This passage calls believers to remember the cost of abandoning God’s ways: even a king’s power and possessions cannot shield him from divine judgment.
King Jehoram of Judah received a dire message recorded in 2 Chronicles 21:14 that declared, “Behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity” (v.14). This warning came as a result of his unfaithfulness to the LORD, which included forsaking the covenant ways of his fathers and leading the people of Judah astray through idolatry. Jehoram reigned approximately from 853 to 841 BC in Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah, situated in the land promised by God to the Israelites.
Jehoram’s sins brought devastating consequences upon himself and his household. Historically, both Edom and the Philistines joined with other groups to revolt against Judah during his reign, culminating in an invasion that carried away the royal family’s possessions and left only Jehoahaz, Jehoram’s youngest son (2 Chronicles 21:16-17). By rejecting the LORD’s commands, the king invited turmoil into his kingdom, thereby fulfilling the prophet’s dire prediction. The calamity was not a random event but rather the promised judgment outlined in God’s covenant, wherein unrepentant disobedience would invoke severe consequences (Deuteronomy 28:15-20).
The verse underscores the principle that leaders who embrace idolatry and lead others into spiritual unfaithfulness face profound responsibility for the resulting harm. The same idea echoes in the New Testament, where decisions that cause spiritual stumbling are condemned by Jesus (Matthew 18:7). Yet, in all times and seasons, God’s ultimate desire is for repentance and restoration, offering people the chance to turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9).
Set to dark mode
2 Chronicles 21:14 meaning
King Jehoram of Judah received a dire message recorded in 2 Chronicles 21:14 that declared, “Behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity” (v.14). This warning came as a result of his unfaithfulness to the LORD, which included forsaking the covenant ways of his fathers and leading the people of Judah astray through idolatry. Jehoram reigned approximately from 853 to 841 BC in Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah, situated in the land promised by God to the Israelites.
Jehoram’s sins brought devastating consequences upon himself and his household. Historically, both Edom and the Philistines joined with other groups to revolt against Judah during his reign, culminating in an invasion that carried away the royal family’s possessions and left only Jehoahaz, Jehoram’s youngest son (2 Chronicles 21:16-17). By rejecting the LORD’s commands, the king invited turmoil into his kingdom, thereby fulfilling the prophet’s dire prediction. The calamity was not a random event but rather the promised judgment outlined in God’s covenant, wherein unrepentant disobedience would invoke severe consequences (Deuteronomy 28:15-20).
The verse underscores the principle that leaders who embrace idolatry and lead others into spiritual unfaithfulness face profound responsibility for the resulting harm. The same idea echoes in the New Testament, where decisions that cause spiritual stumbling are condemned by Jesus (Matthew 18:7). Yet, in all times and seasons, God’s ultimate desire is for repentance and restoration, offering people the chance to turn to Him (2 Peter 3:9).