2 kings 13:10 - In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria for sixteen years.

Generated Verse: 2 kings 13:10

What does "2 kings 13:10" mean?


This verse is a straightforward statement of a historical event in the Bible. Let's break it down:

"In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah..." This gives us a timeframe. It's anchoring the event (the start of Jehoash's reign in Israel) to a specific point in the reign of the king of the southern kingdom of Judah, named Joash.

"...Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz..." This identifies the new king of Israel. His name is Jehoash, and he is the son of a previous king named Jehoahaz. (Note that Jehoash and Joash are slightly different renderings of similar names, leading to two similarly named kings in the northern and southern kingdoms.)

"...began to reign over Israel in Samaria..." This states that Jehoash is now the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, and his capital city is Samaria.

"...for sixteen years." This tells us the length of Jehoash's reign: sixteen years.

In summary, the verse simply states that in the 37th year of Joash's reign in Judah, Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, became king of Israel, ruling from Samaria for 16 years.

Significance in Context:

While seemingly simple, these chronological markers are important for understanding the history of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. By noting the synchronisms between the reigns of kings in both kingdoms, biblical scholars can attempt to reconstruct a more precise timeline of events. These verses also provide the context for the events that follow in the narrative about Jehoash's reign, his policies, and his interactions with other nations and figures.

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