This describes the time that Joram began to reign by stating how long the current king of Judah had reigned. The meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "in the eighteenth year that Jehoshaphat was king of Judah" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
Sometimes this man is referred to as "Jehoram." This is not the same person as the man mentioned in [2 Kings 1:17](../01/17.md) named "Jehoram."
# what was evil in the sight of Yahweh
Here "sight" refers to Yahweh's thoughts or opinion. AT: "what Yahweh considers to be evil" or "what is evil in Yahweh's judgement" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
# but not like his father and his mother
This compares how much evil he did to being less that the amount that his parents did. AT: "but he did not do as much evil as his father and mother had done" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])
# the sacred stone pillar of Baal
This pillar was used in the worship of Baal, though it is unknown what the pillar looked like. AT: "the sacred stone pillar for worshiping Baal" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]])
# he held on to the sins
This is an idiom. Here "holding on" to something means to continue doing it. AT: "he continued to commit the sins" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
# Nebat
This is the name of a man. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])
"Turning away" from something is an idiom which means to stop doing it. AT: "he did not stop committing those sins" or "he continued committing those sins" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])