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Saturday, August 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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THE MESSAGE

2 Kings 8:16

In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. He was thirty-two years old when he began his rule, and was king for eight years in Jerusalem. He copied the way of life of the kings of Israel, marrying into the Ahab family and continuing the Ahab line of sin—from God 's point of view, an evil man living an evil life. But despite that, because of his servant David, God was not ready to destroy Judah. He had, after all, promised to keep a lamp burning through David's descendants.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Influence;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Jehoram;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jehoshaphat;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Joram or Jehoram;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jehoram;   Phoenicia;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Elijah;   Jehoram;   Joram;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Elijah;   Jehoram;   Jehoshaphat;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jehoram;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hazael ;   Joram, Jehoram;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ramothgilead;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ahaziah;   Elisha;   Jehoram;   Jehoshaphat;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jehosh'aphat;   Jo'ram;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elijah;   Jehoram;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jehoram (Joram);   Kings, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In the fifth year of Israel’s King Joram son of Ahab, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, replacing his father.
Hebrew Names Version
In the fifth year of Yoram the son of Ach'av king of Yisra'el, Yehoshafat being then king of Yehudah, Yehoram the son of Yehoshafat king of Yehudah began to reign.
King James Version
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Je hoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
English Standard Version
In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign.
New Century Version
While Jehoshaphat was king in Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. This was during the fifth year Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.
New English Translation
In the fifth year of the reign of Israel's King Joram, son of Ahab, Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram became king over Judah.
Amplified Bible
Now in the fifth year of Joram (Jehoram) the son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.
New American Standard Bible
Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now in the fift yere of Ioram ye sonne of Ahab King of Israel, and of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, Iehoram the sonne of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah began to reigne.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.
Contemporary English Version
Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah in Joram's fifth year as king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.
Complete Jewish Bible
It was when Yoram the son of Ach'av king of Isra'el was in the fifth year of his reign that Y'horam the son of Y'hoshafat began his rule over Y'hudah.
Darby Translation
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. He began to rule in the fifth year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.
George Lamsa Translation
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel. Joram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign.
Good News Translation
In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab as king of Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah
Lexham English Bible
Now in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Joram son of Jehoshaphat became the king of Judah.
Literal Translation
And in the fifth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, reigned.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In the fyfth yeare of Ioram the sonne of Achab kynge of Israel, was Ioram ye sonne of Iosaphat kynge of Iuda.
American Standard Version
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
Bible in Basic English
In the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, became king.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The fyft yere of Ioram the sonne of Ahab king of Israel, Iehosaphat being also king of Iuda, Ioram the sonne of Iehosaphat king of Iuda began to raigne.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
King James Version (1611)
And in the fifth yeere of Ioram the sonne of Ahab king of Israel, Iehoshaphat being then king of Iudah, Iehoram the sonne of Iehoshaphat king of Iudah began to reigne.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
In the fifth year of Joram son of Achaab king of Israel, and while Josaphat was king of Juda, Joram the son of Josaphat king of Juda began to reign.
English Revised Version
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In the fyuethe yeer of Joram, sone of Achab, kyng of Israel, and of Josephat, kyng of Juda, Joram, sone of Josephat, kyng of Juda, regnede.
Young's Literal Translation
And in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel -- and Jehoshaphat [is] king of Judah -- hath Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah reigned;
Update Bible Version
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
Webster's Bible Translation
And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat [being] then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
World English Bible
In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
New King James Version
2 Chronicles 21:1-20">[xr] Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah.
New Living Translation
Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to rule over Judah in the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel.
New Life Bible
In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to rule.
New Revised Standard
In the fifth year of King Joram son of Ahab of Israel, Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to reign.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, having been king of Judah, Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, began to reign.
Douay-Rheims Bible
In the fifth year of Joram, son of Achab, king of Israel, and of Josaphat, king of Juda, reigned Joram, son of Josaphat, king of Juda.
Revised Standard Version
In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jeho'ram the son of Jehosh'aphat, king of Judah, began to reign.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.

Contextual Overview

16In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. He was thirty-two years old when he began his rule, and was king for eight years in Jerusalem. He copied the way of life of the kings of Israel, marrying into the Ahab family and continuing the Ahab line of sin—from God 's point of view, an evil man living an evil life. But despite that, because of his servant David, God was not ready to destroy Judah. He had, after all, promised to keep a lamp burning through David's descendants. 20During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolted against Judah's rule and set up their own king. Jehoram responded by taking his army of chariots to Zair. Edom surrounded him, but in the middle of the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom hard. But his infantry deserted him. 22 Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present. Even little Libnah revolted at that time. 23The rest of the life and times of Jehoram, the record of his rule, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Jehoram died and was buried in the family grave in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3112, bc 892

Jehoram: 2 Kings 1:17, 1 Kings 22:50, 2 Chronicles 21:1-20

began to reign: Heb. reigned, "Began to reign in concert with his father.

