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Kings of Judah and Israel

The first three kings of Israel were Saul, David and then Solomon. After Solomon the kingdom was divided into two parts and separate kings ruled over Judah and over Israel. The reigns of these kings are described in the books of Kings and Chronicles in a very interesting way:

The reign of each king is given by the length of the reign and by the beginning of the reign as it compares to the regnal year of the ruling king in the opposite kingdom. The years do not add up at first sight, but if we accept the existence of the following three scenarios, then we can resolve the "problems":

  • Reigns can overlap
  • Sons can have co-regencies with their father
  • The length of the reign can be counted from the beginning of the first official year or from the start of the co-regency

The table below shows the kings of Judah and Israel with the corresponding verses of the Bible which were used to construct it. After the name of the kings the number in parenthesis is the length of their reign. Each row of the table during the divided kingdom represents the events that took place in the same year and shows the current regnal year of the kings.

  
Kings of Israel
1Sa 11:15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Act 13:21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.
Saul (40)
2Sa 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
2Sa 5:5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
David (40)
1Ki 1:39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
1Ki 11:42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
Solomon (40)
After Solomon the kingdom was divided
Kings of Judah
  
Kings of Israel
Rehoboam (17)
1
 
1Ki 14:21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
1Ki 12:20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
Jeroboam (22)
1
  
... 16 years later ...
17
    
17
  
 

Abijam (3)
1
1Ki 15:1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
1Ki 15:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
18
  
 
2
  
19
  




Asa (41)
1st year starts


3
1Ki 15:9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
1Ki 15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
20
  
1st year ends
    
21
  

2nd year ends
  
1Ki 14:20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
1Ki 15:25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
22

Nadab (2)
1
3
  
1Ki 15:33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
Baasha (24)
1

2
... 23 years later ...
26
  
1Ki 16:8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.

24
Elah (2)
1
27
  
1Ki 16:15 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
1Ki 16:21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.
Zimri (7 days)
7 days


Omri (12)
1st year starts
2


Tibni (?)
... 4 years later ...
31st year ends
  
1Ki 16:23 In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.
5th year starts
  
... 6 years later ...
37th year ends

38th year starts
  
1Ki 16:29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.
11th year starts
Ahab (22)
1st year starts
38th year ends
    
12th year starts
1st year ends
39
      
2
40
      
3
41st year ends
Jehoshaphat (25)
1st year starts
1Ki 22:41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
1Ki 22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
 
4th year ends

5th year starts
 
1st year ends
    
5th year ends
 
2
    
6
 
3
    
7
... 13 years later ...
 
16th year ends
    
20th year ends
Jehoram
Co-regency
1
17th year ends

18th year starts
1Ki 22:51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
Ahaziah (2)
1
21st year ends
22nd year starts
2
18th year ends

19th year starts
2Ki 1:17 So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
2Ki 3:1 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.

2
Jehoram (12)
1st year starts
3
20
    
2
4
21
    
3
5
22
    
4
Jehoram (8)
1st year starts
23
2Ki 8:16 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.
2Ki 8:17 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
 
5th year stars
1st year ends
24
    
5th year ends
2
25
    
6
3
      
7
... 4 years later ...
7th year ends

8th year starts


Ahaziah (1)
1st year starts
2Ki 8:25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
2Ki 8:26 * Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
2Ch 36:2 * Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
2Ki 9:29 And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
* Ahaziah was born when his grandfather Jehoshaphat was in his 6th regnal year and spent 20 regnal years with this good king.
This 20 years could account for Ahaziah's different ages mentioned in 2Ki 8:26 (Two and twenty) and in 2Ch 36:2 (Forty and two).		  
11th year ends

12th year starts
8th year ends

Athaliah (7)
1st year starts

1st year ends
2Ki 11:3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.
Jehu (28)
1st year starts

12th year ends
... 6 years later ...
7th year starts

Joash (40)
1st year starts
2Ki 11:21 Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
2Ki 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
7th year starts
  
... 21 years later ...
 
22nd year starts
2Ki 10:36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
28th year starts
1st year starts
 
23rd year starts
2Ki 13:1 In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
28th year ends
Jehoahaz (17)
1st year ends

2nd year starts
... 14 years later ...
 
37th year starts
    
16th year starts
 
37th year ends
38th year starts
2Ki 13:10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.

Jehoash (16)
1st year starts
17th year starts
Amaziah (29)
1
38th year ends
2Ki 14:1 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
2Ki 14:2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2nd year starts
  
2
39
  
3
  
3
40
  
4
Jeroboam
Co-Regency
1
4
    
5
2
5
    
6
3

6
Azariah
Co-regency
1
  
7
4
... 9 years later ...

15
10
2Ki 14:23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
16

13
Jeroboam (41)
(1st official yr)

16
11
    
14
... 13 years later ...
29


24
Azariah (52)
(1st official yr)
2Ki 14:21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
2Ki 15:1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2Ki 15:2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
 
27
... 14 years later ...
 
38
2Ki 15:8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
Zachariah (6m)
6 months
41
 
39
2Ki 15:13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
2Ki 15:17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
Menahem (10)
1st year starts
Shallum (1m)
1 month
 
40th year ends
  
1st year ends
  
... 9 years later ...
 
49th year ends

50th year starts
2Ki 15:23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
10th year ends


 
Pekaiah (2)
1st year starts
 
50th year ends
    
2nd year starts
 
51th year ends
52nd year starts
2Ki 15:27 In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
Pekah (20)
1st year starts
2nd year ends
Jotham (16)
1st year starts
  
2Ki 15:32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
2Ki 15:33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
2nd year starts
  
2
    
3
  
... 7 years later...
9
Ahaz
Co-regency
1
  
10
  
10
2
  
11
  
... 5 years later ...
15
7
  
16
  
16
8
Ahaz (16)
(1st official year)
2Ki 16:1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2Ki 16:2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
17
  
(17)
9
  
18
  
(18)
10
  
19
  
(19)
11
  
20
  
(20)
12
2Ki 15:30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
2Ki 17:1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
 
Hoshea (9)
1
 
13
    
2
Hezekiah (29)
1
14
2Ki 18:1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2Ki 18:2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
 
3
2
15
    
4
3
16
    
5
4th year starts
      
6th year starts

4th year ends
5th year starts
  
2Ki 18:9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
 
6th year ends
7th year starts
6th year starts
      
8th year starts
6th year ends
7th year starts
  
2Ki 18:10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
 
8th year ends
9th year starts
... 22 years later ...
29
        
 
Manasseh (55)
1
2Ki 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.
   
 
55
      
Amon (2)
1
  
2Ki 21:19 Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
   
2
        
 
Josiah (31)
1
2Ki 22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.
   
 
31
      

Jehoahaz (3m)
3 months



Jehoiachin
Co-regency



Jehoiakim (11)
1

2Ki 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2Ki 23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
2Ch 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
   
... 10 years later ...
 
11
      

Jehoiachin (3m)
(Official reign starts)
3 months
Zedekiah (11)
1
2Ki 24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
2Ki 24:12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
2Ki 24:18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
   
 
11
2Ki 25:2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
   



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