2 Chronicles 21:9

Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Then Jehoram went forth.—And Jehoram passed over.

With his princes.—Captains (‘im sārāv); Kings, “to Zair,” which appears to be a corruption of “to Seir.” The chronicler has substituted an intelligible for an obscure expression.

And he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in.—Literally, and it came to pass, he rose. Brief as the notice is, it is evident that the verse relates not a victory of Jehoram’s, but his desperate escape by cutting his way through the enemy’s troops, which had surrounded him and his forces. (See on 2Kings 8:21, where it is added, “and the people fled to their tents.”) (Syriac. “And Jehoram passed over with his captains; and all his chariots with him. And it came to pass that when he rose in the night, he destroyed the Edomites, and the captains of the chariots came with him.”)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:1-11 Jehoram hated his brethren, and slew them, for the same reason that Cain hated Abel, and slew him, because their piety condemned his impiety. In the mystery of Providence such men sometimes prosper for a time; but the Lord has righteous purposes in permitting such events, part of which may now be made out, and the rest will be seen hereafter.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ch 21:8-17. Edom and Libnah Revolt.

8-10. the Edomites revolted—That nation had been made dependent by David, and down to the time of Jehoshaphat was governed by a tributary ruler (1Ki 22:47; 2Ki 3:9). But that king having been slain in an insurrection at home, his successor thought to ingratiate himself with his new subjects by raising the flag of independence [Josephus]. The attempt was defeated in the first instance by Jehoram, who possessed all the military establishments of his father; but being renewed unexpectedly, the Edomites succeeded in completely emancipating their country from the yoke of Judah (Ge 27:40). Libnah, which lay on the southern frontier and towards Edom, followed the example of that country.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jehoram was thirty two years old,.... Of these verses; see Gill on 2 Kings 8:17, 2 Kings 8:18, 2 Kings 8:19, 2 Kings 8:20, 2 Kings 8:21, 2 Kings 8:22

Geneva Study Bible

Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. Then Jehoram went forth] R.V. Then Jehoram passed over. The Heb. root rendered “pass over” means (a) to pass over a sea or river or other landmark, (b) to pass by persons. In the latter signification it is applied (as here) to the vanguard of an army which passes by the main body in order to take the lead; cp. Joshua 6:7. In this case Jehoram pushed on with the vanguard (consisting of all his chariots) leaving the “people” (2 Kings 8:21), i.e. the bulk of his army to follow. A disaster ensued. Jehoram was hemmed in by the Edomites, and though he cut his way through them by a night surprise, his success came too late, for the rest of the army, thinking that the vanguard was cut off, dispersed to their homes. This last fact, which explains the failure of the campaign, is omitted by the Chronicler. 2 Kings 8:21 should read, And it came to pass, though he rose by night and smote the Edomites … that the people fled to their tents.

with his princes] In 2 Kin. to Zair. Nothing is known of such a place, but some place name is to be expected here.

and the captains of the chariots] The clause is governed by the verb “compassed” (read perhaps el for eth in the Heb.).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - With his princes. The parallel, 2 Kings 8:21, reads, "to Zair." Of any such place nothing is known, and it has been proposed to supersede the word there by "Self," which a certain amount of similarity of the Hebrew characters might countenance. Possibly by some mishap, not so readily explainable by misoccurrence of characters simply, our words, "with his princes," should stand in place of "to Zair." It must be noted that the two first clauses of the verse in the parallel become something inconsequential (which is not the case with the reading of our text), in that it says, "The king and chariots went forth to a place, and rose up by night," etc. The dislocation is, perhaps, not serious, but our text avoids it in reading, "The king, princes, and chariots went forth, and rose up by night and smote," etc. 2 Chronicles 21:9

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Duration and spirit of Joram's reign. - These verses agree with 2 Kings 8:17-22, with the exception of some immaterial divergences, and have been commented upon in the remarks on that passage. - In 2 Chronicles 21:7 the thought is somewhat otherwise expressed than in 2 Kings 8:19 : "Jahve would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David;" instead of, "He would not destroy Judah because of David His servant, as He had said." Instead of לבניו ניר לו לתת we have in the Chronicle וּלבניו ניר לו לתת, to give him a lamp, and that in respect of his sons, w being inserted before לבניו to bring the idea more prominently forward. In regard to שׂריו עם, 2 Chronicles 21:9, instead of צעירה, 2 Kings 8:21, see on 2 Kings c. cit. At the end of 2 Chronicles 21:9 the words, "and the people fled to their tents" (2 Kings 8:21), whereby the notice of Joram's attempt to bring Edom again under his sway, which is in itself obscure enough, becomes yet more obscure.