My Redeemer > Bible > I Kings
Author: Since I and II Kings originally formed part of a single book (see "#Content"), this work must have been complied some time before the capture of Judah, by the Babylonians, in 586 B.C. (see II Kings 25). The book appears to be the fruit of a single author who witnessed the fall of Jerusalem. Although it is not known exactly who wrote it, several suggestions have been offered. Some have mentioned Ezra as its compiler, while others point to Isaiah as the author. Compare II Kings 18:19,20 with Isaiah 36-39. A certain number of experts say that the author of I and II Kings was an unknown prophet or captive Jew in Babylon around the year 550 B.C. As Josephus (a prominent Jewish historian of the first century A.D.) attributed Kings to "the prophets", many have abandoned the search for a specific author. However, Jeremiah was most probably the author of I and II Kings. The early Jewish tradition of the Talmud affirms that. This famous prophet preached in Jerusalem before and after the fall of the city, and II Kings 24 and 25 appear in Jeremiah 39-42; 52. Jeremiah could have written the entire text, minus the content of the final appendix (II Kings 25:27-30), which was probably added by one of his disciples.
Date: Although the precise date in which I and II Kings were written is uncertain, it is believed that its compilation concluded at the end of the 6th century B.C. The last event recorded in II Kings is the liberation of King Jehoiachin from his imprisonment in Babylonia. Since Jehoiachin was made prisoner in 597 B.C. (see II Kings 24:8-17) and liberated thirty-seven years later (see I Kings 25:27), then Kings must have been written before 538 B.C. Thus the date of the composition of I and II Kings has been fixed between 560 and 538 B.C., although the events narrated in I Kings took place some three hundred years earlier.
Author and Date: (HBH) Like the Books of Samuel, I and II Kings were one book in the Hebrew tradition. The division of the book first occurred in the Greek version, which translated Samuel and Kings as four consecutive books entitled First-Fourth Kingdoms. Jerome's Vulgate followed the Greek tradition of four books but with the title Kings. The English title Kings was derived from the Latin Vulgate. The English version followed the Greek and Latin practice of four books but with the Hebrew titles Samuel and Kings. The division of Kings was not commonly practiced in Hebrew until the first printed edition in 1488.
The Books of Kings are anonymous. Jewish tradition assigns their authorship to Jeremiah. Rabbinic custom attributed unnamed works to famous religious leaders of the era. Many critical scholars believe I and II Kings are the last books of a consecutive history from Deuteronomy through Kings. This account is called the "Deuteronomistic History" because many of the major themes of the Book of Deuteronomy recur in the larger history. Other scholars who reject this reconstruction believe that the authorship of Kings is independent of Deuteronomy (see "The Historical Books").
Most commentators agree that much of Kings was written before the destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.), although how much is disputed. There is agreement on the date for the completion of the work. The last historical reference in Kings is 562 B.C., the first full year of Babylon's Evil-Merodach's reign (II Kings 25-27). The completion of the book must be after this date but before the return of the exiles to Judah in 539 B.C. since I and II Kings do not mention this event. The book is dated at about 550 B.C., during the exile.
The author used a variety of sources, many of them early, in the writing of Kings. The sources ranged from royal and temple records to stories about the prophets. Excerpts from three royal annals are specifically cited: "the book of the annals of Solomon" (I Kings 11:41; compare also 11:27), "the book of the annals of the kings of Israel" (for example, I Kings 14:19), and "the book of the kings of Judah" (for example, I Kings 14:29). The author, however, was not merely an editor but a composer whose work was based on these sources.
Background: The events registered in I Kings embraced a period of approximately 120 years. The First Book of Kings narrates the turbulent experiences of GOD's people from David's death, around 971 B.C., to Jehosaphat (the fourth king of the southern kingdom of Judah) and Ahaziah (the ninth monarch of the northern kingdom of Israel), around 853 B.C. This was a difficult stage in the history of GOD's people, a time of great changes and rebellions: they had struggles within and pressures from without, the result was that the kingdom, previously stable and ruled by an energetic leader, was divided in two.
