Statement of belief: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17 KJV)

Created 5930± 11 02 2026 [2010-01-18]

Updated 5925_[(*??*)] 02 09 2029 [2013-05-20]

Hebrew Word Study

בראשׁית ממלכת

What Exactly Does it Mean?

How is it Used in the Scriptures?

“In the beginning of the reign…?” or “With a beginning from the reign…?”

Abstract:

This study was prompted by my discovery of a chronological impossibility and contextual contradiction of Jeremiah 27:1-3, 20 as translated in KJV. That is, the date given makes it appear as though the Lord’s message through Jeremiah to king Zedekiah is dated within the accession year of king Jehoiakim. But that is an obvious impossibility, given that Zedekiah was the second successor upon the throne of Judah after Jehoiakim, that is, with Jehoiachin being an intermediary king. (Zedekiah’s reign began in the 11^th Scriptural calendar year after the year when Jehoiakim began his reign.)

Furthermore, the expression “in the beginning of the reign of…” should, per Hebrew and Scriptural usage, technically be a reference to the accession year of the king named, but this is obviously not the case in Jeremiah 28:1, where these words are used in conjunction with the words “in the fourth year…” of the same king. That too then, is an impossibility and yet another chronological contradiction within the KJV.

Given my firm conviction that the original language version of the Holy Scriptures is to be relied upon as correct and that when apparent contradictions are perceived the error must be in the eyes of the beholder, I must therefore conclude that the error is either upon me or upon the translators of the KJV.

The Hebrew text seems simple enough and at first I wasn’t able to perceive the reason for this apparent contradiction, nor any error in the KJV translation.

However, after having been considering this dilemma for some weeks, and upon praying and studying about it this morning, it came to me that the Hebrew definite article is not necessarily built into the preposition ‘beth-‘ of the first word and that the preposition ‘mem-‘ of the second word in conjunction with the first word is a unique construction used only four times in the Scriptures and only by Jeremiah. Given also that the preposition ‘beth-‘ means not only ‘in’ but also ‘with,’ ‘within,’ etc., and that the preposition ‘mem-‘ means ‘from’ while also being a characteristic of many nouns, I don’t see any grammatical error or contradiction in simply translating these three passages of Jeremiah in the format of ‘With a beginning from the reign of…’ or even ‘Beginning with the reign of…’

Considerations & details:

Notice that the fourth and last of the four below passages of Jeremiah is different from the first three in that there is only one ‘mem-‘ in the beginning of the second word. This is an important difference, one that very likely makes Jeremiah 49:34 being indeed a reference to the accession year of Zedekiah and the KJV rendering of the text a correct translation.

The first passage, Jeremiah 26:1, is not in a context providing any further elements that I find useful for determining a more specific date, thus I find it sensible to translate that passage in the same terms as that which I find necessary and correct for Jeremiah 27:1 and 28:1, i.e. “With a beginning from the reign of…,” or alternatively “Beginning with the reign of…”

Study particulars re …בראשׁית מ as found in 4 Scripture… passages:

1. (1^st Scripture passage)

Jer 26:1 בראשׁית^H7225 ממלכות^H4468 יהויקים^H3079 בן^H1121 יאשׁיהו^H2977 מלך^H4428 יהודה^H3063 היה^H1961 הדבר^H1697 הזה^H2088 מאת^H853 יהוה^H3068 לאמר׃^H559

Jeremiah 26:1 KJV+ In the beginning^H7225 of the reign^H4468 of Jehoiakim^H3079 the son^H1121 of Josiah^H2977 king^H4428 of Judah^H3063 came^H1961 this^H2088 word^H1697 from^{H4480 H854} the LORD,^H3068 saying,^H559

Jeremiah 26:1 TLT + With a beginning^H7225 from the reign^H4468 of Jehoiakim^H3079 the son^H1121 of Josiah^H2977 king^H4428 of Judah^H3063 came^H1961 this^H2088 word^H1697 from^{H4480 H854} the LORD,^H3068 saying,^H559

2. (2^nd Scripture passage)

