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Monday, September 1st, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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THE MESSAGE

2 Kings 8:21

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Chariot;   Edomites;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Jehoram;   Zair;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Chariots;   Edomites, the;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Joram or Jehoram;   Tent;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Chariot;   Edom;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoram;   Zair;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Edom;   Jehoram;   Zair;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Edom;   Ezion-Geber;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Zair;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Edom, Edomites;   Jehoram;   Zair;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Esau ;   Hazael ;   Joram, Jehoram;   Zair ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ramothgilead;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ahaziah;   Elisha;   Idumaeans;   Jehoram;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jo'ram;   Za'ir;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jehoram;   Joram;   Obadiah, Book of;   Zair;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Amaziah, King of Judah;   Chariot;   Jehoram (Joram);   Kings, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders, but his troops fled to their tents.
Hebrew Names Version
Then Yoram passed over to Tza`ir, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and struck the Edom who surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
King James Version
So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.
English Standard Version
Then Joram passed over to Zair with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, but his army fled home.
New Century Version
So Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders. Jehoram got up and attacked the Edomites at night, but his army ran away to their tents.
New English Translation
Joram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. The Israelite army retreated to their homeland.
Amplified Bible
So Jehoram [king of Judah] went over to Zair [in Edom] with all his chariots. He set out by night and struck down the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of his chariots; but the people [of his army] fled to their tents.
New American Standard Bible
Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he got up at night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore Ioram went to Zair, and all his charets with him, and he arose by night, & smote the Edomites which were about him with the captains of the charets, and the people fled into their tents.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents.
Contemporary English Version
So Jehoram and his cavalry marched to Zair, where the Edomite army surrounded him and his commanders. During the night he attacked the Edomites, but he was defeated, and his troops escaped to their homes.
Complete Jewish Bible
In response, Yoram crossed to Tza‘ir with all his chariots. At night he and his chariot commanders set out and attacked Edom who had surrounded him; then the people fled to their tents.
Darby Translation
And Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites who had surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled into their tents.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them, but Jehoram and his officers attacked them and escaped. Jehoram's soldiers all ran away and went home.
George Lamsa Translation
So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him; and he rose by night to smite the Edomites who had surrounded him and his commanders with chariots; but the people fled to their tents.
Good News Translation
So Jehoram set out with all his chariots to Zair, where the Edomite army surrounded them. During the night he and his chariot commanders managed to break out and escape, and his soldiers scattered to their homes.
Lexham English Bible
So Joram crossed over to Zair and all the chariots with him. It happened that he arose by night and attacked Edom who had surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots; but the army fled to their tents.
Literal Translation
And Jehoram passed over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And it happened, he rose up by night and struck Edom, who had encircled him, and the commanders of the chariots. And the people fled to their tents.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
ye cause was this, Ioram had gone thorow Seira, and all the charettes with him, & had gotten him vp by nighte, and smytten the Edomites that were aboute him, and ye rulers ouer the charettes, so that the people fled vnto their tentes:
American Standard Version
Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
Bible in Basic English
Then Joram went over to Zair, with all his war-carriages; Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English. made an attack by night on the Edomites, whose forces were all round him, Three dots are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic English. the captains of the war-carriages; and the people went in flight to their tents.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So Ioram wet to Zair, he & al his charettes with him: And he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in with the captaynes of his charettes, and the people fled into their tentes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
King James Version (1611)
So Ioram went ouer to Zair, and all the charets with him, and hee rose by night, and smote the Edomites, which compassed him about: and the captaines of the charets, and the people fled into their tents.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joram went up to Sior, and all the chariots that were with him: and it came to pass after he had arisen, that he smote Edom who compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
English Revised Version
Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled to their tents.
Berean Standard Bible
So Joram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Joram cam to Seira, and alle the charis with hym; and he roos bi nyyt, and smoot Ydumeis, that cumpassiden hym, and the princis of charis; sotheli the puple fledde in to her tabernaclis.
Young's Literal Translation
and Joram passeth over to Zair, and all the chariots with him, and he himself hath risen by night, and smiteth Edom, that is coming round about unto him, and the heads of the chariots, and the people fleeth to its tents;
Update Bible Version
Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
Webster's Bible Translation
So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites who encompassed him, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.
World English Bible
Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
New King James Version
So Joram 2 Kings 8:16">[fn] went to Zair, and all his chariots with him. Then he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; and the troops fled to their tents.
New Living Translation
So Jehoram went with all his chariots to attack the town of Zair. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. But Jehoram's army deserted him and fled to their homes.
New Life Bible
Then Joram crossed over to Zair, with all his war-wagons. He and his war-wagon captains got up during the night and fought against the Edomites who had gathered around them. But his army ran away to their tents.
New Revised Standard
Then Joram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. He set out by night and attacked the Edomites and their chariot commanders who had surrounded him; but his army fled home.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Joram passed over to Zair, and all the chariots with him, - and it came to pass that, he, arising by night, smote the Edomites that were round about unto him, and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled to their homes,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joram came to Seira, and all the chariots with him: and he arose in the night, and defeated the Edomites that had surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots, but the people fled into their tents.
Revised Standard Version
Then Joram passed over to Za'ir with all his chariots, and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders smote the E'domites who had surrounded him; but his army fled home.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents.

