Elijah, the prophet, lived much about the time as Jehoshaphat and Ahab. But Elisha had succeeded him in his office when Jehoram had the government of Judah. It is probable, however, that the reign of Jehoram might have begun before the translation of Elijah; and therefore this written message came to him in the Lord's name from his departing servant. And observe how very awful the contents of it. It first opens to his view, the great enormities he had been guilty of. Impious to God; and cruel to man: a murderer even of his own brothers! It next marks his punishment, and that is to be exemplarily striking. Yet we hear of no compunction, no sorrow, no turning to the Lord by penitence and reformation, though it should seem a long period was allowed him before it was inflicted. And in the mean time, a more general visitation of foreign enemies, whom the Lord stirred up against him, as if to see what gentler corrections would accomplish. And Reader! do notice how progressive the Lord made those judgments. First, in the enemies from without; then distresses within. His children, his wives, his substance taken away into captivity. And last of all, his own person under this dreadful disease: no doubt loathsome as well as painful. And this protracted to the long period of two years. Alas! even in this life, what awful effects do we daily behold in the visitations of God on sinners.
2 Chronicles 21:12-19
12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself:
14 Behold, with a greatc plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19 And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.