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How Old Was Ahaziah When He Became King?

Some argue that the Bible is contradictory concerning how old Ahaziah was when he became king. The argument is that 2 Kings 8:26 says that Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, but 2 Chronicles 22:2 says that he was 42 years old when he became king. However, there is a reasonable explanation that solves this alleged contradiction in the Bible.

Scriptures – How Old Was Ahaziah When He Became King?

Ahaziah Was 22 years Old When He Became King

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.
2 Kings 8:26

Ahaziah Was 42 years Old When He Became King

Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
2 Chronicles 22:2 (JKV)

Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
2 Chronicles 22:2 (ESV)

The Answer – How Old Was Ahaziah When He Became King?

The Difference is Probably Due to a Copyist Error

The ESV translate’s 2 Chronicles with “twenty-two” and has this footnote:

See 2 Kings 8:26; Hebrew ”forty-two”; Septuagint ”twenty”
Footnote for 2 Chronicles 22:2, ESV

Because the Hebrew characters for forty-two and twenty-two are very similar, it is reasonable to believe that the difference between 2 Kings 8:26 and 2 Chronicles 22:2 is due to a copyist error.

Foundational Principles Regarding Bible Difficulties

There are some foundational principles that apply to all alleged and apparent contradictions in the Bible. To read more, see Bible Difficulties: Foundational Principles.