Question
How do you reconcile the differing accounts of when Jehoiachin’s reign began, 2 Chr 36:9 states he was eight and 2 Kgs 24:8 states he was eighteen? All Bible versions confer, so it isn’t a KJV issue. Is it a scribal error?
Response
Anyway regarding the apparent contradiction between II Kings 24:8 and II Chronicles 36:9, my understanding is this; seeing that God recognizes both a king and a queen at this time (Jeremiah is dealing with a king and a queen when Nebuchadnezzar gets ready to come as in Jeremiah 13:18); and that Jehoiachin’s mother is particularly spoken about in II Chronicles, not only in 36:9 but among those who go out with the royalty when Nebuchadnezzar finally comes; my understanding is that she is the “queen” who co-reigned with him, and would naturally do so if she either considered him too young, or she herself wanted to reign, when he began active heir to the throne. My understanding is that he became active heir when he was eight, as II Chronicles declares; co-reigned with his mother as queen until he was eighteen; and then reigned on his own for the short span of time related in the verses. (Actually, it is also interesting to note that the Chronicles account has an additional 10 days to his reign in Jerusalem. Obviously not just a copyist’s oversight or some other scribal glitch that someone wants to say assign to the many differences in the Kings and Chronicles accounts. What people need to understand is that in view of the Divine viewpoint and commentary that the Chronicle accounts are designed to supply, with the Kings accounts being more or less purely historical as they follow the courses of punishment, it makes sense for the Chronicle accounts to differ in details seeing that God often reckons time, generations, royal lines, and the like, differently than man does. Especially is this so in Jehoiachin’s case in view of Judah’s earlier good king Josiah who also had a reputation at both age “eight” and “eighteen.” But Josiah’s record and reputation were for righteousness, not evil. To me, God is making the contrast plain and clear.)
I don’t seem to have any trouble with the time at which Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive, but maybe I’m not seeing something just now. (As I said this is a quick response, and not necessarily thorough.)
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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