Contextual Overview

16In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. He was thirty-two years old when he began his rule, and was king for eight years in Jerusalem. He copied the way of life of the kings of Israel, marrying into the Ahab family and continuing the Ahab line of sin—from God 's point of view, an evil man living an evil life. But despite that, because of his servant David, God was not ready to destroy Judah. He had, after all, promised to keep a lamp burning through David's descendants. 20During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolted against Judah's rule and set up their own king. Jehoram responded by taking his army of chariots to Zair. Edom surrounded him, but in the middle of the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom hard. But his infantry deserted him. 22 Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present. Even little Libnah revolted at that time. 23The rest of the life and times of Jehoram, the record of his rule, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Jehoram died and was buried in the family grave in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Zair: Zair is supposed by Calmet and others to be the same as Seir, the country of Seir the Horite, inhabited by the Edomites or Idumeans. Probably the former was a dialectical pronunciation of the latter. 2 Kings 8:21

Cross-References

Genesis 3:17
He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."
Genesis 6:5
God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them."
Genesis 6:17
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.
Genesis 8:1
Then God turned his attention to Noah and all the wild animals and farm animals with him on the ship. God caused the wind to blow and the floodwaters began to go down. The underground springs were shut off, the windows of Heaven closed and the rain quit. Inch by inch the water lowered. After 150 days the worst was over.
Genesis 8:7
He sent out a raven; it flew back and forth waiting for the floodwaters to dry up. Then he sent a dove to check on the flood conditions, but it couldn't even find a place to perch—water still covered the Earth. Noah reached out and caught it, brought it back into the ship.
Genesis 8:10
He waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. It came back in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf in its beak. Noah knew that the flood was about finished.
Genesis 8:15
God spoke to Noah: "Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives. And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth."
Genesis 8:22
For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop."
Psalms 58:3
The wicked crawl from the wrong side of the cradle; their first words out of the womb are lies. Poison, lethal rattlesnake poison, drips from their forked tongues— Deaf to threats, deaf to charm, decades of wax built up in their ears.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
There's not one totally good person on earth, Not one who is truly pure and sinless.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So Joram went over to Zair,.... A city in Edom, the same with the Zaara of Ptolemy i; some take it to be the same with Seir, the mountain or country of that name:

and all the chariots with him; all the chariots of war he had:

and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about; who came out of their cities in great numbers, and surrounded him, he having entered into their country in an hostile way, to subdue them:

and the captains of the chariots: which belonged to the Edomites; those he smote, 2 Chronicles 21:9

and the people fled into their tents; the army being routed.

i Geograph. l. 5. c. 17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Zair - Perhaps Seir, the famous mountain of Edom Genesis 14:6.

The people - i. e., The Edomites. Yet, notwithstanding his success, Joram was forced to withdraw from the country, and to leave the natives to enjoy that independence 2 Kings 8:22, which continued until the time of John Hyrcanus, who once more reduced them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 8:21. Joram went over to Zair — This is the same as Seir, a chief city of Idumea. So Isaiah 21:11: The burden of Dumah (Idumea.) He calleth to me out of Seir.

Smote the Edomites — It appears that the Israelites were surrounded by the Idumeans; and that in the night Joram and his men cut their way through them, and so got every man to his tent, for they were not able to make any farther head against these enemies; and therefore it is said, that Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day.


 
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