Books of Kings: Difference between revisions

{{redirect|3 Kings|the group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth|Biblical magi|the jazz trio|3 Kings (jazz trio)}}

The '''Book of Kings''' ({{Lang-Langx|he|סֵפֶר מְלָכִים}}, ''[[Sefer (Hebrew)|Sēfer]] [[Malik|Məlāḵīm]]'') is a book in the [[Hebrew Bible]], found as two books ('''1–2 Kings''') in the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Christian Bible]]. It concludes the [[Deuteronomistic history]], a history of ancient Israel also including the books of [[Book of Joshua|Joshua]], [[Book of Judges|Judges]], and [[Books of Samuel|Samuel]].

[[Biblical commentator]]s believe the Books of Kings weremixes writtenlegends, tofolktales, providemiracle stories and "fictional constructions"<ref name="Nelson, pp.1-2" /> in with the annals for the purpose of providing a [[Theology|theological]] explanation for the [[Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)|destruction of the Kingdom of Judah]] by Babylon in c. 586&nbsp;BCEBC and to provide a foundation for a return from [[Babylonian captivity|Babylonian exile]].<ref name="Sweeney">Sweeney, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=d4jn8uj49RIC&q=960&pg=PA1 1]</ref> The two books of Kings present a [[history of ancient Israel and Judah]], from the death of King [[David]] to the release of [[Jehoiachin]] from imprisonment in Babylon—a period of some 400 years ({{circa|960|560&nbsp;BCEBC}}).<ref name="Sweeney" /> Scholars tend to treat the books as consisting of a first edition from the late 7th century BCEBC and of a second and final edition from the mid-6th century BCEBC.<ref name="Fretheim">Fretheim, p. 7</ref><ref name="Grabbe">{{Cite book |asin=B01MTO6I34|title=1 & 2 Kings: An Introduction and Study Guide: History and Story in Ancient Israel|last=Grabbe|first=Lester L.|date=2016-12-01|publisher=T&T Clark|edition=1|language=en}}</ref>

* 1 Kings 1:1–2:46. [[Davidic dynasty in Bible prophecy#Solomon's line|The Davidic Successionsuccession]]

====The Davidic Successionsuccession (1:1–2:46)====

David advises his son on how to be a good king and to punish David's enemies, and then dies. Adonijah comes to Bathsheba and asks to marry Abishag. Solomon suspects this request is to strengthen Adonijah's claim to the throne and has Benaiah put him to death. He then takes away Abiathar's priesthood as punishment for supporting Adonijah, thus fulfilling the prophecy made to [[Eli (biblical figure)|Eli]] at the start of [[Books of Samuel#1 Samuel|1 Samuel]].

Joab hears what is going on and himself claims sanctuary, but when he refuses to come out of the tabernacle, Solomon instructs Benaiah to kill him there. He then replaces Joab with Benaiah and Abiathar with Zadok. Solomon then instructs [[Shimei ben Gera]], the [[Tribe of Benjamin|Benjaminite]] who cursed David as he was fleeing from Absalom, to move to Jerusalem and not to leave. One day, two of Shimei's slaves run away to [[Gath (city)|Gath]] and Shimei pursues them. When he returns to Jerusalem, Solomon has him put to death for leaving Jerusalem.

=====Solomon the Sagesage (3:1–4:34)=====

=====Solomon the Builderbuilder (5:1–9:25)=====

=====Solomon the Tradertrader (9:26–10:29)=====

=====His Declinedecline (11:1–43)=====

At the same time, Solomon begins to amass enemies. A young prince named [[Hadad the Edomite|Hadad]] who managed to escape Joab’sJoab's attempted genocide of the Edomites, hears Joab and David are dead, and returns to [[Edom]] to lead his people. Meanwhile, to the north, the Syrian king [[Rezon the Syrian|Rezon]], whose [[Zobah]]ite army was defeated by David, allies himself with Hadad and causes havoc for Israel from his base in [[Damascus]].

