21:4 Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. 1 Then he killed all his brothers, 2 as well as some of the officials of Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 3 21:6 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. 4 He did evil in the sight of 5 the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty 6 because of the promise 7 he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. 8
1 tn Heb “and Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself.”
2 tn Heb “and he killed all his brothers with the sword.”
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 tn Heb “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.”
5 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
6 tn Heb “house.”
7 tn Or “covenant.”
8 tn Heb “which he made to David, just as he had promised to give him and his sons a lamp all the days.” Here “lamp” is metaphorical, symbolizing the Davidic dynasty.