The Bible, King James Version, Book 11: The First Book of Kings

by Anonymous

Unknown Binding

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
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Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Mroki Baroku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be five stars if it wasn't for the chapters about buildings💀💀💀


Edit, because I forgot to mention that Jezebel is probably one of the first examples of girlbossing and that Elijah was pretty relatable (like, I also sleep and eat when I struggle with something)

Overall, good.

[Lloyd Earickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re tired of me referencing the “Deuteronomistic histories,” then you’ll be relieved to know the book of Kings is the final entry in that collection.  Like  Samuel , the books are often split into two and sometimes bundled together with Samuel as a four-book collection detailing the history of the Judaic kingdom, but I’ve chosen to review first and second Kings together.  Some of the Old Testament’s most famous moments happen in Kings, including the judgement of Solomon and stories of the prophets Elijah and Elisha.  Like many of the famous Biblical stories, they take on somewhat different nuance and significance when read in context.  Kings is a history of, well, kings, describing the succession of monarchs for several centuries until Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian conquest.

What stands out most about Kings, even compared to the previous books, is its ex post facto attempt to impose religious and moralistic justifications for the successes and failures of different kings, and the associated flourishing of the Jewish states.  The judgement of which kings were sinners seems based as much on the outcomes of their reigns as on any particular actions, and where this doesn’t quite line up, Jehovah is instead described as visiting the punishment for a particular king’s misdeeds on that king’s heirs, instead of on the king himself.  Intriguingly, the book makes repeated references to several other ancient texts to which the authors presumably had access: Book of the Acts of Solomon, Annals of the Kings of Judah, and Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

There is a strong tradition in Western thought about the corrupting influence of power in its many forms (I do not know if there is a similar tradition in Eastern thought from my few readings there – perhaps a reader more familiar with those traditions can provide insight).  While the Deuteronomic histories, and Kings in particular, do not intentionally highlight this theme, instead focusing on particular individuals who make moral or amoral choices and choose to heed or not heed Jehovah’s laws, it is difficult to read the text without perceiving a foundational element of power’s corrupting influence.  Even the kings described as good and glorious, like Solomon, turn to sin and depravity as they amass more power.  Remember, these are kings of an era when the personal power, wealth, and influence of a king was intensely direct and unmitigated, and flamboyant displays of extravagance were considered a sign of kingliness – the Shahnameh is quite helpful for grasping this rather foreign notion.

Speaking of the Persian book of kings, I felt strong resonances between that book and the biblical Kings.  In the brief research I did to write this post, I did not see any references to a connection between the two, other than coming from a similar region of the world and covering, at least in part, overlapping time periods (Shahnameh obviously continues far past the chronological end of Kings), but I don’t know how anyone who reads both could fail to notice the similarities.  Both are chronicles that revolve around monarchs, both frequently feature kings who are not very good at ruling, and both feature strong side "characters" who try to guide the kings and keep the kingdoms together.

Even some of the “good guys” in the story have some questionable moments, and not just supposedly great and glorious kings like Solomon.  Elisha, for instance, who is depicted as a powerful prophet and who can resurrect the dead, once summons bears to maul some street kids who mocked him for being bald.  That seems like a bit of a disproportionate response, if you ask me, and certainly not in keeping with how we tend to think of prophets behaving.

It’s still intellectually interesting to read through these books in this manner, and Kings as some intriguing historicity behind and around it, but I must admit that the endless cycles of good king-bad king are a little wearisome, and read as an extension of the cycles of Israelites sinning and repenting which occurred before the advent of the monarchy.  The fact that Chronicles actually retreads some of this same history, but from a slightly different religious and moral perspective, does not exactly have me eager to dive into it.  Well, I suppose that’s why I’m interspersing other books, rather than reading every book in the Bible straight through. 

[Joan Haughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First book of Kings started with the ending of King David's rule. Solomon, David's son became king and was very wise and build the house of the Lord. He however in his old age turned away from the Lord joining in marriage to women from Nations who worshiped false Gods, he even made altars and worshiped there. His son Rehoboam succeeded him as King but listened to his friends when the people asked him for mercy saying he will be harsher with them that his father. The Kingdom of Israel was ripped from him and he reigned over the house of Judah and Benjamin, while the others were given to Jeroboam. There were other kings over both Kingdoms in this book including Asa. Ahab and Jehosophat. Elijah and Elisha great prophets of God were also introduced in this book.

Bless be the name of Jesus!

[Quan Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

kings 2:1
David Instructs Solomon

As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son Solomon, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. So be strong and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn, and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a seminary student since 2012. I have read and studied the entire Bible. I have been writing Teaching Outlines on the Books of the Bible - 1 Kings was included in my MDiv. This degree challenged me to write more than the one page per chapter limitation for my MMin and ThM. This degree led to written Teachings of 5-7 pages per chapter.
I love every minute I am spending with the Lord - reading, researching, writing, building a deeper relationship with Him. Blessings to all who spend time in the Word - your lives will be enriched because of it.

[Teah Khumalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that begins with Solomon’s reign as King. It puts into perspective the domino effect of one’s actions and how it creates generational curses in the bloodline. It was sad to see how far the Kings of Israel fell from grace; but all in all, was a great historical journey into Israel’s biblical monarchy.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my favorites as I taught this in the classroom for many years. It includes an account of when and why the kingdoms split into Israel and Judah. It also introduces you to the the Prophet Elijah.