Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The text functions as a chronological accession notice, dating Jehoram’s rise to the throne of Israel against the regnal timeline of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat.
The words — The Hebrew מָלַ֤ךְ (ma.Lakh) denotes the formal act of assuming royal authority, while בִּ/שְׁנַת֙ (bi/sh.Nat) anchors the event to a specific regnal year.
The thread — This cross-kingdom dating method appears in 1 Kings 22:51, which tracks Ahaziah’s accession, and 2 Kings 8:16, which synchronizes Jehoram of Judah’s reign with Jehoram of Israel’s fifth year.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize that Israel’s political history is being measured against Judah’s covenant timeline, framing the northern monarchy’s leadership within a broader biblical chronology.
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
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
Cross-references
- 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.
- 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.
- 2 Kings 8:16 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.