And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of
Israel,
&c.] Who began his reign in the eighteenth year of
Jehoshaphat, ( 2 Kings 3:1 ) .
Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah;
as he continued to be two years more; for this must be in the
twenty third year of his reign, and he reigned twenty five years,
( 1 Kings
22:42 ) .
Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to
reign;
according to Dr. Lightfoot F8, there were three beginnings
of his reign; "first", when his father went with Ahab to
Ramothgilead, when be was left viceroy, and afterwards his father
reassumed the kingdom; the "second" time was, when Jehoshaphat
went with the kings of Israel and Edom against Moab; and this is
the time here respected, which was in the fifth of Joram king of
Israel; and the "third" time was, at the death of his father; but
knew his father was living.