Historical Setting: (IBD) The four centuries covered by I and II Kings were times of change and political upheaval in the ancient world as the balance of power shifted from one nation to another. surrounding nations that posed a threat to Israel and Judah at various times during this period included Syria, Assyria, and Babylon.
The Assyrian threat was particularly strong during the last 50 years of the Northern Kingdom. Under Tiglath-Pileser III, this conquering nation launched three devastating campaigns against Israel in 734, 733 and 732 B.C. It was a blow from which Israel never recovered, and the nation fell to Assyrian forces just 10 years later in 722 B.C.
While Syria and Assyria were threats to Judah at various times, their worst enemy turned out to be the nation of Babylon. The Babylonians took captives and goods from Jerusalem in three campaigns - in 605 and 597 B.C. and in a two-year siege beginning in 588 B.C. Jerusalem finally fell in 587 B.C. The Temple was destroyed, and thousands of Judah's leading citizens were carried into captivity in Babylon.
Occasion and Purpose: On contemplating the horrible situation of the exiled people of GOD, the author compiled I and II Kings to respond to the awkward question of why the kingdom of Judah, in the south, like the kingdom of Israel, in the north, had fallen into captivity. He wrote a prophetic message, demonstrating that this punishment of having been subjugated by pagan foreigners was the inevitable result of their constant violation of their covenant with GOD. This book was written so that the exiles could reflect on their own history and return to GOD. Perhaps this prophetic perspective was one of the reasons why it was included among the "ancient prophets" in the Hebrew Bible.
Content: The First and Second Books of Kings were originally a single book that constituted a type of continuation of I and II Samuel. The editors of the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint or LXX) divided the work into "3 and 4 Kings" (I and II Samuel were "1 and 2 Kings"). The title "Kings" derives from Jerome's translation (the Vulgate) and is appropriate because these books deal mainly with the kings who governed during that period.
These books take up the historic events where I and II Samuel left off. However, Kings is something more than a mere compilation of the most important political events that occurred in Israel and Judah. In fact, it wasn't as much a detailed history as would be expected (400 years contained in only 47 chapters). Instead, the author selects and emphasizes the personages and events that possess moral and religious significance. The First and Second Books of Kings present GOD as the LORD of history. Apart from the historical experience, it explains the redemptive purpose and work of GOD in the lives of the children of Israel. It demonstrates the necessity of obeying GOD's Covenant and the painful consequences of disobedience. Thus I and II Kings shouldn't be considered as simple history books, but as theological texts that extract lessons from it.
The combined work of I and II Kings is naturally divided into three parts. The "unified kingdom" under Solomon in I kings 1-11; the "divided kingdom" in I Kings 12 - II Kings 17; and finally, II Kings 18-25, which deals with the surviving "kingdom of Judah".
The first half of I Kings narrates the glory of Solomon's kingdom, his wealth, his wisdom and the marvelous construction of the temple. However, his disobedience by marrying foreign women led him to idolatry; and set the stage for the division of the kingdom. A king with a divided heart left a divided kingdom behind. Upon his death, those of the northern part of the kingdom rebelled, and established their own state, known as Israel. In the south, those who remained faithful to the house of David and Solomon formed another state called Judah.
In the second half of I Kings, which described the divided kingdom, the story becomes difficult. The author goes back and forth, referring indistinctly to the kingdom of Israel in the north, and the southern kingdom of Judah, and outlining their history simultaneously. Israel had 19 kings, all evil; Judah had 20, only 8 of whom were good. The First Book of Kings commences referring to the first nine governors of Israel and the first four kings of Judah. Some of them are only mentioned, while several chapters are dedicated to others. The attention is centered in those who served as a model of rectitude, or on those who illustrate why those states virtually collapsed. When I Kings ends, Jehosaphat is king of Judah and Ahaziah occupies the throne of Israel.
Structure of the Books: (IBD) The first half of the Book of I Kings describes Solomon's reign. Included are accounts about his vast wealth, his great wisdom, his marriage to foreign wives, and his completion of the Temple in Jerusalem. But I Kings also reveals that all was not well in Solomon's empire. Many of the people grew restless and rebellious because of the kings's excesses and the high taxes required to support his ambitious projects. At his death the people in the northern part of the empire rebelled and formed their own nation, known as the northern kingdom of Israel. Those who remained loyal to the house of David and Solomon continued as the Southern Kingdom, or the nation of Judah.
