What Does 2 Chronicles 21:1 Mean?

Jehoram kills off his own brothers to make sure that they do not usurp the throne. If we give him the benefit of the doubt, from a carnal standpoint, he may have had good reason to do what he did, because his brothers may have been indicating that they were already plotting to overthrow him out of jealousy. Perhaps they thought that they were every bit as good as Jehoram, and that they should sit on the throne instead. Jehoram, though, had more power and beat them to the punch, putting them to death before they assassinated him.

The background for this event begins in II Chronicles 18:1, where it innocently says, "Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab." Ahab was possibly the most wicked king that Israel ever had, and his wife was the infamous Jezebel. How were relations cemented between Jehoshaphat and Ahab? They arranged a marriage! Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, married Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah. This was a common way of making an alliance in those days. They became blood relatives.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Why Three Kings Are Missing From Matthew 1

What a horrible way to begin his reign! He slays his brothers to ensure that they do not usurp his throne. If we give him the benefit of the doubt, it is entirely possible that, from a carnal standpoint, he had good reason to rid himself of them. Perhaps his brothers showed signs of plotting a coup d'état out of envy (though God says in verse 13 that they were better men than Jehoram). Maybe they thought Jehoshaphat should have given them the throne since they were better men. In any case, Jehoram held power, and he beat them to the punch, putting them to death before they assassinated him.

The background for this event reaches back to II Chronicles 18:1, where it innocently reads, “Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab.” Ahab, whose wife was the infamous Jezebel, was possibly the most wicked king who ever ruled over Israel. Jehoshaphat and Ahab cemented their relationship by arranging a marriage between Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, and Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah. Such arranged dynastic marriages were quite common in those days. So, the two houses becamee allies through marriage.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Three Missing Kings (Part One)

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