge of the Lord, but did ill to marry him to the daughter of Ahab; no good could come of union with an idolatrous family.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18did evil in the sight of the LORD: He married Ahab's daughter, Athaliah, and followed the kings of Israel by worshiping idols. Some believe Psalm 45 was written for Jehoram and Athaliah's marriage, which united the royal families of Judah and Israel (see Psalm 45:12; Athaliah was Jezebel's daughter, the princess of Tyre). Although the marriage temporarily united the kingdoms, it led to terrible spiritual consequences. Influenced by Athaliah, Jehoram…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. daughter of Ahab--Athaliah, through whose influence Jehoram introduced the worship of Baal and many other evils into the kingdom of Judah (see 2Ch 21:2-20). This apostasy would have led to the total extinction of the royal family in that kingdom, had it not been for the divine promise to David (2Sa 7:16). A national chastisement, however, was inflicted on Judah by the revolt of Edom, which, being hitherto governed by a tributary ruler (2Ki 3:9; 1Ki…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 8:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 8
- 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
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