Books of Kings

The two books of Kings, labeled 1 - 2 Kings in the Hebrew and English versions of the Bible, but 3 - 4 Kings in the Greek and Latin, are so designated because of their contents. They follow and are a continuation of the books of Samuel (1 - 2 Kings in Greek and Latin) and narrate the history of Israel and Judah from Solomon's accession to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah in 587 BC.

The Books of Kings give a detailed account of Solomon's wisdom and wealth and the building of the Temple at Jerusalem. They also narrate the decline that began during his reign and culminated in the exile. These books conclude the Deuteronomistic History, the name given to the books from Deuteronomy to Kings, all of which appear to have been compiled on the same principle. The hand of the Deuteronomistic editor or editors is evident in the stereotyped evaluation of each king by the often anachronistic standards of the Deuteronomic law; the editor(s) also composed the greater part of Solomon's Temple dedication prayer, as well as the long explanation for the fall of Israel. The compiler(s) did use earlier sources, however.

These include lost works called the Acts of Solomon, the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, and the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel; some official lists; an account of the temple construction; and a summary of the official annals of both Israel and Judah. The compiler(s) also incorporated a number of early prophetic legends, including the Elijah - Elisha cycles. The original work dates from c.615 BC, but it was updated and reedited c.550 BC.

J J M Roberts

Bibliography
F M Cross, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic (1973); J Gray, 1 - 2 Kings: A Commentary (1970); L B Hinton, First and Second Kings (1988); C Miller, Commentary on First and Second Kings (1991).

Books of Kings

Brief Outline

The Books of Kings

The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings, the two books of Samuel being the first and second books of Kings. They contain the annals of the Jewish commonwealth from the accession of Solomon till the subjugation of the kingdom by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (apparently a period of about four hundred and fifty-three years). The books of Chronicles (q.v.) are more comprehensive in their contents than those of Kings. The latter synchronize with 1 Chr. 28-2 Chr. 36:21. While in the Chronicles greater prominence is given to the priestly or Levitical office, in the Kings greater prominence is given to the kingly. The authorship of these books is uncertain.

There are some portions of them and of Jeremiah that are almost identical, e.g., 2 Kings 24:18-25 and Jer. 52; 39:1-10; 40:7-41:10. There are also many undesigned coincidences between Jeremiah and Kings (2 Kings 21-23 and Jer. 7:15; 15:4; 19:3, etc.), and events recorded in Kings of which Jeremiah had personal knowledge. These facts countenance in some degree the tradition that Jeremiah was the author of the books of Kings. But the more probable supposition is that Ezra, after the Captivity, compiled them from documents written perhaps by David, Solomon, Nathan, Gad, and Iddo, and that he arranged them in the order in which they now exist.

In the threefold division of the Scriptures by the Jews, these books are ranked among the "Prophets." They are frequently quoted or alluded to by our Lord and his apostles (Matt. 6:29; 12:42; Luke 4:25, 26; 10:4; comp. 2 Kings 4:29; Mark 1:6; comp. 2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3: 4, etc.). The sources of the narrative are referred to (1) "the book of the acts of Solomon" (1 Kings 11:41); (2) the "book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah" (14:29; 15:7, 23, etc.); (3) the "book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel" (14:19; 15:31; 16:14, 20, 27, etc.). The date of its composition was some time between B.C. 561, the date of the last chapter (2 Kings 25), when Jehoiachin was released from captivity by Evil-merodach, and B.C. 538, the date of the decree of deliverance by Cyrus.