2 Chronicles 21:20

2Ch 21:20 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

Ver. 20. Departed without being desired.] Ingloria vita recessit. As he lived wickedly, so he died wishedly. The like is reported of Tiberius the emperor; of Mohammed I; of Edwin, king of this land; of William Rufus, who died unlamented, as being a contemner of all religion, alieni appetens, sacrorum direptor, et avaritia et saevitia infamis, saith the historian.

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.

2Ch_21:20

And departed without being desired.

The undesirableness of a wicked mans life

I. Such life is not desirable on its own account. Two facts will show this.

1. His highest enjoyments are unsatisfactory and brief. It is impossible for us to be satisfied in any condition where we have not a consciousness of right, a sense of Divine favour, a hope of a bright future, and the pulsation of holy loves. Observe--

(1) How foolish to aim at such a life as this.

(2) How foolish to envy such a life as this.

2. That the longer it continues the greater becomes his responsibility.

II. Such a life is not desirable on account of others.

1. It renders no real good to others.

2. It produces incalculable mischief. In the spiritual, as in the material, like begets like. One sinner destroyeth much good. (Homilist.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 21:20. And departed — Hebrew, went, namely, the way of all the earth, as it is more fully expressed Jos 23:14. Or, to the land of darkness, Job 10:21-22. Or, to his long home, Ecc 12:5. Or, went away, namely, out of this world, as the word הלךְ, halack, used here and Job 14:20; Ecc 5:15; Ecc 6:4, signifies. And there are many such phrases used concerning death, in the Old and New Testaments, which all signify that death is not an annihilation, but only a translation into another place and state. See Gen 15:15; Php 1:23. Without being desired — Hebrew, without desire, which may be referred, 1st, To himself. He had no desire of living longer, nor any pleasure in life, but was heartily weary of it, through his excessive pains. Or rather, it belongs, 2d, To his people, who did not desire that he should live longer, but oft and heartily wished that he had died sooner: which contempt of him they showed both by making no burning for him, as they used to do for good kings, and by denying him burial among the kings. The expression is emphatical: for it is usual with men to desire the death of some persons, whom afterward they lament, and heartily wish they were alive again. But for this ungodly and unhappy prince, his people did not only in his life-time wish his death, but afterward did not repent of those desires.

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

That is, as some write, he was not regarded, but deposed for his wickedness, and idolatry: so that his son reigned 22 years (his father yet living) without honor, and after his father’s death he was confirmed to reign still, as 2 Chron. 22:2.

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

Verse 20. Departed without being desired.] He was hated while he lived, and neglected when he died; visibly cursed of God, and necessarily execrated by the people whom he had lived only to corrupt and oppress. No annalist is mentioned as having taken the pains to write any account of his vile life. This summary mention of him consigns him to the execration of posterity, and holds in the view of every prudent governor, the rock on which he split and wrecked the state.

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

(20) Thirty and two years.—The word “years” has fallen out of the Hebrew text; but some MSS. contain it. The repetition of his age, &c, is curious. (See 2Ch_21:6.) It seems to indicate that the writer was here transcribing from another source.

And departed without being desired.—And he departed without regret, died unregretted. Hemdâh answers to the Latin desiderium. The LXX. and Vulg. render: “And he walked not in approbation,” or “rightly.” Comp. Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the end of king Jehoiakim: “They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, my brother!” &c. (Jer_22:18-19). So Syriac and Arabic.

Howbeit.—And.

They buried him.—LXX., Syriac, and Arabic: “He was buried.”

But not in the sepulchres of the kings.—2Ch_24:25; 2Ch_26:23. Another circumstance of dishonour. It is not mentioned in 2Ki_8:17. Thenius asserts that in these additions to the history of Jehoram there is traceable, not only a traditional or legendary element, but also pure embellishment on the part of the chronicler. The grounds he alleges, however, by no means necessitate his conclusion, being themselves misinterpretations of the statements of Kings.

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

20. and departed without being desired] Render, he lived so that none desired him (or “delighted in him”). Cp. LXX., ἐπορεύθη οὐκ ἐν ἐπαίνῳ, lit. “he walked without praise.”

Howbeit] R.V. and.

but not in the sepulchres of the kings] According to Kings he “was buried with his fathers.” Cp. 2Ch_24:25.

