During his reign, the Edomites rebelled against Judah’s rule and set up a king of their own.
Rashi’s Commentary
- In his days, Edom rebelled, etc. For David had destroyed all the males in Edom, and he appointed governors over them instead of a king, and they paid him tribute, and all the kings of Judah did similarly: they appointed governors who pleased them. And from the days of Joram and thereafter, they [the Edomites] rebelled against the authority of Judah.
Jehoram advanced [against them] with his officers and all his chariotry. He arose by night and attacked the Edomites, who surrounded him and the chariot commanders.
Rashi’s Commentary
- who surrounded him He smote those Edomites who surrounded him and supported him to aid him, for it was their custom that when they were victorious in war, they would seize the mighty men and bring them with them lest they join their enemies to aid the Edomites, their countrymen. In this case, he got up at night suddenly and slew them. Our Sages, however, explained “those who surrounded him” as “those near him.”
וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוֹרָם עִם־שָׂרָיו וְכׇל־הָרֶכֶב עִמּוֹ וַיְהִי קָם לַיְלָה וַיַּךְ אֶת־אֱדוֹם הַסּוֹבֵב אֵלָיו וְאֵת שָׂרֵי הָרָכֶב׃
רש"י
- הסובב אליו. ויך אותו אדום הסובבים וסומכים לו לעזרו כי היה דרכם כשנוצחים במלחמה היו תופשים האנשים הגבורים ומביאים אותן עמהם שלא יתוספו על שונאיהם להיות לעזרה לאדום בני עמם וקם לילה פתאום והרגם ורבותינו פירשו הסובב אליו סמוכים לפניו:
Edom has been in rebellion against Judah, to this day; Libnah also rebelled against him at that time, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.
Rashi’s Commentary
- And Edom rebelled Was it not already stated above (verse 8): “In his days, Edom rebelled?” But this is the manner of Scripture: because a verse is interposed, and it now wishes to continue with “then Libnah rebelled,” it repeats the [original words] stating, “And Edom rebelled.” then Libnah rebelled It belonged to Judah, and it was situated on the border of Edom, as is written in the Book of Joshua (15:21, 42): “And the outermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom.” When they saw that the Edomites rebelled, they too rebelled, for they lived on the border of Edom, and they aided Edom. This is [the meaning of] “then Libnah rebelled.”
- because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his forefathers [Scripture] explains what it was that caused them to rebel in his time more than during [the time of] the rest of the kings of Judah who preceded him.
וַיִּפְשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אָז תִּפְשַׁע לִבְנָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ כִּי עָזַב אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָיו׃
רש"י
- ויפשע אדום. והלא כבר נאמר למעלה בימיו פשע אדום אלא כן דרך הפסוק לפי שהפסיק בנתיים פסוק אחד ורוצה לומר אז תפשע לבנה לכך סידרן מתחילה ואומר ויפשע אדום אז תפשע לבנה של יהודה היתה והיתה עומדת על גבול אדום כדכתיב בספר יהושע ויהי הערים מקצה למטה בני יהודה אל גבול אדום וכשראו שמרדו אדומיים מרדו אף הם בעת ההיא שיושבים על גבול אדום ועזרו לאדום וזהו אז תפשע לבנה:
- כי עזב את ה' אלהי אבותיו. מגיד מה גרם לו שמרדו בימיו יותר משא' מלכי יהודה שהיו לפניו:
Moreover, he built shrines in the hill country of Judah; he led astray the inhabitants of Jerusalem and made Judah wayward.
Rashi’s Commentary
- 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.”
A letter from Elijah the prophet came to him which read, “Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Since you have not followed the practices of your father Jehoshaphat and the practices of King Asa of Judah,
Rashi’s Commentary
- And a letter came to him from Elijah After he had ascended to heaven, this prophetic letter came to him [i.e., to Joram].
They marched against Judah, breached its defenses, and carried off all the property that was found in the king’s palace, as well as his sons and his wives. The only son who remained was Jehoahaz, his youngest.
Rashi’s Commentary
- and split it - Heb. וַיִִּבְקָעוּהָ, like (Isa. 7:6): “Let us go up to Judah and provoke it and breach its walls וְנַבְקִעֶנָה and so, (II Kings 3:26): “to break a way (לְהַבְקִיעַ)o the king of Edom.”
Some years later, when a period of two years had elapsed, his bowels dropped out because of his disease, and he died a gruesome death. His people did not make a fire for him like the fire for his fathers.
Rashi’s Commentary
- and at the end the end that the prophet had foretold him of.
- and his people did not make him a burning even though he required that burning because he had been ailing with malignant illnesses, and his flesh reeked. The Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish to honor him by making a burning for him, and he was also not buried in the graves of the kings.
וַיְהִי לְיָמִים מִיָּמִים וּכְעֵת צֵאת הַקֵּץ לְיָמִים שְׁנַיִם יָצְאוּ מֵעָיו עִם־חׇלְיוֹ וַיָּמׇת בְּתַחֲלֻאִים רָעִים וְלֹא־עָשׂוּ לוֹ עַמּוֹ שְׂרֵפָה כִּשְׂרֵפַת אֲבֹתָיו׃
רש"י
- וכעת צאת הקץ. אותו קץ שאמר לו הנביא:
- ולא עשו לו עמו שרפה. אע"פ שהיה צריך לאותו שרפה לפי שחלה בחליים רעים ובשרו מסריח לא חפץ הקב"ה בכבודו שיעשו לו שרפה וגם לא נקבר בקברות המלכי':
He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He departed unpraised, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Rashi’s Commentary
- 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.”
בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם הָיָה בְמׇלְכוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּלֹא חֶמְדָּה וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וְלֹא בְּקִבְרוֹת הַמְּלָכִים׃
רש"י
- בלא חמדה. פתרון כל ימיו היה ברעה ובתחלואים ועליו נתקיים (דברים ל"א) ראה נתתי לפניך היום את החיים וגו' וגם קצר ימים ושבע רוגז: