And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.
Their father gave them generous gifts of silver, gold, and valuable treasures, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the oldest son.
King Jehoshaphat provided well for all his sons with wealth and cities, but gave the throne to his firstborn son Jehoram, following the traditional rule of inheritance.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes King Jehoshaphat's distribution of his wealth among his sons before his death around 848 BC. In ancient Israel and Judah, it was customary for the firstborn son to inherit the throne and receive a double portion of the inheritance, while younger sons received generous provisions but not the primary inheritance. Jehoshaphat was trying to prevent civil war by clearly establishing succession while still caring for all his children.
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