2 Chronicles 21:3

Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrative records the distribution of Jehoshaphat’s wealth and fortified Judahite cities to his sons, followed by the exclusive transfer of the royal throne to Jehoram as the firstborn.

The words — The Hebrew וַיִּתֵּן (va.yi.tten) renders as "and he had given," while מִגְדָּנֹת (mig.danot) literally means "excellent things" or fortified structures.

The thread — The allocation of material inheritance to younger sons while reserving the crown for the firstborn mirrors the administrative dispersal in 2 Chronicles 11:23, the patriarchal distribution in Genesis 25:6, and the legal principle of firstborn privilege in Deuteronomy 21:15.

Why it lands — The verse documents the historical transfer of authority to the firstborn before the narrative immediately details Jehoram’s execution of his brothers. It establishes a legal baseline of primogeniture that the subsequent text explicitly violates through fratricide.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּתֵּ֣ןva/i.yi.Tenand/ he had givenלָהֶ֣ם׀la./Hemto/ themאֲ֠בִיהֶם'A.vi./hemfather/ their מַתָּנ֨וֹתma.ta.Notgifts רַבּ֜וֹתra.Botmany לְכֶ֤סֶףle./Khe.sefto/ silver וּלְזָהָב֙u./le./za.Havand/ to/ gold וּלְמִגְדָּנ֔וֹתu./le./mig.da.Notand/ to/ excellent things עִם־'im-with עָרֵ֥י'a.Reicities of מְצֻר֖וֹתme.tzu.Rotfortifications בִּֽיהוּדָ֑הbi./hu.Dahin/ Judah וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַמַּמְלָכָ֛הha./mam.la.Khahthe/ kingdom נָתַ֥ןna.Tanhe gave לִֽיהוֹרָ֖םli./ho.Ramto/ Jehoram כִּי־ki-for ה֥וּאhu'he הַבְּכֽוֹר׃ פha./be.Khor[was] the/ firstborn

King James Version

And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 11:23 Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.
Genesis 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
Deuteronomy 21:15 If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son,
2 Chronicles 11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah.

People named

Jehoram