JEHORAM AND AHAZIAH, (FIFTH AND SIXTH) KINGS OF JUDAH. JORAM, (TENTH) KING OF ISRAEL -

Accession of Jehoram - Murder of the Royal Princes - Introduction of the service of Baal in Judah - Revolt of Edom -

and of Libnah - The Writing from Elijah - Incursion of the Philistines and of Arab tribes - Sickness, Death, and Burial

of Jehoram - State of public feeling.

(2 Kings 8:16 -24; 2 Chronicles 21.)

THE tangled skein of Judaean and Israelitish history is now once more taken up.248 It is a period of fast-hastening

judgment, luridly lit up by the horrors attending Diehard's access ion to the throne of Israel, though retarded in Judah by

the mercy of God towards the house of David, and the temporary repentance and return to Jehovah in the land.

The account in 2 Kings 8:16 introduces almost abruptly the accession of Jehoram to the t hrone of Judah, after the death

of his father Jehoshaphat. It was probably for this reason, and because of the long gap between this and the previous

historical notice about Judah (1 Kings 22:51), that the somewhat difficult explanatory clause (supposing it to be

genuine) may have been inserted in 2 Kings 8:16: "And Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah."249 In 2 Kings 8 (vers.

16-24) the history of Judah and of the reign of Jehoram is given only in briefest outline. For details we must, as in other

cases, turn to the Book of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 21.), whose narrative we now follow.

The historical notices with which the reign of Jehoram is introduced are almost identical in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

Both state that Jehoram was thirty-two years old at his accession, and that his reign lasted eight years. The Book of

Chronicles connects, as usually, this accession with the death and burial at Jerusalem of the former king, while the

Book of Kings marks that Jehoram ascended the throne of Judah "in the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of

Israel." And since the reign of the latter extended over twelve years 250 (comp. 2 Kings 8:25), their rule must for seven

years have been contemporaneous - that is, to within one year of the death of Joram of Israel.

Even more important is the notice given in the same words in the two narratives - quite prominently in the Book of

Kings - to the effect that Jehoram "walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter

of Ahab [Athaliah] wa s his wife: and he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah" (comp. 2 Chronicles 21:6). That notice

explains alike the history of the reign of Jehoram and the hastening ruin of Judah. Nor can it have been without evil

influence even upon Joram and Israel.

The fatal combination of political devices with earnest religion, which constituted the weakness of Jehoshaphat's reign,

and led to his alliance with the house of Ahab, appeared also in his disposition regarding his children. Besides Jehoram,

who as the eldest succeeded to the throne, he had left six sons.251

For these he had - apparently during his lifetime - made not only ample provision in treasure, but assigned to them

certain "fenced cities in Judah." This was to imitate the policy of Rehoboam (11:23), and, no doubt, with the same

purpose of securing, in troublous times, the allegiance of the country districts and of their aristocracy, by assigning

these "fenced cities" as residences to the royal princes. But in the present instance the device proved fatal to them.

Jehoram had nothing to fear from his brother-in-law Joram - as Rehoboam had from Jeroboam.

But the semi -royal position of his brothers, supported - as it would almost seem - by intrigues of the chiefs of the local

aristocracy, roused his fears. With the same unscrupulousness that characterized the house of Ahab and Jezebel, he rid

himself of any possible rivals by the murder of all his brothers, and of their adherents among "the princes." And

throughout, Diehard's reign was in accordance with it s beginning. Following closely in the steps of the house of Ahab,

he not only abolished all the pious ordinances and arrangements of his father, but actually rebuilt "the high places,"

which his grandfather Asa (17:3), and his father Jehoshaphat (17:6), had destroyed, and introduced the worship of Baal

with all its abominations.

We cannot be mistaken in attributing a large share in these evil doings to Athaliah, although her name is not expressly

mentioned. For, besides the repeated reference to the house of Ahab, we have the statement that his "brethren" of his

"father's house were better" than Jehoram, which seems to imply that his special circumstances had made him different