How old was Jehoiachin when he began to reign? 18 or 8 years old?
Second Kings 24:8 declares, “Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to reign,” while 2 Chronicles 36:9 says, “Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he began to reign.” Skeptics and critics are quick to use this apparent contradiction as clear evidence of an error in the Bible. Those who hold to the inerrancy of the Bible vehemently disagree with the conclusion that the Bible is in error. So, why do these two verses have different numbers for Jehoiachin’s age, and which verse is correct?
The best explanation in regards to the apparent discrepancy in Jehoiachin’s age in 2 Kings 24:8 and 2 Chronicles 36:9 is that 2 Chronicles records Jehoiachin’s age when he was appointed co-regent with his father, and 2 Kings records Jehoiachin’s age when, after his father’s death, he became king in his own right. Other kings also used co-regents. David appointed Solomon king while David was still alive (1 Kings 1:33-40), and, when Uzziah was afflicted with leprosy, his son Jotham became co-regent (2 Chronicles 26:21). While there is no specific mention of a co-regency in regards to Jehoiachin, this is a plausible explanation for the difference between 2 Kings 24:8 and 2 Chronicles 36:9.
God’s Word is infallible. The key for me has always been that such “apparent contradictions” can usually be explained with some study. In this case, the most likely being that God is telling us that there was a ten-year period of a co-regency. Especially given that when Jehoiachin was captured in 2 Kings along with his wives it says that he was 18, while the wives were not mentioned in 2 Chronicles which says he was 8 when he began to reign…which can only be reconciled as a co-regency at 8, then the father died when he was 18, then Jehoiachin ruled for ~3 months, was then captured and taken into captivity in Babylon.
Second Kings 24:8 declares, “Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to reign,” while 2 Chronicles 36:9 says, “Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he began to reign.” Skeptics and critics are quick to use this apparent contradiction as clear evidence of an error in the Bible. Those who hold to the inerrancy of the Bible vehemently disagree with the conclusion that the Bible is in error. So, why do these two verses have different numbers for Jehoiachin’s age, and which verse is correct?
The best explanation in regards to the apparent discrepancy in Jehoiachin’s age in 2 Kings 24:8 and 2 Chronicles 36:9 is that 2 Chronicles records Jehoiachin’s age when he was appointed co-regent with his father, and 2 Kings records Jehoiachin’s age when, after his father’s death, he became king in his own right. Other kings also used co-regents. David appointed Solomon king while David was still alive (1 Kings 1:33-40), and, when Uzziah was afflicted with leprosy, his son Jotham became co-regent (2 Chronicles 26:21). While there is no specific mention of a co-regency in regards to Jehoiachin, this is a plausible explanation for the difference between 2 Kings 24:8 and 2 Chronicles 36:9.
God’s Word is infallible. The key for me has always been that such “apparent contradictions” can usually be explained with some study. In this case, the most likely being that God is telling us that there was a ten-year period of a co-regency. Especially given that when Jehoiachin was captured in 2 Kings along with his wives it says that he was 18, while the wives were not mentioned in 2 Chronicles which says he was 8 when he began to reign…which can only be reconciled as a co-regency at 8, then the father died when he was 18, then Jehoiachin ruled for ~3 months, was then captured and taken into captivity in Babylon.
The co-regency makes particular sense as Jehoiakim (Jehoiachin’s father) would’ve likely appointed his son as co-regent in the event that he, Jehoiakim (Jehoiachin’s father), would be captured and killed, because Jerusalem was under threat for two reasons:
1)Jehoiakim had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar after serving Nebuchadnezzar for three years (2 Kings 24:1) and then was besieged by four nations sent by God, and
2) given that Egypt’s land around Jerusalem had been captured by the Babylonians (2 Kings 24:7 ), and it would have appeared (correctly) that Jerusalem was also soon to be overrun by the Babylonians.
Another reason that it makes sense for Jehoiakim to have established his son, Jehoiachin (who is also known elsewhere in the Bible as Coniah), as a co-regent is because Jeremiah pronounced a curse upon King Jehoiakim by saying there would never be a descendant of Jehoiakim to sit on David’s throne (which typologically made clear that no apostate evil king would sit on Christ’s throne). Jehoiakim , being an evil king, would have thought that he could defeat that pronouncement by making his son a co-regent, but while Jehoiakim may have temporarily done that via a co-regency and his son did reign for ~ 3 months, his descendents did not lead to Christ (Jesus descended through David’s son Nathan via Mary).
We see this in Jeremiah 22:24– Jeremiah 22:30 which finishes by saying, “Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man [that] shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” And we also know that subsequently the pronouncement was ultimately fulfilled ,temporally, when we read in Jeremiah 37:1 “And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.”
Nonetheless, Jehoiachin was not killed in Babylon, he died naturally, as we read in Jeremiah 52:31– Jeremiah 52:34
We must remember what God tells us in 1Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
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The co-regency makes particular sense as Jehoiakim (Jehoiachin’s father) would’ve likely appointed his son as co-regent in the event that he, Jehoiakim (Jehoiachin’s father), would be captured and killed, because Jerusalem was under threat for two reasons, 1)Jehoiakim had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar after serving Nebuchadnezzar for three years (2 Kings 24:1) and then was besieged by four nations sent by God, and 2) given that Egypt’s land around Jerusalem had been captured by the Babylonians ( Kings 24:7), and it would have appeared (correctly) that Jerusalem was also soon to be overrun by the Babylonians.
Another reason that it makes sense for Jehoiakim to have established his son, Jehoiachin (who is also known elsewhere in the Bible as Coniah), as a co-regent is because Jeremiah pronounced a curse upon King Jehoiakim by saying there would never be a descendant of Jehoiakim to sit on David’s throne (which typologically made clear that no apostate evil king would sit on Christ’s throne). Jehoiakim , being an evil king, would have thought that he could defeat that pronouncement by making his son a co-regent, but while Jehoiakim may have temporarily done that via a co-regency and his son did reign for ~ 3 months, his descendents did not lead to Christ (Jesus descended through David’s son Nathan via Mary).
We see this in Jeremiah 22:24– Jeremiah 22:30 which finishes by saying, “Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man [that] shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” And we also know that subsequently the pronouncement was ultimately fulfilled ,temporally ,when we read in Jeremiah 37:1 “And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.”
Nonetheless, Jehoiachin was not killed in Babylon, he died naturally, as we read in Jeremiah 52:31– Jeremiah 52:34
Remember this, in 1Corinthians 14:33
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
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