The books of First and Second Kings like the books of First and Second Samuel were originally one book in the Hebrew Bible. Once again you will find a good introduction to these books in the Holman Concise Bible Commentary (HCBC). The Bible Project Summary Video may be found here. First and Second Kings cover the time from the end of David’s life to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Samuel had warned the people of the results of having a King in 1 Sam. 8:10-18,
10Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. 12He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. 13He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. 16He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best cattle, and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. 18When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.” [1]
Due to Solomon’s unfaithfulness to God and the heavy taxation and burden he placed on the people and the foolish advice his son Rehoboam took from his young advisers the Kingdom of Israel split after Solomon’s death, dividing the Kingdom between the North and the South. From First Kings chapter twelve to the end of Second Kings we learn of the history of these kingdoms, Israel in the North and Judah in the South. Dates given for the split of the kingdom vary from about 930 B.C. to 922 B.C. You’ll notice when reading that the dates for the reign of a Northern King are given with reference to the reign of a Southern King and the date of the reign of a Southern King are given with reference to the reign of a Northern King. Understanding this dating scheme has proved difficult, and scholars have debated how these time references should be understood. Edwin R. Thiele researched the Biblical records and wrote a book titled The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. The difficulties that look like errors in the text are now explainable because of his research. One example of the difficulties can be seen by carefully reading these verses, 1 Kgs. 15:25 & 28,
“25Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Judah’s King Asa; he reigned over Israel two years…28In the third year of Judah’s King Asa, Baasha killed Nadab and reigned in his place.” The problem is not with the Biblical data but our understanding of how the ancient Hebrews calculated dates.
In an article by Kirk Lowery we read, “First Kings 15:25 says Nadab’s rule over Israel began in the second year of Asa of Judah. Since Israel used a non-accession-year system, the second year of Asa would be the first year according to Judean accession-year dating. Depending upon which source the author was using, the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings (1 Kg 14:19) or the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings (1 Kg 14:29), the calculation of the regnal years and the synchronization between two kings must take these differences into account.”[2]
In addition to accession and non-accession year dating methods, there were also co-regencies and overlapping reigns making some passages even more confusing and difficult to understand. Page 77 in the HCBC and page 528 in the CSB Study Bible have helpful charts with the kings listed.
[1] All Scripture quotations are from the Christian Standard Bible. 2020. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Lowery, Kirk. 2007. “The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah.” In The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, edited by Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul Copan, and J. P. Moreland, xxxvii. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
