The Bible, King James Version, Book 12: The Second Book of Kings

by Anonymous

Genres: Religion

Unknown Binding

About the author

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

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a bit hard to read. As you go up and down, seeing how the kings seesawed from God to the heathen “gods.” How some of them did right, “but not with all their hearts, as did David.” How some did follow Him with all their hearts, “yet the high places were not removed.” And how a few, a very few, did follow Him with all their hearts AND destroyed the high places, as well as all idols and statues and sodomites and witches and other abominations. And how God rewarded those who followed Him, and punished those who didn’t. What a history...

[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. 

[Gregory Van Den Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 Kings narrates the decline and fall of the divided kingdoms of Israel (North) and Judah (South), detailing how their persistent idolatry and disobedience led to divine judgment, culminating in Israel's destruction by Assyria (722 BC) and Judah's exile to Babylon (586 BC), while highlighting the faithful prophets like Elisha and a flicker of hope for David's lineage through the final epilogue. The book serves as a historical explanation for the exile, showing the failure of the monarchy and God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, despite His people's unfaithfulness.
Key events and themes:
The Split Kingdom: The narrative continues from 1 Kings, detailing the separate reigns of kings in the North (Israel) and South (Judah), with cycles of wickedness and brief reforms.
Prophetic Ministry: The prophet Elisha takes over from Elijah, performing miracles and calling the people back to God amidst widespread apostasy.
Divine Judgment: God's warnings through prophets go unheeded, leading to Assyrian conquest of Israel and Babylonian conquest of Judah, scattering the people from the Promised Land.
Monarchy's Failure: The kings, with few exceptions, fail to uphold the covenant, leading to national ruin, proving that no human ruler could establish the promised eternal kingdom.
Covenant Faithfulness: Despite the judgment, God remains faithful to His promises, preserving the line of David, offering hope for future restoration.
Narrative Arc:
Transition: From David to Solomon, the unified kingdom begins with great promise but ends in division.
Division: Rehoboam's reign leads to the North (Israel) and South (Judah) splitting.
Alternating Reigns: The story alternates, chronicling the wicked kings of Israel (who fall to Assyria) and the mostly unfaithful kings of Judah (who eventually fall to Babylon).
Exile: The book concludes with Jerusalem's destruction, the temple ruined, and the people in Babylonian exile, yet with a final promise that hope remains in the Davidic line.

[Joan Haughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of kings spoke of the acts of Elisha and his work for God. It also chronicled the kings of Judah and Israel. There were those walked in the foot-steps of David like Hezekiah who obeyed the laws of God while others disobeyed God and brought God's wrath and anger. The Kings continued to disobey God to the point where He allowed them to be captive of Babylon. One thing remained constant in this book whenever they called upon the Lord and turned from their wicked ways God always delivered them and bless them.

Bless the name of Jesus!

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having only "read" this book of the Bible before, studying- researching - and writing has made a tremendous impact on my understanding and the messages contained therein for us living in the world today. Highly recommend - not reading for speed, but for depth of understanind.