{"id":4166,"date":"2011-12-21T01:00:48","date_gmt":"2011-12-21T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/?p=4166"},"modified":"2012-02-13T19:44:20","modified_gmt":"2012-02-14T03:44:20","slug":"bob-1-2-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/2011\/12\/21\/bob-1-2-kings\/","title":{"rendered":"BOB &#8211; 1 &#038; 2 Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/files\/2012\/02\/BOB_header.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4550\" title=\"BOB_header\" src=\"http:\/\/www.lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/files\/2012\/02\/BOB_header-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/files\/2012\/02\/BOB_header-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/files\/2012\/02\/BOB_header.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>by Stephen Rodgers<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><\/em><strong>1\u00a0&amp;\u00a02\u00a0KINGS IN\u00a010\u00a0WORDS\u00a0OR\u00a0LESS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1 Kings:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cIsrael divides into rival northern and southern nations.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>2 Kings:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cBoth Jewish nations are destroyed for their disobedience to God.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>TITLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the early Hebrew manuscripts, 1\u00a0and 2\u00a0Kings were considered a\u00a0single 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 &#8220;1 Kings&#8221; and &#8220;2 Kings,&#8221; and modern Hebrew Bibles (where they are referred to as &#8220;Kings A&#8221; and &#8220;Kings B&#8221;). The\u00a0LXX\u00a0designated 1\u00a0and 2\u00a0Kings as \u201cThe Second Book of the Kingdoms\u201d (with our 1\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel as \u201cThe First Book of the Kingdoms), whereas the Vg. labeled them \u201cThird and Fourth Kings\u201d (with our 1\u00a0and 2\u00a0Samuel as \u201cFirst and Second \u00a0Kings\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>In any event, the earliest Hebrew manuscripts entitled the book \u201cKings\u201d after the first word in 1 Kings 1:1.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>AUTHOR\u00a0&amp;\u00a0AUDIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jewish tradition ascribes the authorship of the book of Kings to Jeremiah, although this is doubtful for a number of reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2 Kings ends in Babylon in 561 BC (2 Ki 25:27-30)<\/li>\n<li>Jeremiah never went to Babylon; he went to Egypt (Jer 43:1-7)<\/li>\n<li>Finally, (although this is somewhat inconclusive), Jeremiah would have been at least 86 years old by 561 BC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>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:<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;the book of the acts of Solomon&#8221; (1 Ki 11:41)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel&#8221; (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)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah&#8221; (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)<\/li>\n<li>Isaiah 36:1-39:8 (2 Ki 18:9-20:19)<\/li>\n<li>Jeremiah 52:31-34 (2 Ki 25:27-29)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is possible that other sources were used as well (some scholars postulate an &#8220;Ahab source,&#8221; an &#8220;Isaiah source,&#8221; and other various literary unit sources) but there is no\u00a0consensus\u00a0on this issue.<\/p>\n<p>The original audience would have been Jews living in exile in Babylon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>DATE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>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:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As previously mentioned,\u00a02 Kings ends in Babylon in 561 BC (2 Ki 25:27-30)<\/li>\n<li>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<\/li>\n<li>It is generally accepted that the &#8220;to this day&#8221; 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&#8217;s <em>sources<\/em>\u00a0rather than the author\/editor <em>himself<\/em><\/li>\n<li>It is possible that the &#8220;kings of the west&#8221; and &#8220;governors of the land&#8221; reference in 1 Kings 10:15 indicates that some editing took place later, during the Persian period (539-330 BC)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>BACKGROUND\u00a0&amp;\u00a0SETTING<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong>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.<\/p>\n<p>It should also be noted briefly that the book of Kings is also <em>interpreted<\/em>\u00a0history. The author adopts a viewpoint that is not only <em>historical<\/em> but also <em>theological<\/em>, as he relies heavily on the instructions and promises given to Israel by God in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/?p=3856\">Deuteronomy<\/a> to structure the narrative.<\/p>\n<p><strong>HISTORICAL\u00a0&amp;\u00a0THEOLOGICAL\u00a0THEMES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are four significant themes that run through the book of Kings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Covenant.<\/strong> The history of Israel&#8217;s kings is presented from a covenantal view. \u00a0Assessments 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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The one true God.<\/strong> The existance of a single God provided the basis for a single place of worship. The &#8220;sin of the house of Jeroboam&#8221; (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&#8230;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Judgment. <\/strong>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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prophets.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>INTERPRETIVE\u00a0CHALLENGES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are two\u00a0significant\u00a0interpretive challenges to the book of Kings: one <em>historical<\/em>, and one <em>theological<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>From a <em>historical<\/em> perspective, it can be challenging to determine an accurate chronology of the kings of Israel and Judah due to alleged\u00a0inconsistencies\u00a0and contradictions. However, it is possible to demonstrate the general accuracy of the chronology of Kings. Very briefly:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The alleged contradiction regarding Omri&#8217;s reign can be resolved by understanding the different figures given to refer to single-regency and duel-regency <em>separately<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>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).