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.

Not in the sepulchres of the kings - Compare the similar treatment of Joash 2Ch 24:25 and Ahaz 2Ch 28:27.

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

Rightly. Sept. "unpraised." Heb. "without any satisfaction;" or, "he departed unregretted," oppressed with illness, and odious to all. --- Kings. Joas, Achaz, Achab, and Manasses, were disgraced in like manner, after their death. The Hebrews then shewed their resentment, without fear. The like custom prevailed in Egypt, and kept many within bounds. No person could receive the usual honours of burial, if his accusers could maintain their charge against his character before a court of above forty people, assembled for the purpose. Calumny was severely punished. But the kings themselves were to stand their trial, while their corpse was placed in the porch of the monument, and the priest spoke their funeral oration. The people testified their approbation or discontent, "and many of the kings have been deprived of a glorious and legal burial, on account of the opposition of the multitude." Diodorus i. and ii. C.

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).

Departed, Heb. went, to wit, the way of all the earth, as it is more fully expressed, Jos 23:14. Or, to the land of darkness, as Job 10:21,22. Or, to his long home, Ecc 12:5. Or, went away, to wit, out of this world; as this word is used, Job 14:20; Ecc 5:15; 6:4; there being many such words and phrases used concerning death in the Old and New Testament, signifying that death is not an annihilation, but only a translation into another place and state. See Gen 15:15; Phi 1:23.

Without being desired, Heb. without desire; which may belong either,

1. To himself; he had no desire of living longer, nor any pleasure in life, but was heartily weary of it, through his excessive pains: or rather,

2. To his people, who did not desire that he should live longer, but oft and heartily wished that he had died sooner; which contempt of him they showed both by making no burning for him, as they used to do for good and laudable kings, 2Ch 16:14, and by denying him burial among the kings, as it here follows. Desire is here put for a person or thing whose life or continuance is desirable or desired by others, as Isa 2:16; Eze 24:16,18,21,25; Da 9:23; 10:11,19. And this is an emphatical expression, because it is usual with men to desire the deaths of some persons, whom afterward they lament and heartily wish that they were alive again, as they may have cause to do. But for this ungodly and unhappy prince, his people did not only in his lifetime wish his death, but afterwards they did not repent of those desires, nor wish him alive again, but rejoiced that they were delivered from so great a plague as he was to them.

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

20. Departed without being desired — That is, unregretted, unwept, unhonoured. His people were rather glad to be rid of such a king.

Not in the sepulchres of the kings — Those tombs, it was thought, would have been dishonoured and defiled by the burial there of one so abandoned and accursed of Jehovah.

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

Departed without being desired; literally, without desire. The closing commentary, so quietly written, becomes the more pathetically mournful The "desire" spoken of is the desiderium of Horace, of nearly nine centuries later ("Odes," L 24). But there was now no "desiderium tam cari capitis," for want of room for this latter description. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings (see again our note on 2Ch_16:14; and comp. 2Ch_24:25 2Ch_28:27)

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

Desired - This is an emphatical expression, because it is usual with men to desire the deaths of some persons, whom afterward they lament, and heartily wish they were alive again. But for this ungodly and unhappy prince, his people did not only in his life time wish his death, but afterwards did not repent of those desires.

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

The repetition of his age and the length of his reign (cf. Ch2 21:6) is accounted for by the fact that the last section of this chapter is derived from a special source, wherein these notes likewise were contained. The peculiarity of the language and the want of the current expressions of our historian also favour the idea that some special authority has been used here. "And he departed, mourned by none." Luther erroneously translates, "and walked in a way which was not right" (und wandelt das nicht fein war), after the "ambulavit non recte" of the Vulg.; for חמדּה denotes, not a good walk, but desiderium, חמדּה בּלא, sine desiderio, i.e., a nemine desideratus. הלך, to depart, i.e., die, as Gen 15:2. Moreover, though he was buried in the city of David, yet he was not laid in the graves of the kings, by which act also a judgment was pronounced upon his reign; cf. Ch2 24:25 and Ch2 26:23.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

and he departed joyless The meaning is: all his life he was in distress and in illnesses, and with him was fulfilled (Deut. 30:15): “See, I have set before you today life, etc.” and (Job 14:1) “short of days and full of fear.”

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.