Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 34:1
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The text introduces King Josiah at the start of his rule over Judah, recording his age at accession and the total duration of his reign in Jerusalem.
The words — The Hebrew שְׁמוֹנֶה (she.mo.Neh) and שָׁנִים (sha.Nim) literally render "eight years," while שָׁנָה (sha.Nah) appears later for the "year" of his thirty-one-year reign.
The thread — The reign length anchors later prophetic timelines, as Jeremiah 1:2 dates a divine message to the thirteenth year of Josiah’s rule and Zephaniah 1:1 locates his prophecy in the days of this same king.
Why it lands — The verse establishes a precise chronological framework for Judah’s monarchy, requiring the reader to track regnal years to align historical events with subsequent prophetic declarations.
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
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 1:2 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
- Zephaniah 1:1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
- 1 Samuel 2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
- 1 Samuel 2:26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.
- 1 Kings 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
- 1 Kings 13:2 And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”
- 2 Kings 22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
- 1 Chronicles 3:14 Amon his son, and Josiah his son.
- 2 Chronicles 24:1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
- 2 Chronicles 26:1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.