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May 23, 2023Liked by James Bejon

Really good piece of work.

There is one detail that does not seem apparent to me though - your mention that Amaziah was 'buried in a separate location from the rest of the Davidic line' and 'buried in a separate location from the rest of the Davidic line'.

2Kings14:20 NKJV seems to imply otherwise in saying that Amaziah 'was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David' and that he 'rested/slept with his fathers' (vs 22, which according to the BSB refers to Amaziah rather than his son Ahaziah). Is there some textual/translation issue behind your comments here?

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Great article. Note: for Solomon slept with his fathers, the reference should be 2 Chron. 9:31.

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Thanks James - this is fantastic.

Do you have any thoughts on why Jehoram seems to be lumped in with the losers by the Chronicler but makes the cut with Matthew? Other than neatness on Matthew's part (getting the threes and fourteens right), is there anything about him that sets him apart in Chronicles from the other three?

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Thanks Peter! My idea here is that, while Jehoram dies in Jehu’s day (hence his description in Chronicles), his reign isn’t entirely swallowed up by Jehu’s dynasty so he still makes the cut as far as Matthew is concerned. A bit ad hoc?

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Having looked at the passages again, my confusion has shifted. Jehoram doesn't die in Jehu's day, does he? (Unless Jehu's day is defined as "when Jehu is alive", I guess.) After all, Jehu is anointed on the same day that he kills Jehoram's son, who reigns after Jehoram dies.

So perhaps the explanation for Jehoram being excoriated by the Chronicler, but included by Matthew, might go something like: Jehoram's sin is the catalyst for God to give Israel's throne to Jehu *in the next generation* (cf judgements on Ham, Solomon, Ahab). So Jehoram is a scumbag, but it's the following three generations that get wiped.

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Hi Peter. Sorry, I’ve missed your messages on here. I don’t seem to get alerts. I wonder if I can change that. Anyway, yes, I wonder if that’s a better explanation. My statement about ‘in Jehu’s day’ doesn’t really work. Thanks, James.

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No worries! I don't feel like I'm owed replies. Thanks for the interaction!

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