On the home front, [[Jeroboam]], who supervised the building of Solomon’sSolomon's palace terraces and the reconstruction of the city walls, encounters the prophet [[Ahijah the Shilonite]] on the road out of Jerusalem. Ahijah tears his cloak into twelve parts and gives ten of them to Jeroboam, saying that Jeroboam will rule over ten tribes of Israel upon Solomon's death as punishment for Solomon's idol worship. In response, Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam, but he flees to Egypt. Solomon dies after having reigned for forty years and is succeeded by his son [[Rehoboam]].

====The Politicalpolitical and Religiousreligious Schismschism (12:1–13:34)====

Rehoboam travels to [[Shechem]] to be proclaimed king. Upon hearing this, Jeroboam returns from Egypt and joins Rehoboam’sRehoboam's older advisors in asking for the people to be treated better than under Solomon. Instead, Rehoboam turns to his friends for advice, and proclaims that he will treat the people worse. This greatly displeases the Israelites. When he sends a new minister of forced labour named [[Adoniram]], they stone him to death. Rehoboam returns to safety in Jerusalem. The Israelites proclaim Jeroboam king. [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]] remains loyal to Rehoboam, and he also controls Benjamin. From these two tribes, Rehoboam amasses an army to attack the north, but the prophet [[Shemaiah (prophet)|Shemaiah]] prevents the war.

Jeroboam's son [[Abijah of Judah|Abijah]] becomes ill, so Jeroboam tells his wife to go in disguise to Ahijah, who has become blind with age. God tells Ahijah of the arrival of Jeroboam's wife. Ahijah prophesies the end of the [[House of Jeroboam]], beginning with the death of Abijah, who will be the only member of the royal house to be buried. He prophesies that a usurper king will arise who will accomplish this. Jeroboam dies, and is succeeded by his son [[Nadab of Israel|Nadab]].

====The Elijah Cyclecycle (17:1–22:54)====

=====The Greatgreat Droughtdrought (17:1–18:46)=====

A new prophet arises in Israel, named [[Elijah]], who informs Ahab of a years-long [[drought]] about to begin. God then tells Elijah to hide in the [[Chorath|Kerith]] Ravine, where he drinks from the stream and is fed by [[raven]]s. When the brook dries up, God tells Elijah to travel to [[Sarepta|Zarephath]], where a widow will feed him. She is more than happy to give him water, but when he asks for bread, she informs him that she is just about to make a small loaf -– only enough that she and [[Raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath|her son]] may eat it as their last meal. Elijah instructs her to make him some anyway, telling her that she will not run out of food until the famine is over. Soon, the widow's son becomes ill and dies. At the widow's insistence, Elijah raises him from the dead.

Three years later, God tells Elijah to return to Ahab because the drought is coming to an end. On the way, Elijah meets his administrator [[Obadiah (1 Kings)|Obadiah]], who was hiding prophets during Jezebel's persecutions, and asks him to tell Ahab of his arrival. Seeking to end the worship of Baal for good, Elijah tells Ahab to invite four hundred priests of Baal and four hundred of [[Asherah]] to the top of [[Mount Carmel]]. There, he upbraids the people for their duplicity, telling them to choose either worship of the God of Israel or of Baal.

When she hears what has happened, Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah, causing him to run for his life. In the wilderness near [[Beersheba]], Elijah, fed up, asks God to kill him. Instead, an [[angel]] supplies him with food, which gives him the strength to continue a further forty days until he reaches [[Mount Horeb]], where he falls asleep in a cave. When Elijah wakes up, God tells him He is about to pass by. An earthquake occurs and a fire starts, but neither contain God.

=====The Aramean Warswars (20:1–43)=====

[[Hadadezer|Ben-Hadad II]], the new king of Aram, raises an army and sends messengers demanding all Ahab's gold and silver, and the best of his wives and children. While agreeing to this demand, after consulting his advisors he decides not to accept a follow-up demand requesting anything else of value in his palace or his officials' houses. In response to this situation, Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria. At this point, Ahab receives a prophecy that his junior officers will defeat Ben-Hadad if Ahab starts the battle. Ben-Hadad tells his men to take the advancing troops alive, but each junior officer kills his Aramean equivalent.