From this point on in the Books of I and II Kings, the narrative grows complex and difficult to follow. The historical writer traces the history of a king of Israel, then switches over to touch on the high points in the administration of the parallel king of Judah. This can be very confusing to the Bible reader unless this parallel structure is known.
But we do these books a great injustice if we assume they are filled with nothing but dry historical statistics and minute details. First and Second Kings contain some of the most interesting stories in the Bible. Here we come face to face with the fiery prophet Elijah, who challenged the false god Baal and hundreds of his prophets in a dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel. The prophet's faith was verified as GOD proved himself superior to Baal by answering Elijah's fervent prayer.
In These books we also meet a proud Syrian commander, Naaman the leper, who almost passed up his opportunity to be healed by his reluctance to dip himself in the waters of the Jordan River. Fortunately, his servants convinced him to drop his pride, and he emerged from the river with his skin restored "like the flesh of a little child" (II Kings 5:14).
During the four centuries covered by these books, a total of 19 different kings ruled the nation of Israel, while 22 different kings (if David and Solomon are included) occupied Judah's throne. The writer covers some of these kings with a few sentences, while he devotes several pages to others. Apparently, this author selected certain kings for major attention because they illustrated the conditions that led to the eventual collapse of the nations of Judah and Israel.
Some of these kings were honest, ethical and morally pure. But the good kings always were the exception. The majority of the rulers led the people astray, some even openly encouraging them to worship false gods. Thus, the most familiar refrain in I and II Kings is the phrase, "He did evil in the sight of the LORD" (II Kings. 8:18).
Israel was the first nation to collapse under the weight of its disobedience and depravity. This kingdom ended in 722 B.C. with the fall of its capital city, Samaria, to the Assyrians. The citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah struggles on for another 136 years under a succession of kings before their nation was overrun by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. The Book of II Kings comes to a close with the leading citizens of Judah being held captive in Babylon.
Chronology of the Kings: (HBH) Interpreters have a problem understanding how the chroniclers calculated the dates for the reigns of the kings. The reigns are dated by comparing the date a ruler began to reign with the number of years his counterpart in the other kingdom had reigned at that time. The length of the reign is provided for each king. However, there are problems reconciling the various dates. Additionally, Judah and Israel may have followed calendars beginning the new year at different times. Finally, there may have been differences in how the rulers counted the beginning of their reigns. Some began counting with their coronation, while others began counting only after their first year of reign. Therefore scholars have attempted reconstructions, including overlapping reigns of a father and son, to help explain the dates.
There is no consensus among scholars on all the dates of the kings. The differences are not so remarkable so as to impede our understanding of the historical background of the period. The dates followed here are those suggested by E.R. Thiele (The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1965).
Purpose and Theology: (HBH)
All the kings of the Northern Kingdom were condemned because of their idolatrous worship. In this they followed the ways of Israel's first king, Jeroboam, who introduced calf worship at Dan and Bethel (for example, 15:25,26,33-34). The kings of the Southern Kingdom, Judah, were approved if they followed after their father David (for example, 15:13). Only Hezekiah and Josiah met with full approval because they removed the high places and reformed the defiled worship of the temple (II Kings 18:1-8; 22:1,2; 23:24-25).
Theological Contribution: (IBD) The Books of I and II Kings present an interesting contrast between King David of Judah and King Jeroboam I, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Jeroboam established a legacy of idol worship in this new nation by setting up golden calves at Bethel and Dan (I Kings 12:25-33). These were symbols of the fertility religion of Baal. His strategy was to mix this false religion with worship of the one true GOD in an attempt to win the loyalty and good will of the people and bind the together as a distinctive nation. This act of idolatry was condemned by the writer of I and II Kings. Each succeeding king of Israel was measured against the standard of Jeroboam's idolatry. Of each king who led the people astray, it was written, "He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin" (II Kings 15:9).
