Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 21:4
When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jehoram acts immediately after his father designates him firstborn king, at the precise moment of royal succession in Judah. He moves to secure the throne before receiving formal coronation details or accounting for his brothers.
The words — וַיִּתְחַזַּק (va.yit.cha.zak) literally means "and he strengthened himself," and וַיַּהֲרֹג (va.ya.ha.rog) means "and he killed." These consecutive verbs describe his self-directed consolidation of power through violence.
The thread — This fratricidal succession pattern matches the massacre in Judges 9:5 and Cain’s murder in Genesis 4:8, while the immediate political fallout appears in the invasion recorded at 2 Chronicles 21:17.
Why it lands — The text records a king eliminating rivals to secure his throne, demanding the reader observe how political ambition operates through violence rather than covenantal succession.
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
King James Version
Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.
Cross-references
- Judges 9:5 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
- Genesis 4:8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
- 2 Chronicles 21:17 So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.
- 2 Chronicles 22:10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.
- Judges 9:56 In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.
- 2 Chronicles 22:8 So while Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them.
- 1 John 3:12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.