=====Naboth's Vineyardvineyard (21:1–28)=====

=====Another Warwar with Aram (22:1–38)=====

Three years pass with peace between Aram and Israel. Aram still possesses [[Ramoth-Gilead]] and, when Jehoshaphat agrees for the Judahite army to accompany him on a campaign during a state visit, Ahab decides to take it back. Four hundred prophets agree this is a good idea, but Jehoshaphat asks to speak with a prophet of God. Ahab reluctantly calls [[Micaiah]], whom he dislikes for never prophesying in his favour. When he arrives, a prophet named Zedekiah isuses claiminga strange hat with horns to claim that Ahab will have victory over the Arameans using a strange hat with horns.

Michaiah, tells himAhab that if he attacks Ramoth-Gilead, he will die and Israel will be leaderless, but that this is part of God's plan. Zedekiah slaps him, leading Michaiah to prophesy impending destruction, and Ahab tells his jailer to put himMichaiah in prison with no food or water until heAhab returns safely.

Ahab and Jehoshaphat begin their campaign, agreeing that Ahab will be disguised while Jehoshaphat will wear his royal robes. The Arameans, being under instructions to kill no one except Ahab, begin pursuing Jehoshaphat, but cease their pursuit when they see he is not Ahab. Ahab is hit between the plates of his armour by a random Aramean arrow. He withdraws from the battle and dies that evening. He is buried, his chariot is washed in a pool where prostitutes bathe, and his blood is licked by dogs.

=====After the Deathdeath of Ahab (22:39–5439–53)=====

====The Elijah Cyclecycle (continued) (1:1–18)====

=====After the Deathdeath of Ahab (continued) (1:1–18)=====

====The Elisha Cyclecycle (2:1–13:25)====

=====Its Openingopening (2:1–25)=====

Elijah and Elisha are walking from [[Gilgal I|Gilgal]]. Elijah asks that Elisha stay where they are, but Elisha insists on coming with him to Bethel. Elijah informs him that he is going to be taken by God. Elisha seems to have some kind of knowledge of this. Once again, Elijah asks Elisha to stay where they are, but Elisha insists on coming with him to Jericho. Eventually, they reach the Jordan, where fifty prophets are. Elijah strikes the water with his cloak, the water divides, and the pair cross over. Elijah asks what Elisha wants when he is gone, and Elisha asks for a double portion of his spirit, which Elijah says will be given to him if he watches him go.

=====The Moabite Warwar (3:1–27)=====

Joram is evil, but gets rid of the sacred stone toof Baal. After the death of Ahab, the king of Moab refused to continue paying tribute to Israel, so Joram teams up with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to put down the rebellion. They attack through the Desert of Edom, but soon run out of water. They ask Elisha for advice. He first makes it very clear that he is only doing this for Jehoshaphat's sake, and then calls for a harpist. Elisha prophesies a coming flood in the valley, in addition to a complete defeat of Moab.

The water comes, but looks like blood to the Moabites, which they conclude can only have come from the three kings having killed each other. However, when they cross, Israel wins a great victory and completely plunders the land. When the king of Moab sacrifices his firstborn son on the city walls, the Israelites are overwhelmed by great wrath and withdraw.

=====Some Miraclesmiracles of Elisha (4:1–6:7)=====

Elisha meets a [[widow]] whose creditors are threatening to take her two sons into [[slavery]] as payment. When he finds out the only other thing she has is a small jar of olive oil, he tells her to go and ask all her neighbours for jars. He tells her to pour oil into the jars, and it holds out until every jar is filled. Elisha finally tells her to sell the oil, pay the creditors and live off the rest. He then moves on to [[Shunem]], where a [[Woman of Shunem|woman]] invites him to eat and soon decides to build a room for use whenever he passes through.

His servant [[Gehazi]] informs him that she has no son, so Elisha tells her that she will have [[Raising of the son of the woman of Shunem|a child]] within a year, as payment for her kindness. One day, the child is helping his father's reapers when he complains of a pain in his head. He is returned to his mother and dies. His mother therefore seeks out Elisha, whom she meets at Mount Carmel. He tells Gehazi to quickly make his way to the house and lay his staff on the boy's face. When Elisha gets there with the woman, Gehazi informs him that this has not worked.

