How is is possible that Bible records 2 fathers for one person in many places?
...
3. Who was the father of Uzziah?
- Joram (Matthew 1:8)
- Amaziah (2 Chronicles 26:1) ...
The two texts:
Matthew 1:8 KJB - And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
2 Chronicles 26:1 KJB - Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
We see that Asa begat Jehoshaphat [Josaphat/Je Hosaphat]:
1 Kings 15:24 KJB - And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
1 Kings 22:41 KJB - And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
1 Kings 22:43 KJB - And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
We see that Matthew is drawing from 1 Chronicles 3:
1 Chronicles 3:10 KJB - And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
Matthew 1:7 KJB - And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
Matthew 1:8 KJB - And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
Thus, here is the list from 1 Chronicles 3:10-12
[with additional names as they are given elsewhere]:
1 Chronicles 3:10 KJB - And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat [Josaphat] his son,
1 Chronicles 3:11 KJB - Joram [Jehoram] his son, Ahaziah [Jehoahaz/Azariah] his son, Joash [Jehoash] his son,
1 Chronicles 3:12 KJB - Amaziah [Uzziah/Ozias] his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
Notice this text:
2 Chronicles 26:23 KJB - So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
This is similar to:
2 Kings 12:18 KJB - And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.
We see that the word
"father" in the Bible is always to be considered in its contextual setting, as it can mean the immediate
"father", the grand
"father", the great grand
"father", etc., etc., and same with
"son", grand
"son", great grand
"son", etc., etc.
Leviticus 25:41 KJB - And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
1 Kings 2:10 KJB - So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
2 Chronicles 14:1 KJB - So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
2 Chronicles 16:13 KJB - And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.
"his fathers":
Leviticus 25:41; Numbers 4:1,11, 36:7,8; 1 Kings 1:21, 2:10, 11:21,43, 14:20,31, 15:8,12,24, 16:6,28, 22:40,50; 2 Kings 8:24, 9:28, 10:35, 12:18,21, 13:9,13, 14:16,20,22,29, 15:7,9,22,38, 16:20, 20:21, 21:18,22, 23:32,37, 24:6; 1 Chronicles 26:31; 2 Chronicles 9:31, 12:16, 14:1, 16:13, 21:1,10,19, 25:28, 26:2,23, 27:9, 28:25,27, 30:19, 32:33, 33:12,20, 35:24; Psalms 49:19, 109:14; Daniel 11:24,37,38; Acts 13:26
Thus we see the order [same colours are the same persons]:
Asa:
1 Kings 15:8; 15:9; 15:11; 15:13; 15:14; 15:16; 15:17; 15:18; 15:20; 15:22; 15:23; 15:24; 15:25; 15:28; 15:32; 15:33; 16:8; 16:10; 16:15; 16:23; 16:29; 22:41; 22:43; 22:46; 1 Chronicles 3:10; 2 Chronicles 14:1; 14:2; 14:8; 14:10; 14:11; 14:12; 14:13; 15:2; 15:8; 15:10; 15:16; 15:17; 15:19; 16:1; 16:2; 16:4; 16:6; 16:7; 16:10; 16:11; 16:12; 16:13; 17:2; 20:32; 21:12; Jeremiah 41:9; Matthew 1:7; 1:8
Je hoshaphat:
2 Kings 8:16
Jehoshaphat:
1 Kings 15:24; 22:2; 22:4; 22:5; 22:7; 22:8; 22:10; 22:18; 22:29; 22:30; 22:32; 22:41; 22:42; 22:44; 22:45; 22:48; 22:49; 22:50; 22:51; 2 Kings 1:17; 3:1; 3:7; 3:11; 3:12; 3:14; 8:16; 12:18; 1 Chronicles 3:10; 2 Chronicles 17:1; 17:3; 17:5; 17:10; 17:11; 17:12; 18:1; 18:3; 18:4; 18:6; 18:7; 18:9; 18:17; 18:28; 18:29; 18:31; 19:1; 19:2; 19:4; 19:8; 20:1; 20:2; 20:3; 20:5; 20:15; 20:18; 20:20; 20:25; 20:27; 20:30; 20:31; 20:34; 20:35; 20:37; 21:1; 21:2; 21:12; 22:9; Joel 3:2; 3:12
Josaphat:
Matthew 1:8
Jehoram:
1 Kings 22:50; 2 Kings 1:17; 8:16; 8:25; 8:29; 12:18; 2 Chronicles 21:1; 21:3; 21:4; 21:5; 21:9; 21:16; 22:1; 22:6; 22:11
Joram:
2 Kings 8:21; 8:23; 8:24; 11:2; 1 Chronicles 3:11; Matthew 1:8
Ahaziah:
2 Kings 8:24; 8:25; 8:26; 8:29; 9:16; 9:21; 9:23; 9:27; 9:29; 10:13; 11:1; 11:2; 12:18; 13:1; 14:13; 1 Chronicles 3:11; 2 Chronicles 22:1; 22:2; 22:7; 22:8; 22:9; 22:10; 22:11
Azariah:
2 Chronicles 22:6
Jehoahaz:
2 Chronicles 21:17; 25:23
Jehoash:
2 Kings 11:21; 12:1; 12:2; 12:4; 12:6; 12:7; 12:18; 14:13
Joash:
2 Kings 11:2; 12:19; 12:20; 13:1; 13:10; 14:1; 14:3; 14:17; 14:23; 1 Chronicles 3:11; 2 Chronicles 22:11; 24:1; 24:2; 24:4; 24:22; 24:24; 25:23; 25:25
Amaziah:
2 Kings 12:21; 13:12; 14:1; 14:8; 14:9; 14:11; 14:13; 14:15; 14:17; 14:18; 14:21; 14:23; 15:1; 15:3; 1 Chronicles 3:12; 2 Chronicles 24:27; 25:1; 25:5; 25:9; 25:10; 25:11; 25:13; 25:14; 25:15; 25:17; 25:18; 25:20; 25:21; 25:23; 25:25; 25:26; 25:27; 26:1; 26:4
Azariah:
2 Kings 14:21; 15:1; 15:6; 15:7; 15:8; 15:17; 15:23; 15:27; 1 Chronicles 3:12
Ozias:
Matthew 1:8; 1:9
Uzziah:
2 Kings 15:13; 15:30; 15:32; 15:34; 2 Chronicles 26:1; 26:3; 26:8; 26:9; 26:11; 26:14; 26:18; 26:19; 26:21; 26:22; 26:23; 27:2; Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; 7:1; Hosea 1:1; Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5
[1] Asa [great, great, great, great grand
"father" of Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah]
[2] Jehoshaphat/Josaphat [great, great, great grand
"father" of Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah]
[3] Jehoram/Joram [great, great grand
"father" of Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah]
[4] Ahaziah/Ariah/Jehoahaz [great grand
"father" of Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah]
[5] Jehoash/Joash [grand
"father" of Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah]
[6] Amaziah [
"father" of Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah]
[7] Azariah/Uzziah/Ozias
Therefore,
both "Joram" and
"Amaziah" are/is the
"father" of
Uzziah/Ozias/Azariah, with
"Amaziah" being the
immediate "father", and
"Joram/Jehoram" being the
great, great grand "father".
This is simply the way the Bible identifies previous ancestors, and does not have to list the whole geneology in every instance, as the writers are inspired by the Holy Ghost to choose the various names which are needful, or to be highlighted.
A person can verify this chronology here - Complete Bible Genealogy - Jesus family tree - Kings of Judah and Israel