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40 years?
In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2 Kings 12:1  NASB

 

16 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.
2 Kings 13:10  NASB

 

SAB Contradiction 249

 

What’s your source?
What is the source for most Bible Contradictions? That’s a good question. Certainly not the Bible, much too lengthy for Bible critics. Reading this proposed contradiction it’s hard to avoid the impression that they buy a cheap book with a respectable number of Bible Contradictions, and Voila! – they start a site. How long did Jehoash reign? 40 or 16 years? Let’s have a closer look.

 

J(eh)oash of Jerusalem
As a baby Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, was saved by his aunt during an extermination of royal princes in Jerusalem. Seven years old he was proclaimed king of Judah (in Jerusalem). As he began so young, he reigned pretty long, forty years (2 Kings 12:1), in the beginning under the regency of high priest Jehoiada. The shortened usage of his name Jehoash was Joash (compare 2 Kings 12:19).

 

Jehoash of Samaria
In the books of Kings and Chronicles we constantly find references to contemporary kings in Judah and North Israel. It came to pass that in North Israel another Jehoash became king, a grandson of Jehu (2 Kings 13:10). The year he started is compared with the thirty-seventh year of his namesake J(eh)oash of  Jerusalem.

 

To cut a long story short
The Bible critic failed to see the difference between J(eh)oash of Jerusalem and Jehoash of Samaria; he made the assumption that they were identical, instead of two individuals.
The critic neglected to mention the two regions: Judah (capital: Jerusalem) and Israel (capital: Samaria), and the reference of 37 years of Joash of Judah (2 Kings 12:1), which is pretty close to the forty years of Joash of Jerusalem (2 Kings 13:10). Isn’t it?

Jehoash of Jerusalem reigned forty years.
Jehoash of Samariah reigned sixteen years.

Good advice for a Bible critic: if you buy a book with Bible Contradictions, make sure it is a good one. The question is of course: Will there be a good one?

 

No Bible Contradiction