Jehoash son of Jehoahaz ruled during a transitional period in Israel’s monarchy, maintaining his throne in Samaria for sixteen years.
In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. (v.10) Jehoash (also called Joash in some translations) came to power in the northern kingdom around 798 BC, following the rule of his father Jehoahaz. This verse notes that he assumed the throne during Judah’s thirty-seventh year under Joash (a different Joash), highlighting how the biblical authors often measure time in reference to the parallel king reigning in the other kingdom. Jehoahaz himself descended from Jehu, a ruler who purged Baal-worship from Israel. The significance of specifying Jehoash as “the son of Jehoahaz” was to trace his lineage back to that ongoing royal line in the north.
By stating that Jehoash ruled in Samaria, Scripture refers to the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, a region known for repeatedly struggling with idolatry and leadership instability. Samaria was both a political center and a symbol of Israel’s governance, so to say he ruled “in Samaria” underscores that he carried the mantle of authority over the ten northern tribes. This capital city would continue to be central in Israel’s affairs until its eventual fall to the Assyrians more than half a century later.
Jehoash’s reign lasted sixteen years, suggesting that his dynasty had a brief stability in a kingdom otherwise marked by assassinations and frequent turnover. The spiritual assessment of Jehoash’s leadership appears elsewhere in the biblical record, often evaluating how each northern king either upheld God’s covenant or perpetuated evil in the sight of the LORD. Still, 2 Kings 13:10 merely establishes the timeline and setting of his reign, focusing on the reality of Israel’s separate monarchy and the interplay between Judah and Israel at this stage in their parallel histories.
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2 Kings 13:10 meaning
In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. (v.10) Jehoash (also called Joash in some translations) came to power in the northern kingdom around 798 BC, following the rule of his father Jehoahaz. This verse notes that he assumed the throne during Judah’s thirty-seventh year under Joash (a different Joash), highlighting how the biblical authors often measure time in reference to the parallel king reigning in the other kingdom. Jehoahaz himself descended from Jehu, a ruler who purged Baal-worship from Israel. The significance of specifying Jehoash as “the son of Jehoahaz” was to trace his lineage back to that ongoing royal line in the north.
By stating that Jehoash ruled in Samaria, Scripture refers to the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, a region known for repeatedly struggling with idolatry and leadership instability. Samaria was both a political center and a symbol of Israel’s governance, so to say he ruled “in Samaria” underscores that he carried the mantle of authority over the ten northern tribes. This capital city would continue to be central in Israel’s affairs until its eventual fall to the Assyrians more than half a century later.
Jehoash’s reign lasted sixteen years, suggesting that his dynasty had a brief stability in a kingdom otherwise marked by assassinations and frequent turnover. The spiritual assessment of Jehoash’s leadership appears elsewhere in the biblical record, often evaluating how each northern king either upheld God’s covenant or perpetuated evil in the sight of the LORD. Still, 2 Kings 13:10 merely establishes the timeline and setting of his reign, focusing on the reality of Israel’s separate monarchy and the interplay between Judah and Israel at this stage in their parallel histories.