Resolve these problems.
1. the first, Joram Israel becomes king 2. years Joram, the son, 2 Kings 1, 17.
The second: Joram Judah becomes king in the 5th year of Joram Israel, 2 Kings 8:16. How can one and the same year be at the same time the 2nd year of Joram Judah and the 1st year of Joram Israel, yes, at the same time also the 5th of Joram Israel?
3rd' The third: Ahaziah Judah becomes king in the 12th year of Joram Israel, 2 Kings 8:25, while from the 2nd year of Joram Judah to the last year of Joram Israel are 15 years.
The description of this time of Elijah and Elisha is very confused, just as the kingdom was in very great disorder at that time because of the idolatry and ungodliness of Jezebel.
Set it as shown on the next page.
signifies the 16th year of Jehoshaphat, and after it the son Joram begins to reign with the father in the 17th year [of Jehoshaphat].
Mes is the 3047th year of the world.Z
-Joram, 23 years old, reigns with his father for 9 years.
but after 3 years at rest.
So the first problem is solved, that the 2nd year of Joram Judah, and the 1st year of Joram Israel and the 18th year Jehoshaphat are one and the same year, if you connect end and beginning with each other.
[Year 3052 of the world.]
These are the 12 years of Joram Israel. <
And so the second problem is solved, namely that Joram Judah becomes king in the 5th year (namely at the beginning of the same) of Joram Israel.
Take a leap over 20 years.
- Joram Judah. 32 years old, reigns alone 8 years after the death of his father.
-Ahaziah, 22 years old, 2 Kings 8:26, reigns with his father 20 years.
2 Kings 8, 25.: In the 12th / year Joram Israel will s to begin) . -
2 Kings 9, 29: In the 11th ( Ahaziah king namely s at the end /
[This is the year 3065 of the world.]
These 20 years are indicated in the history entirely with silence transitions, and alone in the age of Ahaziah.
Jehu 28 years.
[3084 of the world.]
Thus the third problem is solved, that the 12th year of Joram Israel is the first of Ahaziah, since these years coincide in their beginning and end.
Therefore, one must be careful to distinguish in the words a twofold understanding of the word "reign," namely, that either the son reigns with the father, or the son alone; then that the beginning of the year for one king is the end of the year for the other king. This ambiguity is a mother of error.
2 Chron. 22, 2.
-Ahasja, 42 years old, alone 1 year.
-Athalja 7 years.
Or do you do it better.
Therefore distinguish the sayings according to the different times; as, Ahaziah is 22 years old, since he began to reign (namely with his father Joram, who reigned), 2 Kings 8:26, and he is 42 years old, since he reigns alone after the father. And he reigned 1 year, namely by passing by a leap over 20 years in which he reigned ungodly with the father. Thus the problems are solved. Only you should know that the 5th year in the second problem must be understood as the end of the 4th year, and just this 5th year of Joram Israel is the first year of Joram Judah, since he reigns alone, with concealment of 3 years of Joram Israel, since he reigns in unrest. So you must understand the 12th year of Joram Israel from the beginning of the year, because in this very year Ahaziah reigns with him, and both are killed in the same by Jehu. Therefore, after a jump over 20 omitted years, the 12th year is to be put.