Just as Jeroboam was used as a bad example by the writer of I and II Kings, King David was used as a standard of righteousness and justice. In spite of David's moral lapses, he became the measure of righteousness for all kings who followed him. The Northern Kingdom was marked by rebellion and strife as opposing factions struggled for the right to reign, but the house of David continued in the Kingdom of Judah without interruption for nearly four centuries. The writer explained that the evils of kings such as Abijam (or Abijah) did not cancel out the love and mercy that GOD had promised to the house of David: "Nevertheless for David's sake the LORD his GOD gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem; because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD" (I Kings 15:4-5).
Special Considerations: (IBD) The writer of I Kings reported that Solomon had "seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines" (I Kings 11:3). In the ancient world, the number of wives held by a ruler symbolized his might and power. Rulers also took on wives to seal political alliances and trade agreements. But Solomon cannot be totally excused for his excesses because of these cultural factors. According to the writer of I Kings, he let his foreign wives turn away his heart from worshiping the one true GOD (I Kings 11:1-3). This was a fatal flaw in his character that eventually led to rebellion and the separation of Solomon's empire into two opposing nations (I Kings 11:11-13).
The Books of I and II Kings describe several miracles wrought by GOD through the prophets Elijah and Elisha. In addition to proving GOD's power, these miracles are also direct attacks on the pagan worship practices of the followers of Baal. Elijah's encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, for example, was a test of the power of Baal - whether he could send fire from heaven (lightning bolts) to ignite the sacrifice and bring the rains that were needed to end the drought. Baal was silent, but GOD thundered - and the rains came, as Elijah had predicted (I Kings 18:20-46).
Personal Application: The message of I and II Kings is as relevant today as it was when it was written. G
Christ Revealed: The failure of the prophets, priests and kings of GOD's people points to the necessity for the coming of Christ. Christ himself represented the ideal combination of those three offices. As prophet, the word of Christ supercedes that of the great prophet Elijah (Matt. 17:1-5). Many of Jesus' miracles constitute a reminiscence of the wonders realized by GOD through Elijah and Elisha, in the books of Kings. Furthermore, as priest, Christ is higher than any priest mentioned in Kings (Heb. 7:22-27). First Kings vividly illustrates the need for Christ as our sovereign King. When asked if he was king of the Jews, Jesus replied affirmatively (Matt. 27:11). However, Christ is "greater than Solomon" (Matt. 12:41). Solomon's name means "Peace"; Christ is the "Prince of Peace", and there will be no end to his peace (Is. 9:6). Solomon stood out for his wisdom, but Christ is the wisdom of GOD (I Cor. 1:25,29). The kingdom of Solomon has passed, but Christ will reign upon the throne of David forever (I Chron. 17:14; Is. 9:6), because Christ is "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16). For an additional study of the allusions to Christ in the time of I Kings, read the introductions to I Chronicles and II Chronicles, "Christ Revealed".
The Holy Spirit in Action: In I Kings 18:12 is found the only direct reference to the Holy Spirit, where he is called "the Spirit of Jehovah". Obadiah's words there indicate that at times the Holy Spirit transported Elijah from one place to another (see also II Kings 2:16). This isn't much different than Acts 8:39,40, where a similar experience is described for Philip.
There is an allusion in 18:46 ("And the hand of Jehovah") to the work of the Holy Spirit (see II Kings 3:15 and Ezek. 1:3; compare with I Sam. 10:6,10 and 19:20,23). Here "the hand of Jehovah" refers to the Spirit of GOD who grants Elijah an exceptional strength to achieve astonishing things (for similar examples, see Judges 14:6,19; and 15:14).
Besides these two passages, I Kings 22:24 (see II Chron. 18:23) could be another reference to the Holy Spirit. This verse alludes to the "Spirit of Jehovah" (see the note for 22:24) and indicates that the prophets understood that their gift came from the Spirit of GOD (see I Sam. 10:6,10; 19:20,23). If this interpretations is accepted, it agrees with I Corinthians 12:7-11, which confirms that the gift of prophecy is certainly a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
For more allusions to the Holy Spirit in the period of the kings, read the introductions to II Kings and II Chronicles, "The Holy Spirit in Action".
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