Books of Kings in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
LITERATURE
I. Title.
The Hebrew title reads, melakhim, "kings," the division into
books being based on the Septuagint where the Books of Kings
are numbered 3rd and 4th, the Books of Kingdoms (Basileion),
the Books of Samuel being numbered respectively 1st and 2nd.
The separation in the Hebrew into 2 Books of Kings dates to
the rabbinic Bible of Daniel Bomberg (Venice, 1516-17), who
adds in a footnote, "Here the non-Jews (i.e. Christians)
begin the 4th Book of Kings." The Hebrew Canon treats the 2
Books of Samuel as one book, and the 2 Books of Kings as
one. Hence, both the King James Version and the Revised
Version (British and American) read incorrectly, "The First
Book of Kings," even the use of the article being
superfluous.gs (stadia) from Jerusalem, which he named
Absalom's Hand." In all probability this "pillar" was a
rough upright stone--a matstsebhah--but its site is lost.
The traditional Greek-Egyptian tomb of perhaps 100-200 years
BC which has been hewn out of the rock on the eastern side
of the Kidron valley is manifestly misnamed "Absalom's
pillar," and the Kidron ravine (nachal) cannot be the King's
Vale (`emeq).
II. Scope.
The Books of Kings contain 47 chapters (I, 22 chs; II, 25
chs), and cover the period from the conspiracy of Adonijah
and the accession of Solomon (975 BC) to the liberation of
Jehoiachin after the beginning of the Exile (561 BC). The
subject-matter may be grouped under certain heads, as the
last days of David (1 Ki 1 through 2:11); Solomon and his
times (1 Ki 2:12 through 11:43); the Northern Kingdom to the
coming of Assyria (1 Ki 12:16 through 2 Ki 17:41) (937-722
BC), including 9 dynastic changes; the Southern Kingdom to
the coming of Babylon (1 Ki 12:1 through 2 Ki 25:21, the
annals of the two kingdoms being given as parallel records
until the fall of Israel) (937-586 BC), during which time
but one dynasty, that of David, occupied the throne; the
period of exile to 561 BC (2 Ki 25:22-30). A simpler
outline, that of Driver, would be: (1) Solomon and his times
(1 Ki 1 through 11); (2) Israel and Judah to the fall of
Israel (1 Ki 12 through 2 Ki 17); Judah to the fall of
Jerusalem (586 BC), and the captivity to the liberation of
Jehoiachin (561 BC) (2 Ki 18 through 25).
"Above all, there are three features in the history, which,
in the mind of the author, are of prime importance as shown
by the prominence he gives them in his narrative. (1) The
dynasty of David is invested with peculiar dignity. This had
two aspects. It pointed back to the Divine election of the
nation in the past, and gave the guaranty of indefinite
national perpetuity in the future. The promise of the `sure
mercies of David' was a powerful uniting influence in the
Exile. (2) The Temple and its service, for which the writer
had such special regard, contributed greatly to the phase of
national character of subsequent times. With all the
drawbacks and defacements of pure worship here was the
stated regular performance of sacred rites, the development
and regulation of priestly order and ritual law, which
stamped themselves so firmly on later Judaism. (3) Above
all, this was the period of bloom of Old Testament prophecy.
Though more is said of men like Elijah and Elisha, who have
left no written words, we must
not forget the desires of pre-exilic prophets, whose
writings have come down to us--men who, against the
opposition of rulers and the indifference of the people,
testified to the moral foundation on which the nation was
constituted, vindicated Divine righteousness, rebuked sin,
and held up the ideal to which the nation was called."--
Robertson...
Link: https://bible-history.com/isbe/K/KINGS,+BOOKS+OF/