2 Kings
Book Type
Book of History; the twelfth book of the Old Testament; the twelfth book of the Bible.Introduction to the Book of 2 Kings
Second Kings is about truth versus falsehood, played out on an international scale. The book opens with the Prophet Elijah being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire and Elisha succeeding him (2 Kgs 2; compare 1 Kgs 19:19–21). The stories of these prophets are intertwined with accounts of the kings of Israel and Judah. Both kingdoms are heading toward disaster. In the northern kingdom of Israel, the kings persistently support idolatry. The southern kingdom of Judah fares only slightly better. Two kings—Hezekiah and Josiah—try to turn the people from idolatry (2 Kgs 18:3–6; 23:1–25), but their reforms are short lived (21:2–9; 23:32, 37).The book of 2 Kings is filled with leaders who did not learn from the past. The spiritual failure of these kings brought doom upon themselves and their nation. However, throughout the book are sparkling examples of people who put God and his word first and enjoyed God’s covenant promises. Reading their stories inspires us to avoid their mistakes and to enjoy the blessings that God promises to those who love and serve him.See Introduction to 1 KingsTheme & Overview
Learn from the lessons of the Israelites' history about the consequences of unfaithfulness to God and about God's patience and faithfulness. According to the King James Study Bible, the books of Kings were originally one book in the Hebrew text and formed a two-volume corpus with the books of Samuel. Second Kings is actually the fourth book in the series on the history of the Hebrew kings as presently arranged. It also serves as the final account of the demise of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The narrative of this volume concentrates on the miraculous ministry of the prophet Elisha. Events parallel the prophetic ministries of Amos and Hosea in Israel and eight prophets of Judah, including Isaiah and Jeremiah. The book also covers the reigns of Amaziah (853 BC) to Hoshea (722 BC) in Israel, and the reigns of Jehoram (848 BC) to Zedekiah (586 BC) in Judah. Included are the accounts of the Assyrian conquest of the northern tribes and the deportation of Judah in the Babylonian captivity.Second Kings cuts through the complications of politics and warfare to bring clarity via Yahweh’s perspective. There is evil, there is good, and there are those like Elisha who discern between the two. Yet, 2 Kings also shows us how gloomy life without God really is.As we witness the demise of the nation Yahweh originally chose, we are prompted to decide what kind of people we will be. We must choose between false beliefs—in nations, gods, and ideologies—and belief in the truth of God’s ways.See Introduction to 1 Kings and the Theme & Overview to 1 KingsAuthor
The book itself does not name its author and remains anonymous. Jewish tradition states that it was written by the prophet Jeremiah. However, at least some of the book was likely written by someone else. Jeremiah did not travel to Babylon, and the events of the final section (2 Kings 25:27–30) occurred in Babylon in 561 BC.Recipients
First and Second Kings were originally completed as one text, written for the Jewish people who were most likely living in exile when it was first completed. This Scripture emphasizes the history of the kings of Judah and Israel. Second Kings specifically continues the accounts of the kings of the divided kingdom and concludes with the deportations of Israel and Judah. Those living under the judgment of exile could learn much from the judgments upon evil kings and God's blessing upon the kings who served in the tradition of David, called a man after God's own heart.Date
Unknown. It was clearly written after the final events of 2 Kings and was probably written in Babylon during the exile between approximately 561 and 538 BCBackground
The books of 1–2 Kings—along with Joshua, Judges, and 1–2 Samuel—interpret Israel’s history in light of the book of Deuteronomy, showing how God’s people are blessed when they follow their covenant (contract) with Yahweh and how they are cursed when they break it. In 2 Kings, this is seen in a recurring formula that evaluates each king on the basis of whether he does good or evil in the eyes of Yahweh. Evil is characterized by idolatry, improper worship, and rejecting Yahweh for other gods (e.g., 13:2; 21:1–9). Doing good means taking action against idolatry, following Yahweh’s law, and supporting proper worship (e.g., 10:28–30; 18:3–6; 23:21–25).Second Kings begins in 852 BC and marks the period of Israel’s history when people and events mentioned in the Bible can be confirmed by other sources. For example, Moab’s rebellion against Israel (ch. 3) is known from a Moabite inscription; an Assyrian obelisk depicts the Israelite king Jehu (chs. 9–10 paying tribute; and a Hebrew inscription confirms Hezekiah’s work on Jerusalem’s water system (20:20).For most of 2 Kings, the historical backdrop is the imminent threat posed by the powerful Assyrian Empire. Second Kings depicts how Israel and Judah are subjected to Assyrian rule. During this period, those who opposed Assyria were brutally subdued, while others paid tribute to avoid the same fate. By the late seventh century