Jehoram of Judah

Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, succeeded his father at age thirty-two and reigned eight years. As soon as he was secure on the throne he killed all his brothers and some of the princes of Israel with the sword (2 Chronicles 21:4). He had married Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and 'walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done' (2 Chronicles 21:6). The LORD would not destroy the house of David, for the sake of the covenant with David and the promise of a lamp to his descendants (2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chronicles 21:7), but during his reign Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and set up its own king, and Libnah revolted too. Elijah, before his ascension, had left a letter for Jehoram which arrived during his reign: 'because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father … but have made Judah whore … behold, the LORD will bring a great plague on your people … and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels' (2 Chronicles 21:12-15). Philistines and Arabs raided Judah, carrying off his palace possessions and all his sons except the youngest, Ahaziah. Then his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in agony. He departed 'with no one's regret,' was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings (2 Chronicles 21:20).