When Jehosphat had went to be buried and slept in the graveyard where his fathers were, which was in the city of David. And Jehoram, Jehosphat's son reigned in being the next come and reign.
Azariah, Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the Sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
While the brothers of Jehoram; were all given by their father great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah. Their father, held Jehoram above the others having been the firstborn.
When Jehoram had rose of up to reigning over the kingdom of his father, he strengthens himself, and killed of all his brethren with the sword (Jehoram murdered his brothers, Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah), and divers also of the princess of Israel. Jehoram may have done this to inhere all the kingdom unto himself.
For eight years, Jehoram was 32 years old, when he began to reign in Jerusalem.
And Jehoram walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab; For he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.
I assume this to mean Yahweh would not destroy the house of David, because of the convent that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and his sons forever, talking of the Christ I suspect.
In the days of David, the Edomite revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king. But I suppose that the edomites were not done away with and were able to live after getting out from under the dominion of Judah - branching off making themselves - a King to rule over them.
Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and soothe the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots. Trying to capture, and conquer over the Edomites, by use of the military he had.
And because of this, the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day (as of the datings writings of 2 Chronicles), (Perhaps maybe even still in todays time). The same time also did Libnah revolve from under (Judah)'s hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.
John Gill:
Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah,.... Temples and altars for idols, which, being built on mountains, had the name of high places; and these Jehoram made or rebuilt were those which had been pulled down by Asa and Jehoshaphat:
and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication; that is, idolatry, drawing them by his own example to worship Baal, for he did what Ahab and his family did, 2Ch 21:6, and compelled Judah thereto; the inhabitants of Jerusalem falling into the same idolatrous practice with him, he forced the inhabitants of the cities, and in the country, to do the same, who it seems were not so willing and ready to comply therewith.
John Gill
And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet,.... Not what was written by him after his ascension to heaven, and from thence came to Jehoram, even seven years after that, as say some Jewish writers (z); nor was it a writing from another person of the same name in those times, since of such an one we nowhere read; nor from Elisha bearing the name of Elijah, having a double portion of his spirit on him, since he is never so called; but this was a writing of Elijah's before his ascension, who, foreseeing by a spirit of prophecy what Jehoram would be guilty of, wrote this, and gave it to one of the prophets, as Kimchi suggests, and most probably to Elisha, to communicate it to him at a proper time; and who might, as the above writer intimates, think it came immediately from heaven:
saying, thus saith the Lord God of David thy father; and from whose God he had departed, and to which ancestor of his he was so much unlike:
because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah; neither trod in the steps of his father nor grandfather.
(z) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 17. Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 12. 1. A. M. 3050.
Jehoram, walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and had made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, - worshiping idols, and man-made things, or creatures, placing the LORD thy God, beneath man. Jehoram, was well known for having killed his brothers of his fathers house, which were better than (himself?) thyself.
The writer goes on to say, Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods.
John Gill:
Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people,.... They going into the same idolatry with himself willingly, at least great part of them, and therefore deserved to be smitten, and which would be a punishment to him:
and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods; which should be carried captive, as the event shows.
John Gill:
And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels,.... Which was a just retaliation to him, for having no bowels of compassion on his brethren whom he slew:
until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day; that continuing day after day, and even year after year, the space of two years, as appears from 2Ch 21:19.