<\/li>\n<li>In addition, one must also account for the fact that different rules for determining &#8220;years reigned&#8221; as well as different calendars were used in the various ANE kingdoms under discussion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>From a <em>theological<\/em> perspective, much has been made of the issue regarding Solomon&#8217;s relationship to the Abrahamic and Davidic\u00a0Covenants. While some interpret 1 Kings 4:20-21 as the\u00a0fulfillment\u00a0of God&#8217;s promise to Abraham (and later, to David), this view is problematic:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>While Solomon controlled vast amounts of land, he did <em>not<\/em>\u00a0control the land all the way to the\u00a0Mediterranean\u00a0Sea (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).<\/li>\n<li>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 <em>any<\/em>\u00a0of the historical kings of the house of David until the coming of the Messiah (Is 9:6-7).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>LITERARY\u00a0FEATURES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From the <em>ESV Study Bible<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>First and Second Kings are written in the form of historical narrative\u2014specifically, a record of monarchical succession. The main rhetorical format of this court history is the summary of individual kings&#8217; 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&#8217; 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.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>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\u00a0prominence\u00a0with the exception of a detailed portrait of the life of Elisha.<\/p>\n<p>It is also noteworthy to consider the sheer <em>consistancy<\/em>\u00a0of 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&#8217;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).<\/p>\n<p>It is this attention to detail that prevents significant objections to the reliability of the book of Kings (see below).<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>OBJECTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Apart from the INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES listed above, there are no significant OBJECTIONS to the book of Kings that I&#8217;m aware of.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>NOTABLE\u00a0QUOTABLES<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 Kings 2:1-2<\/li>\n<li>1 Kings 3:9<\/li>\n<li>1 Kings 18:37<\/li>\n<li>2 Kings 2:11<\/li>\n<li>2 Kings 17:20<\/li>\n<li>2 Kings 25:21<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>DID\u00a0YOU\u00a0KNOW?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The &#8220;Palace of the Forest of Lebanon&#8221; was named for the trunks of cedar trees which served as pillars, giving the appearance of a forest (1 Ki 7:2)&#8230;or many Brian Songs<\/li>\n<li>The &#8220;Sea of cast metal&#8221; was a enormous basin of water (holding about 11,500 gallons) that was used by the priests for ritual cleansing (1 Ki 7:23)<\/li>\n<li>ANE deities were thought of in somewhat similar terms to local law enforcement: they could only be\u00a0worshiped\u00a0(or hold sway) while on the soil to which it (or he or she) was bound (2 Ki 5:17)<\/li>\n<li>ANE makeup was rather sophisticated, and included eyeshadow, lipstick, and fingernail polish, as well as perfume (2 Ki 9:30)<\/li>\n<li>Isaiah (yes, <em>that<\/em>\u00a0Isaiah) makes a rather significant cameo in 2 Kings 19<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><\/strong><strong>Other Works Referenced<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Apologetics Study\u00a0Bible<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=p3dT6ZPr_mkC&amp;lpg=PA1&amp;dq=apologetics%20study%20bible&amp;pg=PA493#v=onepage&amp;q=apologetics%20study%20bible&amp;f=false\" class=\"broken_link\">&#8220;1 Kings Introduction&#8221;<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=p3dT6ZPr_mkC&amp;lpg=PA1&amp;dq=apologetics%20study%20bible&amp;pg=PA541#v=onepage&amp;q=apologetics%20study%20bible&amp;f=false\" class=\"broken_link\">&#8220;2 Kings Introduction&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>Archaeological Study\u00a0Bible<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>ESV\u00a0Study Bible<\/em>,\u00a0\u201cIntroduction to\u00a01\u00a0&amp;\u00a02\u00a0Kings\u201d<\/li>\n<li><em>MacArthur Study\u00a0Bible<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gty.org\/resources\/bible-introductions\/MSB11\/1-kings\" class=\"broken_link\">&#8220;First Kings&#8221;<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gty.org\/resources\/bible-introductions\/MSB12\/2-kings\" class=\"broken_link\">&#8220;Second Kings&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>NET Bible<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/net.bible.org\/#!bible\/1+Kings+1\" class=\"broken_link\">1 Kings<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/net.bible.org\/#!bible\/2+Kings+1\" class=\"broken_link\">2 Kings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>NIV\u00a0Study\u00a0Bible<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblica.com\/niv\/study-bible\/1-kings\/\" class=\"broken_link\">&#8220;1 Kings&#8221;<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblica.com\/niv\/study-bible\/2-kings\/\" class=\"broken_link\">&#8220;2 Kings&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>Reformation Study\u00a0Bible<\/em>, &#8220;The First Book of Kings&#8221; and &#8220;The Second Book of Kings&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><em>Know Your\u00a0Bible<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Driscoll,\u00a0<em>A\u00a0Book You\u2019ll Actually Read On the Old Testament<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Knight,\u00a0<em>The Layman\u2019s Bible Handbook<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Stephen Rodgers 1\u00a0&amp;\u00a02\u00a0KINGS IN\u00a010\u00a0WORDS\u00a0OR\u00a0LESS 1 Kings:\u00a0\u201cIsrael divides into rival northern and southern nations.\u201d 2 Kings:\u00a0\u201cBoth Jewish nations are destroyed for their disobedience to God.\u201d TITLE In the early Hebrew manuscripts, 1\u00a0and 2\u00a0Kings were considered a\u00a0single book. They were divided into separate books by the translators of the Greek version, the Septuagint (LXX), which was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books-of-the-bible"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/469"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4166"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4181,"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4166\/revisions\/4181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}