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 22:42 - thirty and five 2 Kings 3:1 - Jehoram 2 Kings 8:25 - General 2 Kings 9:29 - in the eleventh 2 Kings 11:2 - Joram Matthew 1:8 - Joram

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
Next God said to Noah, "Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you're the righteous one.
Genesis 7:13
That's the day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, accompanied by his wife and his sons' wives, boarded the ship. And with them every kind of wild and domestic animal, right down to all the kinds of creatures that crawl and all kinds of birds and anything that flies. They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then God shut the door behind him.
Genesis 8:18
Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons' wives. Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds—every creature on the face of the Earth—left the ship family by family.
Joshua 3:17
And there they stood; those priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant stood firmly planted on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground. Finally the whole nation was across the Jordan, and not one wet foot.
Joshua 4:10
The priests carrying the Chest continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything God had instructed Joshua to tell the people to do was done (confirming what Moses had instructed Joshua). The people crossed; no one dawdled. When the crossing of all the people was complete, they watched as the Chest of the Covenant and the priests crossed over.
Zechariah 9:11
"And you, because of my blood covenant with you, I'll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells. Come home, hope-filled prisoners! This very day I'm declaring a double bonus— everything you lost returned twice-over! Judah is now my weapon, the bow I'll pull, setting Ephraim as an arrow to the string. I'll wake up your sons, O Zion, to counter your sons, O Greece. From now on people are my swords."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel,.... Who began his reign in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, 2 Kings 3:1.

Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah; as he continued to be two years more; for this must be in the twenty third year of his reign, and he reigned twenty five years, 1 Kings 22:42.

Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign; according to Dr. Lightfoot h, there were three beginnings of his reign; "first", when his father went with Ahab to Ramothgilead, when be was left viceroy, and afterwards his father reassumed the kingdom; the "second" time was, when Jehoshaphat went with the kings of Israel and Edom against Moab; and this is the time here respected, which was in the fifth of Joram king of Israel; and the "third" time was, at the death of his father; but knew his father was living.

h Works, vol. 1. p. 84.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The passage is parenthetic, resuming the history of the kingdom of Judah from 1 Kings 22:50.

2 Kings 8:16

The opening words are - “In the fifth year of Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, and of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah;” but they contradict all the other chronological notices of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 22:42, 1Ki 22:51; 2 Kings 3:1; 2 Chronicles 20:31, which give him a reign of at least twenty-three years. Hence, some have supposed that the words “Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah,” are accidentally repeated. Those, however, who regard them and 2 Kings 1:17 as sound, suppose that Jehoshaphat gave his son the royal title in his 16th year, while he advanced him to a real association in the empire seven years later, in his 23rd year. Two years afterward, Jehoshatphat died, and Jehoram became sole king.

2 Kings 8:17

The “eight years” are counted from his association in the kingdom. They terminate in the twelfth year of Johoram of Israel.

2 Kings 8:18

Jehoshaphat’s alliance, political and social, with Ahab and Ahab’s family had not been allowed to affect the purity of his faith. Jehoram his son, influenced by his wife, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, “walked in the way of the kings of Israel;” he allowed, i. e., the introduction of the Baal-worship into Judaea.

Among the worst of Jehoram’s evil doings must be reckoned the cruel murder of his six brothers 2 Chronicles 21:4, whom he killed to obtain their wealth.

2 Kings 8:19

The natural consequence of Jehoram’s apostasy would have been the destruction of his house, and the transfer of the throne of Judah to another family. Compare the punishments of Jeroboam 1 Kings 14:10, Baasha 1 Kings 16:2-4, and Ahab 1 Kings 21:20-22. But the promises to David (marginal references) prevented this removal of the dynasty; and so Jehoram was punished in other ways 2Ki 8:22; 2 Chronicles 21:12-19.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 8:16. In the fifth year of Joram — This verse, as it stands in the present Hebrew text, may be thus read: "And in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, [and of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah,] reigned Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah." The three Hebrew words, ויהושפט מלך יהודה, and of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, greatly disturb the chronology in this place. It is certain that Jehoshaphat reigned twenty-five years, and that Jehoram his son reigned but eight; 1 Kings 22:42; 2 Kings 8:17; 2 Chronicles 20:31; 2 Chronicles 21:5. So that he could not have reigned during his father's life without being king twenty years, and eight years! These words are wanting in three of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. in the Complutensian and Aldine editions of the Septuagint, in the Peshito Syriac, in the Parisian Heptapler Syriac, the Arabic, and in many copies of the Vulgate, collated by Dr. Kennicott and De Rossi, both printed and manuscript; to which may be added two MSS. in my own library, one of the fourteenth, the other of the eleventh century, and in what I judge to be the Editio Princeps of the Vulgate. And it is worthy of remark that in this latter work, after the fifteenth verse, ending with Quo mortuo regnavit Azahel pro eo, the following words are in a smaller character, Anno quinto Joram filii Achab regis Israhel, regnavit Joram filius Josaphat rex Juda. Triginta, c. We have already seen that it is supposed that Jehoshaphat associated his son with him in the kingdom and that the fifth year in this place only regards Joram king of Israel, and not Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 2 Kings 1:17.


 
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