Book of 1 Kings Explained
Title: First and Second Kings were originally one book, called in the Hebrew text, “Kings,” from the first word (in 1:1). The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (LXX), divided the book in two and this was followed by the Latin Vulgate version and English translations. The division was for the convenience of copying this lengthy book on scrolls and codexes and was not based on features of content.
The portrayal of the deeds of Israel’s people, especially its kings, priests and prophets, is colored by the shade of spiritual faithfulness and purity they maintained toward God and His revealed standards. The selective rehearsal of the people’s repeated spiritual failure, particularly among its leaders, point to Israel’s need of a coming One who, as the heir to David’s throne, would be not only its righteous King but its faithful Prophet and God’s High Priest.
Modern Hebrew Bibles title the books “Kings A” and “Kings B.” The LXX and Vulgate connected kings with the books of Samuel, so that the titles in the LXX are “The Third and Fourth Books of kingdoms” and in the Vulgate “Third and Fourth Kings.” The books of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings combined are a chronicle of the entire history of Judah’s and Israel’s kingship from Saul to Zedekiah. First and Second Chronicles provides only the history of Judah’s monarchy.
Historical Setting: The two books of Kings recorded the activities of the people of God, moving from the days of Solomon
Authorship and Date: Jewish tradition proposed that Jeremiah wrote Kings, although this is unlikely because the final event recorded in the book (see 2 Kings
Liberal scholars have conjectured that First and Second Kings in their present form are the work of a Deuteronomic School of writers whose basic theological viewpoint is woven into the books from Joshua to Kings and whose literary activity stretched from the eighth century B.C. through the sixth century B.C. However, no real proof exists of such a group and efforts to suggest the supposed parameters of their writing activities have yielded varying and often conflicting results.
Moreover, the underlying idea that someone associated with the Book of Deuteronomy (also considered to be a late book), was associated with these books is unproven and fails in the growing body of evidence that increasingly shows that Deuteronomy was almost entirely a product of Moses’ own writing.
The identity of the author of Kings is unknown, although Jewish tradition holds that its author was Jeremiah. Although there can be no final certainty in the matter, the fact that Jeremiah was not only a member of a priestly, teaching family, but as God’s prophet was an eyewitness and active participant in the events surrounding Judah’s demise, argues for such a possibility. The author of Kings has used many official records and unofficial sources in compiling his history (e.g. 11:41; 14:19, 29, etc.; see the note on 2 Kings 20:20).
Kings was written between
It is clear that the author used a variety of sources in compiling this book, including “the book of the acts of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:41), “the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” (1 Kings 14:19; 15:31; 16:5, 14, 20, 27; 22:39; 2 Kings 1:18; 10:34; 13:8, 12; 14:15, 28; 15:11, 21, 26, 31), and “the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” (1 Kings 14:29; 15:7, 23; 22:45; 2 Kings 8:23; 12:19; 14:18; 15:6, 36; 16:19; 20:20; 21:17, 25; 23:28; 24:5). Further (Isaiah 36:1 - 39:8), provided information used (in 2 Kings 18:9 - 20:19 and Jeremiah
Although the author has written Kings in a generally historically progressive fashion, he often writes thematically, grouping his facts in a way that is not strictly chronological. Thus, one must not assume that the details of a given chapter necessarily have happened after those of the preceding chapter (see the note on 2 Kings 20:1). However, especially in the details relative to the divided kingdom, there is a general historical progression from (1 Kings 12 to the end of 2 Kings; from the mid tenth to the
serving as
Setting and Background: A distinction must be made between the setting for the books’ sources and that of the books’ author. The source material was written by participants in and eyewitnesses of the events. It was reliable information, which was historically accurate concerning the sons of Israel, from the death of David and the accession of Solomon (971 B.C.), to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Babylonians (586 B.C.). Thus, Kings traces the histories of two sets of kings and two nations of disobedient people, Israel and Judah, both of whom were growing indifferent to God’s law and His prophets and were headed for captivity.
The book of Kings is not only accurate history, but interpreted history. The author, an exile in Babylon, wished to communicate the lessons of Israel’s history to the exiles. Specifically, he taught the exilic community why the Lord’s judgment of exile had come. The writer established early in his narrative that the Lord required obedience by the kings to the Mosaic law, if their kingdom was to receive His blessing; disobedience would bring exile (1 Kings
The predominant geographical setting of Kings is the whole Land of Israel, stretching from Dan to
Although the historical trustworthiness of Kings has been demonstrated repeatedly, one must not read these two books simply as history. The two books are, above all, a telling of God’s spiritual dealings with His vacillating people. It narrates how the people of God managed their
responsibilities before a sovereign and gracious God. It stands as a record of God’s reward for obedience and faithfulness, and for His judgment of disobedience.
Before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses had sternly cautioned the people about falling prey to pride and arrogance. Once they entered Canaan and became established in God’s blessings, they would be tempted to say as a people, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” But Moses exhorted them: “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers … then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord our God, and follow other gods … I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish” (Deut.
Those verses summarize First and Second Kings (one long book in the original Hebrew Bible). It is the story of how God blessed Israel and elevated her above all nations under the rule of Solomon. But it is also a story of decline and destruction and warnings unheeded.
The Nations divided into two. 10 tribes in the north with their capital of Samaria and two tribes in the south centered around Jerusalem. Two lines of kings, two capitals, two agendas and political divisions that symbolized the spiritual division in its heart. The people grew double- minded, living luxuriously in their wealth and following after idols instead of acknowledging the God who gave them everything. By the end of 2 Kings, both Israel and Judah had been taken into captivity into other lands.