· Translation: KJV

2 Kings 8:16In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah then, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

The setting

Jerusalem, Judah, ~848 BC. The coronation of Jehoram as sole king after co-ruling with his father...

The emotion here: meticulously preserving the chronological record with scholarly care

The original word

mālak (מלך) — to reign, rule, become king

Why it matters

Jehoram had been co-regent for 5 years before becoming sole ruler

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Kings 8:16

This complex dating system shows Jehoram ruled alongside his father before taking full power

Common misconceptionPeople skip these chronology verses as boring. They actually show God cares about historical accuracy and orderly transitions of power.

Bible Genome reading

2 Kings 8:16 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionstarting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability20%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone30%
Themes:successionchronologyroyal genealogy

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Kings 8

2 Kings 8:16 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is starting, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include succession, chronology, royal genealogy. Notable phrases: fifth year of Joram; Jehoram began to reign.

Your reflection

What does 2 Kings 8:16 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "starting"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.