Jer 27:1 בראשׁית^H7225 ממלכת^H4467 יהויקם^H3079 בן^H1121 יאושׁיהו^H2977 מלך^H4428 יהודה^H3063 היה^H1961 הדבר^H1697 הזה^H2088 אל^H413 ירמיה^H3414 מאת^H853 יהוה^H3069 לאמר׃^H559

Jeremiah 27:1 KJV+ In the beginning^H7225 of the reign^H4467 of Jehoiakim^H3079 the son^H1121 of Josiah^H2977 king^H4428 of Judah^H3063 came^H1961 this^H2088 word^H1697 unto^H413 Jeremiah^H3414 from^{H4480 H854} the LORD,^H3068 saying,^H559

Jeremiah 27:1 TLT+ With a beginning^H7225 from the reign^H4467 of Jehoiakim^H3079 the son^H1121 of Josiah^H2977 king^H4428 of Judah^H3063 came^H1961 this^H2088 word^H1697 unto^H413 Jeremiah^H3414 from^{H4480 H854} the LORD,^H3068 saying,^H559

3. (3^rd Scripture passage)

Jer 28:1 ויהי^H1961 בשׁנה^H8141 ההיא^H1931 בראשׁית^H7225 ממלכת^H4467 צדקיה^H6667 מלך^H4428 יהודה^H3063 בשׁנת^H8141 הרבעית^H7243 בחדשׁ^H2320 החמישׁי^H2549 אמר^H559 אלי^H413 חנניה^H2608 בן^H1121 עזור^H5809 הנביא^H5030 אשׁר^H834 מגבעון^H1391 בבית^H1004 יהוה^H3068 לעיני^H5869 הכהנים^H3548 וכל^H3605 העם^H5971 לאמר׃^H559

Jeremiah 28:1 KJV+ And it came to pass^H1961 the same^H1931 year,^H8141 in the beginning^H7225 of the reign^H4467 of Zedekiah^H6667 king^H4428 of Judah,^H3063 in the fourth^H7243 year,^H8141 and in the fifth^H2549 month,^H2320 that Hananiah^H2608 the son^H1121 of Azur^H5809 the prophet,^H5030 which^H834 was of Gibeon,^{H4480 H1391} spake^H559 unto^H413 me in the house^H1004 of the LORD,^H3068 in the presence^H5869 of the priests^H3548 and of all^H3605 the people,^H5971 saying,^H559

Jeremiah 28:1 TLT+ And it came to pass^H1961 the same^H1931 year,^H8141 with a beginning^H7225 from the reign^H4467 of Zedekiah^H6667 king^H4428 of Judah,^H3063 in the fourth^H7243 year,^H8141 and in the fifth^H2549 month,^H2320 that Hananiah^H2608 the son^H1121 of Azur^H5809 the prophet,^H5030 which^H834 was of Gibeon,^{H4480 H1391} spake^H559 unto^H413 me in the house^H1004 of the LORD,^H3068 in the presence^H5869 of the priests^H3548 and of all^H3605 the people,^H5971 saying,^H559

4. (4^th Scripture passage)

Jer 49:34 אשׁר^H834 היה^H1961 דבר^H1697 יהוה^H3068 אל^H413 ירמיהו^H3414 הנביא^H5030 אל^H413 עילם^H5867 בראשׁית^H7225 מלכות^H4438 צדקיה^H6667 מלך^H4428 יהודה^H3063 לאמר׃^H559

Jeremiah 49:34 KJV+ The word^H1697 of the LORD^H3068 that^H834 came^H1961 to^H413 Jeremiah^H3414 the prophet^H5030 against^H413 Elam^H5867 in the beginning^H7225 of the reign^H4438 of Zedekiah^H6667 king^H4428 of Judah,^H3063 saying,^H559

Jeremiah 49:34 TLT+ The word^H1697 of the LORD^H3068 that^H834 came^H1961 to^H413 Jeremiah^H3414 the prophet^H5030 against^H413 Elam^H5867 in the accession year^H7225 of the reign^H4438 of Zedekiah^H6667 king^H4428 of Judah,^H3063 saying,^H559

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