Why did the Edomites invade Judah according to 2 Chronicles 28:17? Passage Text “The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away captives.” (2 Chronicles 28:17) Immediate Literary Context Chapter 28 traces King Ahaz’s reign (c. 742–726 BC, Ussher chronology). Verses 1-4 catalog his idolatry—high places, Baal images, and child sacrifice. Verse 5 states, “Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram… and into the hand of the king of Israel.” The Edomite invasion in verse 17 is the third wave of discipline following Syria and the Northern Kingdom (vv. 5-8) and before Philistia (v. 18). Chronicles presents these sequential attacks as God-directed judgments provoked by Ahaz’s apostasy (v. 19). Historical Relationship between Judah and Edom 1. Ancestral Rivalry: Edom descended from Esau (Genesis 36:1). The birth struggle (Genesis 25:21-26) foreshadowed centuries of conflict (Numbers 20:14-21; 2 Samuel 8:13-14). 2. Subjugation and Revolt: Jehoshaphat appointed a governor over Edom (1 Kings 22:47). Edom rebelled under Jehoram (2 Kings 8:20-22). Amaziah temporarily subdued Edom and slaughtered 10,000 in the Valley of Salt (2 Chronicles 25:11-12), breeding grievance. The phrase “had again come” (28:17) signals a recurring vendetta. Motivations for the 2 Chron 28:17 Incursion 1. Divine Judgment for Covenant Breach • Deuteronomy 28:25 warns, “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies.” Chronicles frames Edom as one of the covenant-curse instruments: “For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz… for he had been most unfaithful” (2 Chronicles 28:19). 2. Retaliation for Prior Defeats • Edom sought revenge for Amaziah’s earlier massacre and forced labor (2 Chronicles 25:12). Contemporary Near-Eastern annals show cycles of reprisal; Edom’s raid fits the pattern (cf. the Mesha Stele’s record of Moabite reprisals). 3. Opportunism amid Judah’s Military Collapse • Syria’s and Israel’s assault (vv. 5-8) left defenses depleted. With the Judean Shephelah exposed (v. 18), Edom exploited the power vacuum. Archaeological surveys at Arad and Lachish underline weakened Judean garrisons in Ahaz’s era. 4. Geopolitical Alliances • 2 Chronicles 28:18 links Philistines to the same campaign season; Edom likely coordinated along caravan routes to seize Judean captives for slave trade through the Arabah into the Red Sea market (cf. Joel 3:4-6). Prophetic Anticipation and Condemnation Obadiah (vv. 10-14) and Amos 1:11-12 denounce Edom’s violence “when strangers carried off Jerusalem’s wealth.” While written earlier, these oracles illuminate Edom’s habitual exploitation of Judah’s misfortunes, culminating in Ahaz’s day and foreshadowing 586 BC. Archaeological and Extrabiblical Corroboration • Busayra (biblical Bozrah) shows an 8th-century fortification boom, evidencing Edom’s strength exactly when Judah weakened. • Copper-mining complexes at Timna and Faynan support a centralized Edomite monarchy capable of staging cross-border raids. • A prism of Tiglath-pileser III lists “Iadudi” (Judah) and “Udumi” (Edom) among subjugated states, indicating regional turmoil during Ahaz’s appeals to Assyria (2 Kings 16:7-9). Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty: God uses hostile nations as disciplinary rods yet holds them accountable (Isaiah 10:5-12; Obadiah 15). 2. Faithlessness Breeds Vulnerability: Ahaz’s trust in foreign gods and Assyria, not in Yahweh, invites disaster (2 Chronicles 28:20-21). 3. Captivity Motif: Edom’s taking of captives previews exile yet contrasts with Christ’s later proclamation of liberty to captives (Luke 4:18). Christological Trajectory Messiah, a descendant of Jacob, fulfills Balaam’s vision: “A star will come forth from Jacob… Edom will become a possession” (Numbers 24:17-18). The ultimate subjugation of Edom under Christ (cf. Amos 9:11-12; Acts 15:16-17) points to the eschatological reversal of 2 Chron 28:17. Practical and Pastoral Applications • Personal and national sin incurs real-world consequences. • God disciplines to reclaim covenant people (Hebrews 12:5-11). • Believers are warned against opportunistic cruelty exemplified by Edom, and invited instead to mercy (James 2:13). Summary Answer Edom invaded Judah because God permitted and directed the assault as covenant judgment for King Ahaz’s idolatry; simultaneously, Edom seized a chance to avenge past defeats and profit from Judah’s weakened defenses, fulfilling long-standing prophetic warnings and advancing the unfolding redemptive narrative. |
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