How could Josiahs 4th son have been born when his father was 16?
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- Parent Category: FAQs
- Category: Bible Questions and Answers - other
- Published on Thursday, 19 November 2009 09:58
Jehoahaz (called Shallum), fourth in the list of Josiahs sons (1 Chronicles 3:15), was 23 when he began his 3 month reign (2 Kings 23:31). His father had reigned 31 years (22:1), So Jehoahaz was born in the eighth year of his fathers reign, when his father was about 16. At 25, Jehoiakim succeeded Jehoahaz three months (2 Chronicles 36:2) after his father died. Allowing for differences in birthdays, Josiah must have been 15, at most, when Jehoiakim his second son was born.
2 Kings 24:18 shows that Zechariah was 13 years younger than Jehoahaz. So Jehoahaz was the third son, not the fourth. Since Jehoahaz and Jehoiachim had different mothers (2 Kings 23:31, 36) and Johanan may have had a different mother, Josiah may have been, at most, 15 when his first son was born. This is still very young, but may be easier to understand.
D. Oliver