Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records a royal transition following Ahab’s death, synchronizing the northern accession with the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s rule over Judah.
The words — The text uses מָלַ֤ךְ (ma.Lakh) to state the formal accession of Ahaziah, and specifies his seat of power with בְּ/שֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן (be./Sho.me.Ron), literally in Samaria.
The thread — The regnal synchronization formula appears in 1 Kings 15:25, which dates Nadab’s accession to the second year of Asa, while 1 Kings 22:40 records the preceding death of Ahab and 2 Kings 1:17 records the succeeding death of Ahaziah.
Why it lands — The verse demands a reader to track the exact chronological overlap between the divided kingdoms and to recognize that the northern dynasty’s brief tenure is anchored to the southern king’s reign.
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
Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 15:25 In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years.
- 1 Kings 22:40 And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
- 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 Jehoshaphat over Judah.