BOB – 1 & 2 Kings

by Stephen Rodgers

1 & 2 KINGS IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

  • 1 Kings: “Israel divides into rival northern and southern nations.”
  • 2 Kings: “Both Jewish nations are destroyed for their disobedience to God.”

TITLE

In the early Hebrew manuscripts, 1 and 2 Kings were considered a single book. They were divided into separate books by the translators of the Greek version, the Septuagint (LXX), which was later copied by the Latin Vulgate (Vg.), English translations (where they are referred to as “1 Kings” and “2 Kings,” and modern Hebrew Bibles (where they are referred to as “Kings A” and “Kings B”). The LXX designated 1 and 2 Kings as “The Second Book of the Kingdoms” (with our 1 and 2 Samuel as “The First Book of the Kingdoms), whereas the Vg. labeled them “Third and Fourth Kings” (with our 1 and 2 Samuel as “First and Second  Kings”).

The division of 1 and 2 Kings has long been considered to be one of copyist convenience (allowing the work to fit on standard-sized scrolls) rather than content or theme, and so should be understood as a unified volume.

In any event, the earliest Hebrew manuscripts entitled the book “Kings” after the first word in 1 Kings 1:1.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Jewish tradition ascribes the authorship of the book of Kings to Jeremiah, although this is doubtful for a number of reasons:

  • 2 Kings ends in Babylon in 561 BC (2 Ki 25:27-30)
  • Jeremiah never went to Babylon; he went to Egypt (Jer 43:1-7)
  • Finally, (although this is somewhat inconclusive), Jeremiah would have been at least 86 years old by 561 BC
A more likely explanation (given the emphasis that Kings places on the ministry of the prophets and Deuteronomy) is that an unnamed prophet who lived with Israel in Babylon is the author, who worked from a number of earlier pre-Exilic sources:
  • “the book of the acts of Solomon” (1 Ki 11:41)
  • “the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” (1 Ki 14:19; 15:31; 16:5,14,20,27; 22:39; 2 Ki 1:18; 10:34; 13:8,12; 14:15,28; 15:11,15,21,26,31)
  • “the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” (1 Ki 14:29; 15:7,23; 22:45; 2 Ki 8:23; 12:19; 14:18; 15:6,36; 16:19; 20:20; 21:17,25; 23:28; 24:5)
  • Isaiah 36:1-39:8 (2 Ki 18:9-20:19)
  • Jeremiah 52:31-34 (2 Ki 25:27-29)

It is possible that other sources were used as well (some scholars postulate an “Ahab source,” an “Isaiah source,” and other various literary unit sources) but there is no consensus on this issue.

The original audience would have been Jews living in exile in Babylon.

DATE

Much like Samuel, the books of Kings contain no clear indication as to the date of composition. However, there are some indicators that can be noted in passing:

  • As previously mentioned, 2 Kings ends in Babylon in 561 BC (2 Ki 25:27-30)
  • As there is no mention of the end of Babylonian captivity (in 538 BC), the book of Kings was most likely written somewhere between those dates
  • It is generally accepted that the “to this day” statements (1 Ki 8:8; 9:13,20,21; 10:12; 12:19; 2 Ki 2:22; 8:22; 10:27; 14:7; 16:6; 17:23,34,41;21:15) reflect the view of the author/editor’s sources rather than the author/editor himself
  • It is possible that the “kings of the west” and “governors of the land” reference in 1 Kings 10:15 indicates that some editing took place later, during the Persian period (539-330 BC)

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Chronologically, the book of Kings begins with the accession of Solomon in 971 BC to the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. In between, it traces two separate kingdoms and their respective monarchies: Israel and Judah.

It should also be noted briefly that the book of Kings is also interpreted history. The author adopts a viewpoint that is not only historical but also theological, as he relies heavily on the instructions and promises given to Israel by God in Deuteronomy to structure the narrative.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are four significant themes that run through the book of Kings:

  • Covenant. The history of Israel’s kings is presented from a covenantal view.  Assessments of the reign of various kings is measured by their obedience to the Mosaic Covenant, and the constant use of David as an exemplar for future comparison underscores the historic significance of the Davidic Covenant.
  • The one true God. The existance of a single God provided the basis for a single place of worship. The “sin of the house of Jeroboam” (1 Ki 13:34; 15:34;16:2,19,26; 21:22; 22:52) involved creating alternate places of worship (1 Ki 12:25-33), which foreshadowed the fall of both kingdoms into idolatry and…
  • Judgment. As a result of their idolatry, both kingdoms were eventually brought under the judgment of God and His covenant curses (Lev 26:27-43; Deut 28:64-68). The northern kingdom of Israel was exiled to Assyria and the southern kingdom of Judah was exiled to Babylon.
  • Prophets. God used prophets to call his people back to a covenant relationship with Himself, but they would not listen. The two greatest prophets of this time were Elijah and Elisha, both of whom ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are two significant interpretive challenges to the book of Kings: one historical, and one theological.

