Kings of Judah and Israel

The first three kings of Israel were , and then ;. After 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 necessarily add up but using the following three scenarios, then we can possibly 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. .

  
Kings of Israel
Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us all go to Gilgal to reaffirm Saul's kingship." So they went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the LORD they crowned him king. Then they offered peace offerings to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
Then the people begged for a king, and gave them son of , a man of the tribe of , who reighned for forty years.
(40)
was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.
He had reigned over from for seven years and six months; from Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all and for thiry-three-years.
(40)
There the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed . with the oil. Then they sounded the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King "
And the time that ruled in Jerusalem over all for forty years.
(40)
After Solomon the kingdom was divided
Kings of Judah
 
Kings of Israel
(17)
1
 
son of was king in . He was forty and one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of , as the place to honor his name. And his mother's name was an Ammonite woman.
When the people of learned of return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all . So only the tribe of remained loyal to the family of ,
(22)
1
  
... 16 years later ...
17
   
17
  
 

(3)
1
began to rule over in the eighteenth year of reign in
He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was , the granddaughter of
18
 
 
2
 
19
 




(41)
1st year starts


3
began to rule over in the twentieth year of reign in Israel.
He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother was , the granddaughter of
20
 
1st year ends
   
21
 

2nd year ends
 
reigned in twenty-two years. When died, his son became the next king.
son of began to rule over in the second year of King reign in . He reigned in two years.
22



(2)
1
3
 
son of began to rule over all in the third year of King reign in . reigned in twenty-four years.
(24)
1

2
... 23 years later ...
26
 
son of began to rule over in the twenty-sixth year of King reign in . He reigned in the city of for two years.

24
(2)
1
27
 
began to rule over in the twenty-seventh year of King reign in , but his reign in lasted only seven days. The army of was then attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon.
But now the people of were split into two factions. Half the people tried to make son of , their king, while the other half supported
(7 days)
7 days


(12)
1st year starts
2


 (?)
... 4 years later ...
31st year ends
 
began to rule over in the thirty-first year of King reign in . He reigned twelve years in all, six of them in .
5th year starts
 
... 6 years later ...
37th year ends

38th year starts
 
son of began to rule over in the thirty-eighth year of King reign in He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years.
11th year starts
(22)
1st year starts
38th year ends
   
12th year starts
1st year ends
39
     
2
40
     
3
41st year ends
(25)
1st year starts
son of began to rule over in the fourth year of reign in .
was thirty-five years old when he became king; and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother's name was the daughter of .
 
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

Co-regency
1
17th year ends

18th year starts
son of began to rule over in the seventeenth year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria two years.
(2)
1
21st year ends
22nd year starts
2
18th year ends

19th year starts
So died, just as the Lord had promised through . Since did not have a son to succeed him, his brother . became the next king. This took place in the second year of the reign of son of king of .
son began to rule over in the eighteenth year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria twelve years.

2
(12)
1st year starts
3
20
   
2
4
21
   
3
5
22
   
4
(8)
1st year starts
23
son of King of began to rule over in the fifth year of the reign of son of , King of .
was thirty-two years old was he when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
 
5th year starts
1st year ends
24
   
5th year ends
2
25
   
6
3
     
7
... 4 years later ...
7th year ends

8th year starts





(1)
1st year starts
son of began to rule over in the twelfth year of the reign of son of king of
was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was , a granddaughter of King of .
was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
had become king over in the eleventh year of the reign of son of
* was born when his grandfather was in his 6th regnal year and spent 20 regnal years with this good king.
This 20 years could account for 's different ages mentioned in (Twenty-Two) and in (Forty and two --- KJV and ASV).		  
11th year ends

12th year starts
8th year ends

(7)
1st year starts

1st year ends
and his nurse remained hidden in the Temple of the LORD for six years while did ruled over the land.
(28)
1st year starts

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

(40)
1st year starts
was seven years old when he became king.
began to rule over in the seventh year of King reign in . He reigned in Jerusalem forty years.His mother's name was from Beersheba.
7th year starts
 
... 21 years later ...
 