BC, Assyrian power had waned, and Babylon took over as the imperial power in the region. This shift in the balance contextualizes Judah’s final years (chs. 23–25).Nearly all the kings of Israel and Judah place their own agendas above Yahweh’s, leading the people into idolatry (e.g., 17:7–23; 21:10–15). Their actions catch up with them, and Yahweh uses foreign powers to bring judgment upon them. Assyria conquers the northern kingdom of Israel and deports its citizens (ch. 17). The southern kingdom of Judah is conquered by the Babylonians and its people, too, are exiled (chs. 24–25).The book of 2 Kings continues the story of Israel’s divided monarchy, picking up where 1 Kings ends, with Ahaziah reigning over the northern kingdom of Israel and Jehoshaphat ruling in the southern kingdom of Judah. The account traces the fortunes of the two kingdoms to their respective ends—the northern kingdom in 722 BC, the southern kingdom in 586 BC.This book covers four different periods: (1) the closing years of the northern kingdom’s third dynasty (853–841 BC, chs 1–9), (2) the era of the northern kingdom’s fourth dynasty (841–752 BC, 10:1–15:12), (3) the era of the northern kingdom’s decline and fall (752–722 BC, 15:13–17:41), and (4) the final era of the southern kingdom (722–586 BC, chs 18–25).The closing years of the northern kingdom’s third dynasty included the short reign of Ahaziah in Israel (853–852 BC) and the reign of his younger brother Joram (852–841 BC). The kings reigning in Judah during this time were Jehoshaphat (872–848 BC), Jehoram (853–841 BC), and Ahaziah (841 BC). The Neo-Assyrian Empire was expanding westward at this time, achieving a dominant position that brought stabilization to the area. At the end of this period, the year 841 BC was a crucial year in which the kings of both the northern and southern kingdoms were killed and a new dynasty was inaugurated in the north.The next period (841–752 BC) covers Israel’s fourth dynasty (Jehu-Zechariah, 10:1–15:12), an era marked by both peril and prosperity. Assyrian dominance waned, allowing the Arameans to continue their ruthless campaigns against Israel throughout the days of Jehu (841–814 BC) and his son Jehoahaz (814–798 BC). God eventually raised up a foreign leader (thought to be Adad-nirari III of Assyria, 810–783 BC) who defeated Aram and relieved the pressure on Israel (13:3–5). These circumstances allowed both Israel and Judah to expand their influence. Although hostilities broke out between the two kingdoms for a short time, conditions quickly stabilized under Jeroboam II of Israel (793–753 BC) and Uzziah of Judah (792–740 BC). Their reigns marked an era of unparalleled economic and political prosperity for both kingdoms.In the third period (753–722 BC), the northern kingdom became unstable and insecure—Jeroboam’s son Zechariah reigned only six months (753–752 BC) before he was assassinated by Shallum, and Shallum reigned just one month before being killed by Menahem. Menahem’s ten-year reign (752–742 BC) was characterized by spiritual weakness and renewed subservience to the rising power of Assyria. By 743 BC, king Tiglath-pileser of Assyria had made the northern kingdom submit as a vassal state, and in 722 BC the northern kingdom was destroyed.Meanwhile, the southern kingdom continued to enjoy prosperity during the reign of Jotham (750–732 BC), but after his death, during the reign of his son Ahaz (743–715 BC), Judah was caught up in the swift current of Assyrian expansion. Eventually, Judah also became a vassal of Assyria.Following the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, a new dynasty rose up in Assyria, and Judah faced the threat of Assyrian supremacy. That era was marked by Manasseh’s fifty-five year reign (697–642 BC). Manasseh deliberately reintroduced Canaanite paganism into the spiritual life of Judah, reproducing the very sin that brought God’s judgment on the northern kingdom (17:7–17). Even the far-reaching reforms of King Josiah (640–609 BC, 22:1–23:24; 2 Chr 34:1–35:19) did not overcome Judah’s entrenched sin (23:26–27).The Babylonians conquered the Assyrians between 612 and 605 BC and took their place as the dominant power. The Babylonians invaded Judah three times (605, 597, 586 BC), destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and deported the population.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
Each king of the divided monarchy is evaluated on the basis of his faithfulness or lack of faithfulness to God. Either “he did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight,” or “he did what was evil in the LORD’s sight.”The kings of Israel were consistently evil. The evaluation of Jehoahaz is typical: “He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit” (13:2; see 13:11; 14:24; 15:9; 17:2; 24:27). Many of the kings of Judah receive similar censure—for example, “Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab” (8:18). Manasseh is condemned for his rampant idolatry and apostasy (21:2–9), an example followed by several kings after him (21:20; 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19).2 Kings … is the stuff of tragedy. The nation, chosen by God, saved by God from slavery, settled by God in a land of plenty, loses everything because of its consistent tendency to chase after other gods.
