2 Chronicles 21:11

2Ch 21:11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah [thereto].

Ver. 11. Moreover he made high places.] {a} He restored what his father and grandfather had destroyed, Heroum filii noxae. The reason whereof some give is this, that God may show that good children are his gift alone. And again, good men are oft so intent upon the public affairs in state and church, that they neglect their private, and give not their children so good education as they should.

To commit fornication.] To worship Baal. See 2Ki 9:22. This was the worse, because in Jerusalem, the holy city; and because he caused them to do it, partly by his allurements, and partly by affrightments; as did Julian also the apostate, qui persuadendo persecutus est.

{a} Quasi bellum Deo indicens. - Lavat.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See 2Ki 8:18. The writer of Kings only tells us in general terms that Jehoram “did evil in the sight of the Lord,” and “walked in the way of the house of Ahab.” Here, in 2Ch 21:11, 2Ch 21:13, we have particulars of his idolatry. Jehoram, it seems, seduced by the evil influence of his wife - Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab - permitted the introduction of Baal-worship, idolatrous altars in various high places, groves (Asherahs), images, and pillars; the people were not only allowed, but compelled to take part in the new rites. “To commit fornication” is a common metaphor, signifying idolatry or spiritual unfaithfulness (compare the 2Ki 9:22 note).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2Ch 21:11. He made high places — Not to the Lord, whose sworn enemy he was, but to Baals, or false gods. Caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication — Spiritual whoredom, or idolatry, seducing them to eat things sacrificed to idols, (Rev 2:20,) not only by his counsel and example, but, as it follows, by force, by threats, and penalties.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Meaning, idolatry because that the idolater breaketh promise with God, as doth the adulteress to her husband.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 11. To commit fornication] That is, to serve idols. The Israelites were considered as joined to Jehovah as a woman is joined to her husband: when she associates with other men, this is adultery; when they served other gods, this was called by the same name, it was adultery against Jehovah. This is frequently the only meaning of the terms adultery and fornication in the Scriptures.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(11) Moreover he made.—There is a stress on the pronoun, “he made,” in contrast with Asa and Jehoshaphat, his worthier predecessors (2Ch_17:6). Or he himself, and not the people. LXX., καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν. From this point to the end of the reign the narrative is peculiar to the chronicler.

High places.—For the worship of the foreign gods, as well as of the God of Israel.

Mountains.—Many Heb. MSS., LXX., and Vulg., “cities” (a similar word); Syriac, “Moreover he made high places in the mountain of Judah, and caused the Nazarites of Jerusalem to drink wine, and scattered those who were of the house of Judah.”

And caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication—i.e., the spiritual fornication of unfaithfulness to Jehovah, the only lawful spouse of Israel. (Comp. Hos_2:5; Hos_2:8; Hos_2:13; Hos_2:16-17; Hos_2:19 :1Ch_5:25.)

And compelled.—Or, seduced (Deu_13:6; Deu_13:11). LXX., ἀπεπλάνησε.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11–15 (not in Kings). Jehoram’s Sins and Elijah’s written Denunciation

11. in the mountains] So Pesh., but ἐν πόλεσιν LXX. The difference between the two readings in Heb. is very small.

caused … to commit fornication] R.V. made … to go a whoring, i.e. led … into idolatry according to a much used metaphor of Scripture.

compelled Judah thereto] Lit., banished Judah, i.e. from the presence of Jehovah (a second metaphor meaning the same as the last, but on the negative side; “lead into idolatry” = “lead away from Jehovah”).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel,.... Worshipping the calves, and even Baal, with other idols, as they did:

and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab; meaning spiritual whoredoms or idolatries:

and hast also slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself; more religious, more humane, more prudent, and fitter for government.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Fornication; idolatry. M. --- Heb. "and compelled Juda." Sept. "seduced." Syriac, "dissipated Juda." C. --- He used every art of seduction and violence to introduce idolatry, to the ruin of his kingdom. H.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He made high places; not to the Lord, whose sworn enemy he was, but to Baals, or false gods.

Caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication; not only by his counsel and example, but, as it follows, by force, by threats and penalties.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. He made high places in the mountains — Thus undoing, or setting at naught, the labours of his pious father, who had exerted himself with marked though not complete success, (compare 2Ch_17:6; 2Ch_20:33,) to take away this stone of stumbling from Israel.

Caused… Jerusalem to commit fornication — A common scriptural metaphor for idolatry.

Compelled Judah — In thus using violence to seduce the people to idolatry, Jehoram was probably influenced by his wife, Athaliah, who would fain have introduced a foreign idolatry into the kingdom of Judah as her mother Jezebel had done into the kingdom of Israel.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Caused to commit fornication. Perhaps the meaning is exclusively here the infidelity of idolatry, but at any rate it includes this.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

High places - Not to the Lord, but to Baals or false gods. And caused - Not only by his counsel and example, but by force, by threats, and penalties.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Jehoram had also built high places

Other people helped Jehoram build these high places all over the mountains of Judah. AT: "Jehoram and the people had also built high places" (See: Synecdoche)

he made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to live like prostitutes

Jehoram caused the people to serve idols instead of Yahweh. People who serve other gods in order to receive something from them are spoken of as spiritual prostitutes. AT: "he caused the people of Jerusalem to leave Yahweh and serve other gods, as prostitutes serve men who are not their husbands" (See: Metaphor)

he led Judah astray

Not following Yahweh is spoken of as not following the correct path. AT: "he caused Judah to no longer follow Yahweh" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

high place

prostitute

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray - Heb. זְנוּת. It is appropriate to use the term harlotry in connection with anyone who forsakes and exchanges the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, for the idolatry of star and planet worship - for such a person behaves in the manner of a promiscuous woman who commits adultery with others, and similar to this are (Deut. 31:16): “and this people will rise and go astray (וְזָנָה) after the foreign gods of the land”; (Hos. 1:2): “for the land will go astray (זָנה תִזְנֶה), etc.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.