The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 261

given announcement of his death this letter contains. The fact that Elisha accom- po.niod Jehoshaphat to the Moabitish war (2 Kings iii. 11) does not prove that Elijah had then been tmnelated, since Elijah was alive in the second year of the conjoint reign of Jehoram and Jehoshaphat his father (2 Kings i. 17; iii. 1). (2) Before Jehoram had ascended the throne (Buddmus, Clarke). Nothing impossible in the suageation that Elijah had the wickedness of Jehoram revealed to him before it occurred~ as pre• viously he had been informed of the elevation of Jehu to the throne of Israel, and of the accession of Hazael to that of Syria, before these events happened (1 Kings xix. 16, 17). Either explanation is admissible, though the latter is probably more correct. III. 'l'Irn OONTENTB OF THE WRITING. 1. A twofold auusatioo. (1) A charge of aggravated idolatry. Not only had Jehoram himself forsaken the way of Jehoshaphat and of Asa, i.e. the worship of Jehovah, and turned aside into the way of the kings of Israel, i.e. worship of Baal and other idols, but he had corrupted the whole house of Judah, and caused them to commit spiritual whoredom, like the house of Ahab. (2) An indictment of infamous murder. He had slain all his brethren, the children of his father's house, who were better than himself. 2. A twofold retribution. (1) A great stroke upon his people, upon his house (his wives and children), upon his property (his goods or substance). As prosperity was a usual concomitant of piety, so adversity was wont, under Jehovah's government of Israel, to dog the heels of impiety. (2) A greater stroke upon himself, in the shape of a slow, but sure, loathsome and mortal disease which should seize upon his bowels. That it should continue for two years before terminating fatally (Berthean) can hardly be made out from the expression, "day by day," or "days upon days." The prophet could speak with confidence, since diseases are God's messengers who come and go at his command (Exod. xv. 26; Deut. :x:xviii. 60; Ps. ciii. 3). IV. THE FULFILMENT OF THE WRITING. 1. The invasion of Jehoram's kingdom. (Ver. 16.) (1) The prime mover was Jehovah, as Elijah's letter predicted. "The Lord stirred up the spirit of the Philistines,'' as formerly, on two several occasions, he had stirred up an adversary to Solomon (1 Kings xi. 14:, 23), and afterwards stirred up Pul (Tiglath-Pileser) King of Assyria, against Pekah King of Israel (2 Kings xv. 29; 1 Chron. v. 26). God is said to do what, for the accomplishment of his own wise and sovereign purposes, he permits to be done, and hence is represented as working all things according to the counsel of his will (Job ix. 12; Ps. !xvi. 7; cxv. 3; Dan. iv. 35; Eph. i. 11). (2) The acting instruments were the Philistines, an ancient enemy of Israel (J udg. x. 7; 1 Sam. iv. 1) on the west; and tbe Arabians near the Ethiopians, i.e. the middle Arabians, exactly south of Palestine (Schiirer). This juxtaposition of the Philistines and Arabians occurs in two more places in this book (eh. xvii. 11; xxvi. 7). (3) The extent is indicated by the details given. The savage hordes broke into Judah. That they captured the capital seems a natural inference from the plunder they carried off (Bertheau), though, had Jerusalem been sacked, "the treasures of the palace as well as of the temple would have been mentioned" (Keil). In any case, they carried off" all the substance found in the king's house," which may signify all the property of the palace (Bertheau), or all the king's property found in the country, in the cities, villages, and castles of Judah (Keil). Along with this, they made prisoners of the king's wives and sons, except Jehoabaz, or Ahaziah. What they did with the former is not recorded; the latter they slew (eh. x.xii. 1). 2. The affiictioo of Jehoram's body. Whatever the malady, a violent dysentery, or some disease of the intestines, it was (1) sudden-" Jehovah struck him," pointing to a mysterious and inexplicable infliction difficult to trace to any immediate physical cause, and therefore ordinarily ascribed to a supernatural origin (eh. xxvi. 20; Acts xii. 23); (2) painful-"the diseases" were " sore;" (3) protracted- his " sickness" continued "two years;" ( 4) loathsome-" his bowels fell out" towards the end of that period; (5) mortal-he succumbed beneath his ailment, and "died." Learn: 1. God's knowledge of the histories, characters, and actions of men (Prov. xv. 3). 2. God's ability to foresee and reveal to men the nature and tendency of their or others' acts (Gen. xviii. 17; xii. 28; 1 Sam. ix. 15). 3. God's determination to llo avenged of them that do wickedly without respect of persons (Ps. xxxi v. 16; x.x.xv ii. ob). 4. God's l'csources for executing his purposes of judgruent or mercy.-·w.  262 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [oH. xxrr.1-12.