From a historical perspective, it can be challenging to determine an accurate chronology of the kings of Israel and Judah due to alleged inconsistencies and contradictions. However, it is possible to demonstrate the general accuracy of the chronology of Kings. Very briefly:

  • The alleged contradiction regarding Omri’s reign can be resolved by understanding the different figures given to refer to single-regency and duel-regency separately.
  • The book of Kings can also be reconciled with extra-Biblical Greek, Assyrian, and Babylonian sources once co-regencies are taken into account (a period of time when two successive kings, usually father and son, jointly ruled).
  • In addition, one must also account for the fact that different rules for determining “years reigned” as well as different calendars were used in the various ANE kingdoms under discussion.

From a theological perspective, much has been made of the issue regarding Solomon’s relationship to the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants. While some interpret 1 Kings 4:20-21 as the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (and later, to David), this view is problematic:

  • While Solomon controlled vast amounts of land, he did not control the land all the way to the Mediterranean Sea (as described in Nu 34:6). Instead we see that Hiram the king of Tyre controlled that land, and dealt with Solomon as an equal (1 Ki 5:1).
  • Furthermore, while the conditions of the Davidic Covenant were reiterated to Solomon (1 Ki 6:12), it is clear that he did not meet the conditions (1 Ki 11:9-13). That would not be done by any of the historical kings of the house of David until the coming of the Messiah (Is 9:6-7).

LITERARY FEATURES

From the ESV Study Bible:

First and Second Kings are written in the form of historical narrative—specifically, a record of monarchical succession. The main rhetorical format of this court history is the summary of individual kings’ careers, consisting of the name of each king, what kingdom he ruled (Israel or Judah), the date of his accession to the throne, the length of his reign, his religious and other policies, the details of his death, and the name of his successor. Yet the authors are as much theologians as historians. It is not their intention to provide every historical detail, and on occasion they direct readers who want more information to consult other sources. The authors’ main intention is to interpret the history of Israel along theological lines, showing what happens when political and spiritual leaders foolishly choose to worship false gods instead of wisely choosing to worship the one true God.

In terms of structure, 1 Kings focuses on Solomon and Elijah, occasionally breaking away from them to give an account of a relatively minor king. On the other hand, 2 Kings tends to primarily concern itself with the encyclopedic listing of more than 30 kings, with no individual given prominence with the exception of a detailed portrait of the life of Elisha.

It is also noteworthy to consider the sheer consistancy of the monarchial record. Each king is introduced with 1) his name and relation to his predecessor, 2) his date of accession in relationship to the year of the contemporary ruler in the other kingdom, 3) his age upon accession (for Judah only), 4) his length of reign, 5) his place of reign, 6) his mother’s name (for Judah only), and 7) a spiritual appraisal of his reign. Then comes a narration regarding the details of the reign, which varies widely. However, each reign is then concluded with 1) a citation of sources, 2) additional historical notes, 3) notice of death, 4) notice of burial, 5) the name of the successor, and 6) a postscript (although this varies).

It is this attention to detail that prevents significant objections to the reliability of the book of Kings (see below).

OBJECTIONS

Apart from the INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES listed above, there are no significant OBJECTIONS to the book of Kings that I’m aware of.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • 1 Kings 2:1-2
  • 1 Kings 3:9
  • 1 Kings 18:37
  • 2 Kings 2:11
  • 2 Kings 17:20
  • 2 Kings 25:21

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The “Palace of the Forest of Lebanon” was named for the trunks of cedar trees which served as pillars, giving the appearance of a forest (1 Ki 7:2)…or many Brian Songs
  • The “Sea of cast metal” was a enormous basin of water (holding about 11,500 gallons) that was used by the priests for ritual cleansing (1 Ki 7:23)
  • ANE deities were thought of in somewhat similar terms to local law enforcement: they could only be worshiped (or hold sway) while on the soil to which it (or he or she) was bound (2 Ki 5:17)
  • ANE makeup was rather sophisticated, and included eyeshadow, lipstick, and fingernail polish, as well as perfume (2 Ki 9:30)
  • Isaiah (yes, that Isaiah) makes a rather significant cameo in 2 Kings 19

Other Works Referenced