T. R. HOBBS
2 Kings, p. xxvii
Several kings of Judah are commended, however, for doing “what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight” (12:2; 14:3; 15:3, 34; 18:3; 22:2). The standard of comparison was David, the king with whom God instituted a covenant relationship (see 14:3). Such men were concerned for the upkeep and repair of the Temple (12:6–16; 22:3–7) and for obedience to the precepts of God’s word (18:6; 22:8–13; 23:1–3). Some were reformers (12:17–18; 23:4–24). Hezekiah and Josiah receive special commendation, Hezekiah for his trust in the Lord and his honoring of God’s word (18:5–6) and Josiah for his high regard for the law of Moses (23:25). The implication is clear. God’s people are to live in accord with the high standards of God’s word so that they may “do what is pleasing in God’s sight” (cp. Ps 119:9–11, 111; 2 Tim 3:16–17).The prominence given to the final days of the great prophet Elijah (1:3–17; 2:1–11) and to Elisha’s spectacular ministry (2:12–25; 3:11–19; 4:1–7:2; 8:1–2) emphasizes the need to proclaim God’s words to others (Acts 20:18–21; 2 Tim 2:15; 4:2) so that they may come into covenant relationship with the Lord (2 Cor 3:4–6).Finally, the failures of even the good kings remind God’s people to be faithful to the Lord and to serve him. Then their lives can be filled with good (Ps 84:11; Rom 14:7–8), and when they stand before God for judgment (Rom 14:10–11; 2 Cor 5:10), he will reward and praise them (2 Tim 4:7–8; Rev 2:10; see Matt 25:23).See Purpose & Audience to 1 KingsKey Verses (ESV)
2 Kings 8:19: "Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever." 2 Kings 17:7–8: "And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced."2 Kings 22:1–2: "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left."2 Kings 24:2: "And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets."Structure & Outline 1
Second Kings begins partway through the second section (1 Kgs 12–2 Kgs 17) of the combined work of 1–2 Kings, which originally were a single literary unit (see the “Introduction to 1 Kings”). After Elijah’s ministry is handed off to his apprentice Elisha (in 852 BC), the remainder of the narrative focuses on the miraculous deeds of Elisha—including resurrection, feeding people during a famine, and a healing. This is interspersed with narratives about the kings of Israel and Judah. After Elisha’s death, there is brief coverage of the kings of Israel and Judah until 722 BC, when the Assyrians conquer Israel. The third section (chs. 18–25) focuses on the southern kingdom of Judah until, in 586 BC, the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and destroy Yahweh’s temple.Throughout 2 Kings, each king’s reign is described using a literary motif known as the regnal formula: King A died; King B took his place and ruled for so many years; King B did evil (or good) in the eyes of Yahweh; King B died; and King C took his place (e.g., 21:18–26). Some reigns are covered briefly, with little more than the regnal formula, while others are described with detailed narratives.Outline • From the end of Elijah’s ministry to the fall of Israel (1:1–17:41) • From Hezekiah’s reign to the fall of Judah (18:1–25:30)Outline 2
This book consists of 25 chapters and includes two main sections. The first section records the ongoing ministries of Elijah and Elisha, leading up to the defeat and exile of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria (2 Kings 1—17). It begins with Elijah denouncing King Ahaziah and predicting his death (2 Kings 1). Elijah is taken to heaven in chapter 2, with Elisha receiving a "double portion" of his spirit. The text then transitions to Elisha's efforts, through 2 Kings 9:13. Starting in 2 Kings 9:14, the overthrow of Baal worship is developed. This change begins in Israel (2 Kings 9:14—10:36) and then extends to Judah (2 Kings 11—12). Elisha's death takes place in chapter 13. This is followed by ongoing lists of kings from Israel and Judah. Chapters 16—17 chronicle the defeat and exile of Israel by Assyria.The second main section (2 Kings 18—25) focuses on the kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah's godly reign leads to positive reforms in the kingdom (2 Kings 18—20). His reign is followed by two ungodly kings named Manasseh and Amon (2 Kings 21). Young King Josiah provides a righteous reign that includes rediscovery of the law of the Lord (2 Kings 22—23). However, his reign is soon followed by the defeat and exile of Judah by Babylon (2 Kings 24—25).Though 2 Kings is marked by evil and its consequences, it ends on a positive note. Second Kings 25:22–30 concludes the text with mercy upon the king of Judah and hope of a future for the people of Israel.