An Aramean general named [[Naaman]] has [[leprosy]]. He hears of Elisha from aan Israelite slave-girl and receives permission from the king to travel in an attempt to have his leprosy cured. He travels first to the king of Israel, but is eventually called by Elisha, who sends a messenger to tell him to wash seven times in the Jordan. He does what Elisha told him to and his leprosy is cured. Naaman offers Elisha a gift of thanks, but Elisha refuses. Naaman contents himself with taking earth back to Damascus in order to build an altar to God and asking God's forgiveness for when he has to participate in Aramean religious rituals when accompanying the king. As Naaman is leaving Gehazi catches up with him and lies about prophets arriving so that at least he can get a gift. As punishment for this, Elisha curses him to become leprous.

=====The Aramean Warswars (6:8–8:29)=====

By this point, Aram is back at war with Israel. Elisha warns the king of Israel where the Arameans are camped several times, frustrating the king of Aram, who seeks him out. One morning, Elisha wakes up to find [[Tel Dothan|Dothan]], the city where he is staying, surrounded by Arameans. His servant is frightened, until Elisha shows him the angels protecting them. He then prays that the Aramean army go [[Visual impairment|blind]], and they do. He then leads them to Samaria, where their eyes are opened.

=====The Historyhistory of Jehu (9:1–10:36)=====

Elisha tells a prophet to go to Ramoth-Gilead and anoint a commander of the royal guard named [[Jehu]] as king. Jehu leads his troops to Jezreel to challenge Joram. Joram sends two messengers, but both join Jehu. Jehu accuses Joram of continuing the idolatry of Jezebel. Joram flees, warning Ahaziah, but is struck in his heart between his shoulders and dies. Jehu tells his charioteer [[Bidkar]] to place him in Naboth's field. Jehu wants to kill Ahaziah too, but merely succeeds in wounding him, although he dies from his injuries at [[Tel Megiddo|Megiddo]].

Jehu writes to Samaria, challenging the palace officials to pick Ahab's strongest son, put him on the throne and have him challenge Jehu. They refuse, and so Jehu instead asks for the heads of Ahab's seventy sons. After he has had them put inside the city gate of Jezreel, Jehu massacres the remaining members of the House of Ahab in order to fulfil Elijah's prophecy. Jehu then sets off for Samaria. On the way, he meets some of Ahaziah's relatives and has them killed too. Further along, he meets [[Jehonadab]], who becomes his ally.

=====From the Reignreign of Athaliah to the Deathdeath of Elisha (11:1–13:25)=====

Jehoahaz is evil, so God allows Hazael to continue oppressing Israel. He repents, so God allows the war to end. However, Jehoahaz does not get rid of Jeroboam's religion, or remove the Asherah pole in Samaria. In addition, the war has almost completely eradicated the Israelite army. Jehoahaz dies and is succeeded by his son [[Jehoash of Israel|Jehoash]], who continues the evil of the previous kings of Israel. He goes to war with Amaziah. The key event of Joash's reign, is the death of Elisha. When Joash goes to see him, he tells him to shoot an arrow out of the east window, and prophesies that, based on this, the Arameans will be defeated at Aphek.

====The Twotwo Kingdomskingdoms to the Fallfall of Samaria (14:1–17:41)====

Zechariah is evil, and falls victim of a conspiracy by [[Shallum of Israel|Shallum]], who assassinates and succeeds him, thus fulfilling God's promise to Jehu that his family would rule for four generations. Shallum is himself assassinated and succeeded by [[Menahem]], who attacks [[Thapsacus|Tiphsah]], sacks it and rips open its pregnant women. During Menahem's reign, [[Tiglath-Pileser III|Pul]] of [[Assyria]] (also called Tiglath-Pileser) attacks Israel.

