Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 21:11
Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah [thereto].
11 15 (not in Kings). Jehoram’s Sins and Elijah’s written Denunciation
11. in the mountains ] So Pesh., but LXX. The difference between the two readings in Heb. is very small.
caused to commit fornication ] R.V. made to go a whoring, i.e. led into idolatry according to a much used metaphor of Scripture.
compelled Judah thereto] Lit., banished Judah, i.e. from the presence of Jehovah (a second metaphor meaning the same as the last, but on the negative side; “lead into idolatry” = “lead away from Jehovah”).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
See 2Ki 8:18. The writer of Kings only tells us in general terms that Jehoram did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of the house of Ahab. Here, in 2Ch 21:11, 2Ch 21:13, we have particulars of his idolatry. Jehoram, it seems, seduced by the evil influence of his wife – Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab – permitted the introduction of Baal-worship, idolatrous altars in various high places, groves (Asherahs), images, and pillars; the people were not only allowed, but compelled to take part in the new rites. To commit fornication is a common metaphor, signifying idolatry or spiritual unfaithfulness (compare the 2Ki 9:22 note).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. To commit fornication] That is, to serve idols. The Israelites were considered as joined to Jehovah as a woman is joined to her husband: when she associates with other men, this is adultery; when they served other gods, this was called by the same name, it was adultery against Jehovah. This is frequently the only meaning of the terms adultery and fornication in the Scriptures.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He made high places; not to the Lord, whose sworn enemy he was, but to Baals, or false gods.
Caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication; not only by his counsel and example, but, as it follows, by force, by threats and penalties.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(11) Moreover he made.There is a stress on the pronoun, he made, in contrast with Asa and Jehoshaphat, his worthier predecessors (2Ch. 17:6). Or he himself, and not the people. LXX., . From this point to the end of the reign the narrative is peculiar to the chronicler.
High places.For the worship of the foreign gods, as well as of the God of Israel.
Mountains.Many Heb. MSS., LXX., and Vulg., cities (a similar word); Syriac, Moreover he made high places in the mountain of Judah, and caused the Nazarites of Jerusalem to drink wine, and scattered those who were of the house of Judah.
And caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornicationi.e., the spiritual fornication of unfaithfulness to Jehovah, the only lawful spouse of Israel. (Comp. Hos. 2:5; Hos. 2:8; Hos. 2:13; Hos. 2:16-17; Hos. 2:19 :1Ch. 5:25.)
And compelled.Or, seduced (Deu. 13:6; Deu. 13:11). LXX., .
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. He made high places in the mountains Thus undoing, or setting at naught, the labours of his pious father, who had exerted himself with marked though not complete success, (compare 2Ch 17:6; 2Ch 20:33,) to take away this stone of stumbling from Israel.
Caused Jerusalem to commit fornication A common scriptural metaphor for idolatry.
Compelled Judah In thus using violence to seduce the people to idolatry, Jehoram was probably influenced by his wife, Athaliah, who would fain have introduced a foreign idolatry into the kingdom of Judah as her mother Jezebel had done into the kingdom of Israel.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ch 21:11. And compelled Judah thereto And made Judah most contemptible. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ch 21:11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah [thereto].
Ver. 11. Moreover he made high places. ] a He restored what his father and grandfather had destroyed, Heroum filii noxae. The reason whereof some give is this, that God may show that good children are his gift alone. And again, good men are oft so intent upon the public affairs in state and church, that they neglect their private, and give not their children so good education as they should.
To commit fornication.
a Quasi bellum Deo indicens. – Lavat.
mountains. A special various reading called Sevir (App-34), some codices, with one early printed edition, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read “cities”.
fornication. Literal as well as spiritual, connected with the worship of the ‘Asherah (App-42).
compelled. Compare Deu 4:19.
2Ch 21:11-15
2Ch 21:11-15
THAT WRITING FROM ELIJAH REGARDING JEHORAM
“Moreover he made high places in the montains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, and led Judah astray. And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but hast walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like as the house of Ahab did, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, who were better than thyself: behold, Jehovah will smite with a great plague thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy substance; and thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of thy sickness, day by day.”
Some scholars have argued that Elijah was already deceased at the times of Jehoram and that he could not have written the letter mentioned here; but this criticism is groundless for two reasons: (1) Elijah might indeed still have been living, a rather attractive argument for this having been cited by Myers. That Elijah did indeed write this `document’ and that it was sent during Elijah’s lifetime was flatly declared by Josephus. William Whiston, who translated the works of Josephus, however, insisted that Elijah had died four years previously to the times indicated here, and that the simplest explanation is that some copier inadvertently substituted the name Elijah for that of Elisha. (2) The passage does not indicate that the “document” (as the word is translated by Myers) was written during Elijah’s lifetime. Furthermore, the Chronicler gives five other examples of prophets predicting disaster to kings before the event (2Ch 12:5; 2Ch 16:7; 2Ch 19:2; 2Ch 24:20; and 2Ch 26:16). In this light, we find no difficulty whatever in what is written here.
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 21:11. We have seen already (1Ki 3:2) that the high places were not always such bad things, yet were in an unfavored class. And when built by a man like Jehoram, were always used for evil purposes. In the literal sense, fornication means unlawful intimacy between the sexes. The evil is used to illustrate the unlawful religious intimacy between the people of the Lord and any other god. The people of Judah were encouraged by the wickedness of Jehoram to commit both fleshly and spiritual fornication. In fact, the two kinds seemed to go together, as in the case of the men of Benjamin (Numbers 25) an outstanding instance. Rev 2:14 expressly connects fornication with the idolatry of this occasion. The reader is advised to see the remarks made on this subject at Numbers 25, in the first volume of this Commentary.
2Ch 21:12-13. Elijah was a national prophet but not one of the writers of the Bible. The writing he did was on special occasions such as the present one to Jehoram. The ways of Jehoshaphat and Asa, kings of Judah, are contrasted with those of the kings of Israel (the 10 tribes). That was because the latter were, without exception, idolaters. Go a whoring means to go lusting, and is spoken here with reference to spiritual uncleanness. See the comments at 2Ch 21:11. The closing statement verifies the comments made about the brethren of Jehoram at 2Ch 21:3-4.
2Ch 21:14-15. The throne continued in the line of David’s house in spite of the wickedness of Jehoram. But God did not let him escape all personal punishment, for he was to be smitten miraculously as will be noticed later on; his own family also was to be plagued.
Moreover: Deu 12:2-4, 1Ki 11:7, Psa 78:58, Eze 20:28
caused: 1Ki 14:9, 1Ki 14:16, 2Ki 21:11, Hab 2:15, Rev 2:20
fornication: 2Ch 21:13, Lev 17:7, Lev 20:5, 2Ki 9:22, Psa 106:39, Eze 16:15-63, Rev 2:20-22, Rev 17:1-5
compelled: 2Ch 33:9, Dan 3:5, Dan 3:6, Dan 3:15, Rev 13:15-17, Rev 17:5, Rev 17:6
Reciprocal: 2Ki 8:23 – General 2Ki 17:19 – Also Judah 1Ch 5:25 – a whoring Mat 19:9 – except
2Ch 21:11. He made high places Not to the Lord, whose sworn enemy he was, but to Baals, or false gods. Caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication Spiritual whoredom, or idolatry, seducing them to eat things sacrificed to idols, (Rev 2:20,) not only by his counsel and example, but, as it follows, by force, by threats, and penalties.
21:11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit {f} fornication, and compelled Judah [thereto].
(f) Meaning, idolatry because the idolater breaks promise with God as the adulteress does to her husband.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes