1 Kings 22:42
“Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jehoshaphat was thirty-five when he became king and ruled for twenty-five years, with his mother Azubah recorded as a matter of record.
Context
This biographical note provides essential data: Jehoshaphat's age, the length of his reign (extending well into the next narrative era), and his mother's lineage. The mention of his mother is not merely biographical but carries weight in the dynastic record.
What Does 1 Kings 22:42 Mean?
Jehoshaphat comes to the throne at thirty-five, already a man of mature years and full strength. He will reign for a quarter century, a long reign that will see great changes in Israel and Judah both. His mother, Azubah, daughter of Shilhi, is named. In biblical genealogy and the record of kings, the naming of a mother is significant. It anchors the king to his maternal line, to the women whose strength and faith shaped him.
We note that Jehoshaphat's long reign gives him years enough to do much, to establish patterns, to leave a mark. The twenty-five years before him are a canvas on which he will work. Yet before we see what he accomplishes, Scripture first establishes who he is: a man of maturity, born of Azubah, inheritor of the pattern Asa set. We are introduced to him not by trumpet but by lineage, not by conquest but by the simple facts of his birth and his appointment.
Application
The years given to us are a gift. Twenty-five years is not a promise to any of us, but those years we are given are years enough to establish faithfulness, to do much good, to leave a legacy. Use the time you have been allotted, knowing that God has appointed the boundaries of your days.