Menahem raises taxes to pay Pul both to leave and to support him on the throne. Menahem dies and is succeeded by his son [[Pekahiah]], who is assassinated by his official [[Pekah]] and fifty mercenaries from [[Gilead]]. During Pekah's reign, Pul comes back and captures many towns in northern Israel, including all of the land belonging to the [[Tribe of Naphtali]], and deports their populations to Assyria. Pekah is assassinated by [[Hoshea]], who succeeds him as king.

====The Lastlast Yearsyears of the Kingdom of Judah (18:1–25:30)====

=====Hezekiah, the Prophetprophet Isaiah; Assyria (18:1–20:21)=====

[[Hezekiah]], the 13th king of Judah, does "what [is] right in the Lord's sight just as his ancestor David had done".<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|18:3|HCSB}}</ref> He institutes a far-reaching religious reform: centralising sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem, and destroying the images of other gods, including the [[Nehushtan]], the bronze snake [[Moses]] erected in the wilderness, which the Israelites have turned into an idol. He breaks his alliance with the Assyrians and defeats the Philistines. Following the capture of Samaria, the Assyrians attack Judah, but withdraw in return for money. The Assyrians soon attack again, and send a threatening and blasphemous message to Hezekiah, supposing that he has sought an alliance with Egypt.

The [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] commander then attempts to turn the Judahites against Hezekiah, claiming that he is powerless to protect him, but Hezekiah pre-empts and stops this from happening. When Hezekiah hears the message, he sends a delegation to the prophet [[Isaiah]], who tells them that God will save Jerusalem and the kingdom from Assyria. When [[Sennacherib]], king of Assyria, hears of the advance of [[Taharqa|Tirhakah]], king of Cush, he retreats, but warns of a coming invasion. Hezekiah prays, and Isaiah sends another prophecy of Assyria's destruction. God sends an angel to kill the Assyrians, and the remaining Assyrians retreat in horror. Sennacherib is killed by his sons and is succeeded by a third son.

=====Two Wickedwicked Kingskings (21:1–26)=====

=====Josiah and the Religiousreligious Reformreform (22:1–23:30)=====

Josiah plans a ceremony to renew the [[Mosaic covenant]]. First, he reads to the people from the scroll and has them all renew the covenant. Then, he has Hilkiah remove all the objects dedicated to other gods from the Temple, burn them in the [[Kidron Valley]] and take the ashes to [[Bethel]]. Finally, he fires the priests of the other gods, desecrates the high places and gets rid of the male shrine prostitutes and weavers of Asherah in the temple.

=====The Destructiondestruction of Jerusalem (23:31–25:30)=====

[[Nebuchadnezzar II]] of [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylon]] invades, and Jehoiakim becomes his vassal for three years until he rebels. In response to this, in order to fulfil what God had said with regards to Manasseh, a large number of raiders from neighbouring kingdoms and empires attack Judah. This time, there is no support from Egypt because it has already been invaded by the Babylonians. Jehoiakim dies and is succeeded by his son [[Jeconiah|Jehoiachin]], who is also evil. Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, and the Judahites surrender.

Nebuchadnezzar takes Jehoiachin and his family hostage, and takes away everything from the Temple and the palace, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy to Hezekiah. He then takes away everyone into exile except the very poorest people. He then puts Jehoiachin's uncle, [[Zedekiah]], on the throne. Zedekiah is also evil. Eventually, he rebels against Nebuchadnezzar and Jerusalem is put under siege for two years. Finally, famine overcomes the city and the walls are broken through. Zedekiah's punishment, which he serves at [[Riblah]], is to watch his sons being killed before having his eyes gouged out and being carried as prisoner to Babylon.

