The Book of Kings: Background, Authorship, and Purpose

The Hebrew name for the Book of Kings is “Sefer Melakhim” (ספר מלכים). In the Hebrew Bible, 1 and 2 Kings are a single book, immediately following the Book of Samuel. For convenience, the Septuagint divided both Samuel and Kings into two volumes each. The content of this book continues from Samuel, recording approximately four hundred years of history, from Solomon’s succession to the throne (970 BC) to the release of King Jehoiachin of Judah from captivity (560 BC). This is a history of the rise and fall of a kingdom. God’s people, beginning with the golden age of Solomon, quickly moved from prosperity to decline, experiencing division into northern and southern kingdoms, with ups and downs, until eventually the northern kingdom of Israel was carried into exile by Assyria, and the southern kingdom of Judah by Babylon.

In the era covered by the Book of Kings, God allowed many powerful surrounding nations to rise and fall, contending for dominance, serving as instruments for disciplining and refining His people (Isaiah 10:5). Although the people had kings during the four centuries recorded in Kings, the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel all led in idol worship, “causing Israel to commit sin” (1 Kings 14:16). The kings of the southern kingdom of Judah, on the other hand, wavered between obeying God and worshipping idols. Even those who earnestly sought to bring revival to the kingdom, like Hezekiah and Josiah, could not prevent the spiritual decline of the people. Ultimately, both the northern and southern kingdoms fell under God’s righteous judgment.

The Book of Kings is not merely a historical record but also the word of a prophet. However, prophetic works were never intended to record history for history’s sake. Prophets were more concerned with God’s will revealed through history, serving as a warning and lesson for future generations. Therefore, the space dedicated to individuals and events in the Book of Kings is not based on their political status, length of reign, or achievements in governance, nor does it list all historical details. Instead, material is selected and organized according to its spiritual significance. The standard for evaluating kings is whether they “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (1 Kings 15:5) or “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (1 Kings 11:6).

Because the language and writing style used in Kings are similar to those of Jeremiah, and the content also complements each other, Jewish tradition holds that Jeremiah was the compiler of the Book of Kings. This book was finally completed approximately after Jehoiachin’s release from captivity (2 Kings 25:27) around 560 BC, and before the return from Babylon in 538 BC. The prophet sought to answer the questions in the hearts of the exiled people: Why had God’s chosen people fallen into such a deplorable state? Did God’s promise regarding David’s throne still hold true? The message the prophet wanted to convey was twofold: on one hand, the rise and fall of the kingdom depended on the people’s faithfulness to the covenant and their obedience to God’s law (Deuteronomy 28); on the other hand, no matter how weak or rebellious people might be, God had a way to restore His people, because God is the true controller of history. Everything is under God’s management. God Himself declared: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31), pointing to a bright future for the despairing people. Furthermore, through the release and elevation of King Jehoiachin of Judah (2 Kings 25:30), the exiled people saw hope: God “will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be” (Amos 9:11). Therefore, the Book of Kings shows us not just distant history, but the unchanging way God works in our lives. Although we, like the Israelites of the past, are weak and corrupt, the Holy Spirit will surely restore those whom God has chosen, for “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).