Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 4:17)

The fourth king of Judah, reigning from 872 to 848 BC. He was the son and successor of King Asa, who ruled from 910 to 869 BC.

Jehoshaphat became king at the age of 35, and he ruled for 25 years. During his reign, he worked to maintain the stability of the Davidic dynasty, the royal family line of King David (1 Kings 22:41–42). Jehoshaphat was a contemporary of King Ahab of Israel, who reigned from 874 to 853 BC. Jehoshaphat’s first year as king was the fourth year of Ahab’s reign. He also lived during the reigns of Ahab’s son Ahaziah who ruled from 853 to 852 BC and Ahab’s younger son Jehoram who reigned from 852 to 841 BC, who became king after Ahaziah died without children (2 Kings 1:17).