22nd year starts
In all, reigned over in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
28th year starts
1st year starts
 
23rd year starts
son of began to rule of in the twenty-third year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria seventeen years.
28th year ends
(17)
1st year ends

2nd year starts
... 14 years later ...
 
37th year starts
    
16th year starts
 
37th year ends
38th year starts
son of began to rule over in the thirty-seventh year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years.

(16)
1st year starts
17th year starts
(29)
1
38th year ends
son of began to rule over in the second year of the reign of King of .
was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was , from Jerusalem.
2nd year starts
  
2
39
  
3
  
3
40
  
4

Co-Regency
1
4
    
5
2
5
    
6
3

6

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

15
10
, the son of began to rule over in the fifteenth year of King reign in . reigned in Samaria forty-one years.
16

13
(41)
(1st official yr)

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


24
 (52)
(1st official yr)
The people of then crowned sixteen-year-old son, , as their next king.
son of began to rule over in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King of .
He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was from Jerusalem.
 
27
... 14 years later ...
 
38
son of began to rule over in the thirty-eighth year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria six months.
(6m)
6 months
41
 
39
son of began to rule over in the thirty-ninth year of King reign in . reigned in Samaria only one month.
son of began to rule over in the thirty-ninth year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria ten years.
(10)
1st year starts
(1m)
1 month
 
40th year ends
  
1st year ends
  
... 9 years later ...
 
49th year ends

50th year starts
son of began to rule over in the fiftieth year of King reign in He reigned in Samaria two years.
10th year ends


 
(2)
1st year starts
 
50th year ends
    
2nd year starts
 
51th year ends
52nd year starts
Pekah son of Remaliah began to rule over Israel in the fifty-second year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty years. son of began to rule over in the fifty-second year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria twenty years.
(20)
1st year starts
2nd year ends
(16)
1st year starts
 
son of began to rule over in the second year of King reign in
He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was , the daughter of .
2nd year starts
  
2
    
3
  
... 7 years later...
9

Co-regency
1
  
10
  
10
2
  
11
  
... 5 years later ...
15
7
  
16
  
16
8
(16)
(1st official year)
son of began to rule over In the seventeenth year of King reign in .
was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his , as his ancestor had done.
17
  
(17)
9
  
18
  
(18)
10
  
19
  
(19)
11
  
20
  
(20)
12
Then son of conspired against and assassinated him. He began to rule over in the twentieth year of son of .
son of began to rule over in the twelfth year of King reign in . He reigned in Samaria nine years.
 
(9)
1
 
13
    
2
(29)
1
14
son of began to rule over in the third year of King reign in .
He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was , the daughter of .
 
3
2
15
    
4
3
16
    
5
4th year starts
      
6th year starts

4th year ends
5th year starts
  
During the fourth year of reign , which was the seventh year of King reign in , King of Assyria attacked and began a siege on the city of Samaria.
 
6th year ends
7th year starts
6th year starts
      
8th year starts
6th year ends
7th year starts
  
Three years later, during the sixth year of King reign and the ninth year of King reign in , Samaria fell.
 
8th year ends
9th year starts
... 22 years later ...
29
        
 
(55)
1
was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was .
   
 
55
      
(2)
1
  
was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother was , the daughter of from Jotbah.
   
2
        
 
(31)
1
was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother was , the daughter of from Bozkath.
   
 
31
      

(3m)
3 months




Co-regency



(11)
1

was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother was , the daughter of from Libnah.
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was , the daughter of from Rumah.
was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD.
   
... 10 years later ...
 
11
      

(3m)
(Official reign starts)
3 months
(11)
1
was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother was , the daughter of from Jerusalem.
Then King , along with his advisers, nobles, and officials, and the queen mother, surrendered to the Babylonians. In the eighth year of reign, he took prisoner.
was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was ,the daughter of from Libnah.
   
 
11
Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King reign.
   

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