2 Kings 8:17

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Thirty and two years old . . . in Jerusalem.—Comp. the similar notices in 2 Kings 12 and the succeeding chapters. How different are these short annalistic summaries, the work of the Judæan compiler, from the rich and flowing narratives about Elijah and Elisha!

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:16-24 A general idea is given of Jehoram's badness. His father, no doubt, had him taught the true knowledge of the Lord, but did ill to marry him to the daughter of Ahab; no good could come of union with an idolatrous family.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ki 8:16-23. Jehoram's Wicked Reign.

16. Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat … began to reign—(See on [333]2Ki 3:1). His father resigned the throne to him two years before his death.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Part with his father, and part by himself alone.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign,.... The second time, in the lifetime of his father:

and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem; which ended in the twelfth year of Joram king of Israel, 2 Kings 8:25.

Geneva Study Bible

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. when he began to reign] The narrative of the Chronicler (2 Chronicles 21:2-4) tells how at the commencement of his reign Jehoram slew his seven brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel. Thus he proved himself of a like character with Athaliah, whom he married.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. The eight years seem to be counted from his association in the kingdom by his father in his twenty-third year. He reigned as sole king only six years. 2 Kings 8:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Reign of Joram of Judah (cf. 2 Chronicles 21:2-20). - Joram became king in the fifth year of Joram of Israel, while Jehoshaphat his father was (still) king, the latter handing over the government to him two years before his death (see at 2 Kings 1:17), and reigned eight years, namely, two years to the death of Jehoshaphat and six years afterwards.

(Note: The words יהוּדה מלך ויהושׁפט have been improperly omitted by the Arabic and Syriac, and by Luther, Dathe, and De Wette from their translations; whilst Schulz, Maurer, Thenius, and others pronounce it a gloss. The genuineness of the words is attested by the lxx (the Edit. Complut. being alone in omitting them) and by the Chaldee: and the rejection of them is just as arbitrary as the interpolation of מת, which is proposed by Kimchi and Ewald ("when Jehoshaphat was dead"). Compare J. Meyer, annotatt. ad Seder Olam, p. 916f.)

The Chethb שׁנה שׁמנה is not to be altered, since the rule that the numbers two to ten take the noun in the plural is not without exception (cf. Ewald, 287, i.).