Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Chronicles 22:2

2 Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign , and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: his mothers name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri .

Obj. He was then onely 22 years old, as is affirmed, 2 King. 8. 26. Besides, Joram his Father, died in his fortieth year, as is twice noted, ch. 21. 5, 20. how then can this be true? Ans. 1. In the Hebrew it is, A son of 42 years, &c. which is an ambiguous Phrase, and though it doth for the most part, yet it doth not always signifie the Age of the Person, as is manifest from 1 Sam. 13. 1 where see the Notes. And therefore it is not necessary that this should note his Age, (as it is generally presumed to do, and that is the onely ground of the difficulty) but it may note either 1. The Age of his Mother Athaliah; who being so great, and infamous, and mischievous a person to the Kingdom and Royal Family of Judah, it is not strange if her Age be here described, especially seeing she her self did for a season sway this Scepter. Or, rather 2. Of the Reign of that Royal Race and Family from which by his Mother he was descended, to wit, of the house of Omri, who reigned 6 years, 1 King. 16. 23▪ Ahab his son reigned 22 years, 1 King. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. 29. Ahaziah his Son 2 years, 1 King. 22. 51. [illegible: 1+ letters]oram his Son 12 years, 2 King. 3. 1. All which put together make up exactly these 42 years. For Ahaziah began his Reign in Jorams 12th. year, 2 King. 8. 25. And such a kind of Computation of the years not of the Kings Person, but of his reign or Kingdom [illegible: 1 word] we had before, ch. 16. 1. where see the notes. And so we have [illegible: 1 word] of the Persons Age, in 2 King. 8. 26. and here of the K[illegible: 1+ letters] to which he belonged. Ans. 2. Some acknowledge an [illegible: 1 word] in the Transcribers of the present Hebrew Copies, in which Language the num[illegible: 1+ letters]l Letters for 22 and 42 are so like, that they might easily be mistaken. For that it was read 22 here, as it is in the Book of Kings, in other Hebrew Copies, they gather from hence, that it is at this day so read in divers ancient Greek Copies, as also in those two Ancient Translations, the Syriack and the Arabick, and particularly in that Famous and most Ancient Copy of the Syriack which was used by the Church of Antioch in the Primitive Times, and to this day is kept in the Church of Antioch, from which that most Reverend, Learned, Pious, and Publick-spi[illegible: 1+ letters]ted Archbishop Usher did at his own great Charge get another Copy transcribed, in which he hath published to all the World that he found it here written, Twenty and two years old, &c. Nor doth this overthrow the Authority of the Sacred Text, as Infidels would have it, partly because it is onely an Historical Passage of no Importance to the Substantial Doctrines of Faith and a good Life; and partly because the Question here is not whether this Text be true, but which is the true Reading of the Text, whether that of the generality of present Copies, or that which was used in the Ancient Copies, which the Ancient and Venerable Translators above mentioned did follow: For it seems unreasonable and uncharitable to think that all of them would have conspired to have changed the Text, and put in twenty and two, for forty and two, if they had so read it in their Hebrew Copies. Nor can this open any great Door to those innumerable Changes which some have boldly and rashly made in the Hebrew Text without any such pretence of Authority, as there is for this, which as they are affirmed without reason, or authority, or necessity, so they may as easily be rejected. If all this will not satisfie our present Infidels, I desire them onely to consider what hath been hinted before upon such Occasions, that many Difficulties which did seem unanswerable, being now fully cleared by later Writers, it is but reasonable to think that this may be so in after times, either by finding of some Hebrew Copies in which it may be Twenty and two years, &c. or by some other way.

i. e. Of Omri's Family: Or of Ahab Omri's Son. Grandchildren are oft called Sons and Daughters, as Mat. 1. 1. Luk. 3. 26.

Marginal references: Chr. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 2.