Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 8:21
So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.
21. So Joram went [R.V. Then Joram passed ] over to Zair ] The name Zair is only found here. In the parallel passage of 2 Chronicles 21. we find ‘with his princes’ instead of ‘to Zair’, and as there is some similarity of sound between the two Hebrew forms, it has been thought by some that there is a mistake in Kings from some misreading of the scribe. Others have suggested that ‘Zair’ is for ‘Zoar’, through which place troops marching from Juda into Edom would have to pass. Others with much more probability have taken Zair ( ), to be a miswriting for Seir ( ) the name of the mountain ridge which extends southward from the Dead Sea through the desert. It is true ‘Seir’ is not named elsewhere by the writer of Kings, but there seems to be no occasion where he might be expected to mention it.
and he rose [R.V. inserts up ] by night and smote the Edomites which compassed him about ] Joram appears to have been surrounded by the Edomite forces, and for some time to have had the worst of the contest. It was only by a sudden sally in the night time that he forced his way out, and escaped. The captains of the Edomite chariots, mentioned here, most likely formed the outer circle of the enclosing force, and through them Joram passed last.
and the people fled into [R.V. to ] their tents ] ‘The people’ are the army of Joram, which after escaping from their encircling enemy made the best of their way home, feeling that Edom was too strong for them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Zair – Perhaps Seir, the famous mountain of Edom Gen 14:6.
The people – i. e., The Edomites. Yet, notwithstanding his success, Joram was forced to withdraw from the country, and to leave the natives to enjoy that independence 2Ki 8:22, which continued until the time of John Hyrcanus, who once more reduced them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. Joram went over to Zair] This is the same as Seir, a chief city of Idumea. So Isa 21:11: The burden of Dumah (Idumea.) He calleth to me out of Seir.
Smote the Edomites] It appears that the Israelites were surrounded by the Idumeans; and that in the night Joram and his men cut their way through them, and so got every man to his tent, for they were not able to make any farther head against these enemies; and therefore it is said, that Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. The common soldiers of the Edomites, herein following the example of their captains.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
So Joram went over to Zair,…. A city in Edom, the same with the Zaara of Ptolemy i; some take it to be the same with Seir, the mountain or country of that name:
and all the chariots with him; all the chariots of war he had:
and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about; who came out of their cities in great numbers, and surrounded him, he having entered into their country in an hostile way, to subdue them:
and the captains of the chariots: which belonged to the Edomites; those he smote, 2Ch 21:9
and the people fled into their tents; the army being routed.
i Geograph. l. 5. c. 17.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) So Joram went over to Zair.No town called Zair is otherwise known. Hitzig and Ewald would read Zoar, but Zoar lay in Moab, not in Edom. (Jer. 48:34; Isa. 15:5; Gen. 19:30; Gen. 19:37.) The Vulg. has Seira, and the Arabic Sra, which suggest an original reading, to Seir, the well-known mountain chain which was the headquarters of the Edomite people. Perhaps the reading of the text rh represents a dialectic pronunciation. (Comp. the forms Yishq and Yihq for Isaac.)
And he rose by night.There may be a lacuna of a few lines in the text here, or the compiler, in his desire to be brief, may have become obscure. Jehoram appears to have been hemmed in by the Edomites in the mountains, and to have attempted escape under cover of night.
Smote the Edomites which compassed him about.Cut his way through their ranks.
And the captains of the chariots.Part of the object of the verb smote. Jehoram smote (cut his way through) the Edomitesthat is to say, the captains of the Edomite war-chariots which hemmed him and his army in.
And the people fled into (unto) their tents.That is to say, the army of Jehoram was glad to escape from the scene of its ill success, and made its way homeward as best it could. (Comp. for the proverbial expression, to their tents, 1Sa. 20:1; 1Ki. 8:66.) From Joe. 3:19 (Edom shall be a desolate wilderness for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land) it has been conjectured that when the Edomites revolted they massacred the Jews who had settled in the country in the time of subjection. (Comp. Gen. 27:40.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Zair This some have thought identical with Zoar, others a corruption of Seir, and others an erroneous reading of , his princes, which is found in the parallel passage. 2Ch 21:9. But these are all conjectures. It was doubtless the name of a place in the borders of Edom, which is now unknown.
Smote the Edomites which compassed him about He was victorious in this particular night engagement, but he failed to subdue the rebellion or subjugate the country.
And the captains of the chariots The captains of the enemies’ chariots; from which it appears that on this occasion the Edomites, as well as the Hebrews, fought with chariots.
The people fled into their tents That is, the Jewish people, the warriors of Joram. The whole passage is obscure from its brevity, but the general meaning is: Joram went with a great host, particularly strong in war-chariots, to subdue the revolt of the Edomites. Having arrived in their country, he is suddenly surrounded by the enemy, and makes a night attack upon them; smites many of them, especially the captains of their chariots, and succeeds in breaking through their ranks, when his whole army give over the battle and run away to their homes. The Edomites thus threw off the yoke of Judah, and fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Isaac. Gen 27:40.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Nothing further remarkable appears in the lives of these impious men but that they lived, transgressed, and died. Indeed, in the parallel history in the book of the Chronicles, we are told that this monarch died not much unlike the traitor Judas, for his bowels gushed out. And as he had lived most probably without being beloved, so he died unlamented. 2Ch 21:18-19 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 8:21 So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.
Ver. 21. So Joram went over to Zair. ] That is, To Idumea, then a flourishing country; now it liveth by fame only, being wholly swallowed up, as very many other countries are, in the greatness of the Turkish empire.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the people: i.e. of Judah.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Zair: Zair is supposed by Calmet and others to be the same as Seir, the country of Seir the Horite, inhabited by the Edomites or Idumeans. Probably the former was a dialectical pronunciation of the latter. 2Ki 8:21
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 8:21. Joram went over to Zair This word is written differently from Seir, and therefore, it seems, does not signify any part of the country of Edom, but some city near to it. And smote the Edomites which compassed him about The Edomites were not wanting in their own defence, but had surrounded him with an army; through which he broke in the night, and routed them. And the people fled, &c. The common soldiers of the Edomites herein following the example of their captains. Yet Edom revolted Notwithstanding this victory, Joram could not recover his dominion over this country; probably because he was recalled by the revolt of some of his own subjects, who had taken the occasion of his absence to rebel, and he feared that others would follow their example if they had the like opportunity. So that Edom continued a kingdom under its own king. Unto this day When this record was written. Indeed, they were not brought again under the power of the Jews till after their return from the captivity of Babylon. Then Libnah revolted A considerable city in Judah belonging to the priests. For the reason why they revolted, see 2Ch 21:10-11. It is probable they returned to their obedience, because those words, unto this day, which are added to the former clause, are omitted here.