Bible Strands
1 Kings 22:41
In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator synchronizes the royal timelines of Israel and Judah by dating Jehoshaphat’s accession to the fourth year of Ahab’s reign, immediately following the report of Ahab’s death and Ahaziah’s succession.
The words — The text highlights מָלַ֖ךְ (ma.Lakh), literally “he became king,” and אַרְבַּ֔ע ('ar.Ba'), meaning “four,” to anchor the start of Jehoshaphat’s rule to a specific point in Ahab’s timeline.
The thread — This synchronistic dating formula appears in 1 Kings 22:2 when Jehoshaphat visits Ahab in the third year, while Jehoshaphat’s age and total reign length are recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:31 and his lineage is traced in 1 Chronicles 3:10.
Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to track overlapping regnal chronologies across divided kingdoms and to recognize how royal succession in Judah is measured against the concurrent monarchy in Israel.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
Cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 20:31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He 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.
- 1 Kings 22:2 However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel,
- 1 Chronicles 3:10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam: Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
- 2 Chronicles 17:1 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel.