Meaning of KINGS (Book)

These two books were at first only one; Its division comes from the LXX. In the Hebrew canon they are among the writings called "Previous Prophets", whose stories lead from the death of Moses to the captivity.

The books of Kings are intended to expose the spiritual lessons that emanate from the history of the monarchy beginning with the accession of Solomon.

This editor, greatly influenced by the book of Deuteronomy, highlights the moral and spiritual causes of the expansion and ruin of the kingdom (cf. 2 R. 17).

He gives each reign an assessment from a religious point of view. Good kings are those who obey the Law, being faithful to the covenant with their God, fighting idolatry and following the example of David; evil kings (especially those of Israel) are those who are unfaithful to the covenant, "walking in the way of Jeroboam" (cf. 1 Kings 15:11; with 1 Kings 15:26, 34, etc.).

There are few sovereigns who, appearing in secular history and archaeology, occupy some space in the sacred text: Omri, 6 verses. (1 Kings 16:23-28), Jeroboam II, seven verses. (2 Kings 14:23-29).

Characters important from the spiritual point of view are described in detail. There are two dramatic crises that mark a turning point in this period: Elijah's victory over the prophets of Baal in the northern kingdom, and Jehoiada's intervention in Jerusalem, saving King Joash and eliminating the usurper Athaliah, precisely in the time when she was trying to achieve victory for Phoenician paganism.

The books of Kings show us the time of the great prophets until Jeremiah. They complete the messages of these great men of God in an indispensable way. A part of his stories is taken up in 1 and 2 Chronicles, from another perspective. The lessons learned from these complementary perspectives are of great value.

In terms of writing, the account of 1 and 2 Kings, which spans more than 400 years, is based on those of preceding historians and chroniclers. The books of Kings differ from previous historical books by the use of the following sources:

(a) For the reign of Solomon, from "The Acts of Solomon" (1 Kings 11:41).

(b) For the northern kingdom, and until the death of Pekah, from "the Histories of the kings of Israel," mentioned seventeen times (1 Kings 14:19).

(c) For the southern kingdom, until the death of Jehoiakim, "the Chronicles of the kings of Judah," cited fifteen times (1 Kings 14:29). According to their titles, these chronicles and stories formed two separate works from the beginning.

Undoubtedly they ended up gathered together in a single book, which the chronicler calls "the book of the kings of Judah and Israel" (2 Chron. 16:11).

These two collections of records contained much more detail than our books of Kings (cf. 1 Kings 14:19, 29). The chronicler cites passages that the compiler of Kings omits (2 Chron. 27:7; 33:18).

It is generally accepted that these two collections of annals were not original compilations, but rather two compilations of primitive texts, to which the writings of various prophets had been added (2 Chron. 20:34; cf. 32:32).

Date of writing.
Begun before the destruction of Jerusalem, the writing of our current books of Kings was not completed until the end of the second half of the Babylonian captivity (2 Kings 25:27).

But the concluding verses may have been added by another hand.
The author deals especially with the history of the Davidic monarchy; He mentions on two occasions an event common to the northern and southern kingdoms (cf. 1 Kings 15, 16, cf. v. 32; 2 Kings 17: 5, 6, cf. 18: 9).
The work is made up of three parts:
(a) The reign of Solomon (1 Kings 1 11).

(b) The synchronic history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel until the captivity of Israel (1 Kings 12 to 2 Kings 17).

(c) The history of the kingdom of Judah until the captivity in Babylon (2 Kings 18-25).