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2 Kings 8:16

in 2 Kings 8

In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

KJV

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

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This verse in 2 Kings 8

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

In the fifth year of Joram - This verse, as it stands in the present Hebrew text, may be thus read: “And in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, [and of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah], reigned Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.” The three Hebrew words, ויהושפט מלך יהודה, and of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, greatly disturb the chronology in this place. It is certain that Jehoshaphat reigned twenty-five years, and that Jehoram his son reigned but eight; 1Ki 22:42; 2Ki 8:17; 2Ch 20:31; 2Ch 21:

This site's exposition

Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah

on 2 Kings 8:16-18

Jehoram of Judah begins his eight-year reign in the fifth year of Joram of Israel, and the text names the reason for what follows in one clause: the daughter of Ahab was his wife. That marriage carries Jezebel's household into David's line, and Jehoram walks in the way of the kings of Israel rather than the way of his own father Jehoshaphat. The wife is not named here, but she is the daughter who will sit on David's own throne herself within a few chapters, the marriage's full cost still ahead of the reader.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Jehoram - Jehoram was first made king or vice-roy, by his father divers years before this time, at his expedition to Ramoth- Gilead, which dominion of his, ended at his father's return.
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel,.... Who began his reign in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, 2Ki 3:1. Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah; as he continued to be two years more; for this must be in the twenty third year of his reign, and he reigned twenty five years, 1Ki 22:

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Samuel got nothing by making his sons judges. The rebukes of Providence which he was under for his wickedness. The Edomites revolted, who had been under the government of the kings of Judah ever since David's time, about 150 years,

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

The passage is parenthetic, resuming the history of the kingdom of Judah from 1Ki 22:50. 2Ki 8:16 The opening words are - “In the fifth year of Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, and of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah;” but they contradict all the other chronological notices of Jehoshaphat 1Ki 22:42, 1Ki 22:51; 2Ki 3:1; 2Ch 20:31, which give him a reign of at least twenty-three years. Hence, some have supposed that the words “Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah,” are accidentally repeated. Those, however, who regard them and 2Ki 1:17 as sound, suppose that Jehoshaphat gave his son the royal title in his 16th year, while he advanced him to a real association in the empire seven years later, in his 23rd year. Two years afterward, Jehoshatphat died, and Jehoram became sole king. 2Ki 8:17 The “eight years” are counted from his association in the kingdom. They terminate in the twelfth year of Johoram of Israel. 2Ki 8:18 Jehoshaphat’s alliance, political and social, with Ahab and Ahab’s family had not been allowed to affect the purity of his faith. Jehoram his son, influenced by his wife, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, “walked in the way of the kings of Israel;” he allowed, i. e., the introduction of the Baal-worship into Judaea. Among the worst of Jehoram’s evil doings must be reckoned the cruel murder of his six brothers 2Ch 21:4, whom he killed to obtain their wealth. 2Ki 8:19 The natural consequence of Jehoram’s apostasy would have been the destruction of his house, and the transfer of the throne of Judah to another family. Compare the punishments of Jeroboam 1Ki 14:10, Baasha 1Ki 16:2-4, and Ahab 1Ki 21:20-22. But the promises to David (marginal references) prevented this removal of the dynasty; and so Jehoram was punished in other ways 2Ki 8:22; 2Ch 21:12-19.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

In the fifth year, etc. Yehoshophot crowned Yorom [who reigned] two years during his lifetime, when they returned from the war they had waged with the king of Mo’av; 14 See Radak’s commentary pertaining to Rashi’s calculation. so it was taught in Seder Olam.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Kings 8:16:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וּבִשְׁנַ֣תand in year

    uvishnatH8141 →877 times

  • חָמֵ֗שׁfive

    chameshH2568 →343 times

  • לְיוֹרָ֤םof Joram

    leyoramH3141 →20 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • אַחְאָב֙Ahab

    ʾachavH256 →92 times

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • וִיהוֹשָׁפָ֖טand Jehoshaphat

    vihoshafatH3092 →84 times

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[was] [the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יְהוּדָ֑הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • מָלַ֛ךְhe became king

    malakhH4427 →348 times

  • יְהוֹרָ֥םJehoram

    yehoramH3088 →29 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖טJehoshaphat

    yehoshafatH3092 →84 times

  • מֶ֥לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יְהוּדָֽה׃Judah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Kings 1:17So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah.5 works2 Kings 3:1In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.3 works1 Kings 22:50And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.2 works2 Chronicles 21:1–20And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.2 works1 Chronicles 3:11Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,2 works1 Kings 22:42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Kings 11:2But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.2 works2 Kings 9:29(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)2 worksMatthew 1:8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Kings 3:1

    In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 1:17

      So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of…

  • Through

    2 Kings 1:17

    So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of…

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 3:1

      In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.

    • 1 Kings 22:51

      In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    1 Kings 22:50

    And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.

    it leads to

    • 2 Chronicles 21:1

      And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.

    • 1 Kings 2:10

      Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

    • 1 Kings 15:24

      And Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

    • 1 Kings 11:43

      And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

    • 1 Kings 14:31

      And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.

About 2 Kings

Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Kings: the study guide →Read 2 Kings 8 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The Second Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Kings 8 →