In the Hebrew Bible (the Bible used by Jews), First and Second Kings are a single book, as are the First and Second [[Books of Samuel]]. When this was translated into [[Greek language|Greek]] in the last few centuries BCEBC, Samuel was joined with Kings in a four-part work called the [[Books of the Kingdoms|Book of Kingdoms]]. Orthodox Christians continue to use the Greek translation (the [[Septuagint]]), but when a Latin translation (called the [[Vulgate]]) was made for the Western church, Kingdoms was first retitled the"The Book of Kings, parts One to Four", and eventually both Samuel and Kings were separated into two books each.<ref>Tomes, p. 246.</ref>

According to Jewish tradition the author of Kings was [[Jeremiah]], who would have been alive during the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE586 BC.<ref>Spieckermann, p. 337.</ref> The most common view today accepts [[Martin Noth]]'s thesis that Kings concludes a unified series of books which reflect the language and theology of the [[Book of Deuteronomy]], and which biblical scholars therefore call the [[Deuteronomistic history]].<ref>Perdue, xxvii.</ref>

Noth argued that the History was the work of a single individual living in the 6th century BCEBC, but scholars today tend to treat it as made up of at least two layers,<ref>Wilson, p. 85.</ref> a first edition from the time of [[Josiah]] (late 7th century BCEBC), promoting Josiah's religious reforms and the need for repentance, and (2) a second and final edition from the mid-6th century BCEBC.<ref name= "Fretheim"/><ref name="Grabbe"/> Further levels of editing have also been proposed, including: a late 8th century BCEBC edition pointing to [[Hezekiah]] of Judah as the model for kingship; an earlier 8th-century BCEBC version with a similar message but identifying [[Jehu]] of Israel as the ideal king; and an even earlier version promoting the House of David as the key to national well-being.<ref>Sweeney, p. 4.</ref>

Three of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] feature parts of Kings: [[List of manuscripts from Qumran Cave 5|5QKgs]], found in [[Qumran Caves|Qumran Cave 5]], contains parts of [[1 Kings 1]]; [[List of manuscripts from Qumran Cave 6|6QpapKgs]], found in [[Qumran Caves|Qumran Cave 6]], contains 94 fragments from all over the two books; and [[List of manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4|4QKgs]], found in [[Qumran Caves|Qumran Cave 4]], contains parts of [[1 Kings 7]]–[[1 Kings 8|8]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9789004350113/BP000028.xml|title=LIGHT FROM 4Qjudg AND 4QKgs ON THE TEXT OF JUDGES AND KINGS|first=Julio|last=Trebolle|date=January 1, 1992|journal=The Dead Sea Scrolls|pages=315–324|via=brill.com|doi=10.1163/9789004350113_028|isbn=9789004350113}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orion-bibliography.huji.ac.il/orion_editor/node/89486|title=Qumran Fragments of the Books of Kings &#124; orion-editor.dev|website=orion-bibliography.huji.ac.il}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orion-bibliography.huji.ac.il/orion_editor/taxonomy/term/8104|title=5Q2 / 5QKgs &#124; orion-editor.dev|website=orion-bibliography.huji.ac.il}}</ref> The earliest complete surviving copy of the book(s) of Kings is in the [[Aleppo Codex]] (10th century CE).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-sep-28-adfg-aleppo28-story.html|title=Scholars search for pages of ancient Hebrew Bible|date=September 28, 2008|website=Los Angeles Times|author-first1=Matti|author-last1=Friedman}}</ref>

[[File:Tissot The Flight of the Prisoners.jpg|thumb|250px|[[James Tissot]], ''The Flight of the Prisoners'' – the fall of Jerusalem, 586&nbsp;BCEBC]]

The standard Hebrew text of Kings presents an impossible chronology.<ref>Sweeney, p. 43</ref> To take just a single example, [[Omri]]'s accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Israel is dated to the 31st year of [[Asa of Judah]]<ref>1 Kings 16:23</ref> meanwhile the ascension of his predecessor, [[Zimri (king)|Zimri]], who reigned for only a week, is dated to the 27th year of Asa.<ref>1 Kings 16:15</ref><ref>Sweeney, pp. 43–44</ref> The Greek text corrects the impossibilities but does not seem to represent an earlier version.<ref>Nelson, p. 44</ref> A large number of scholars have claimed to solve the difficulties, but the results differ, sometimes widely, and none has achieved consensus status.<ref>Moore & Kelle, pp. 269–71</ref>

[[Category:Nevi'im| 04]]