Introduction to the Book of Kings

1
Introduction to the Book of Kings

• APTS-BIB509-2006

2
Name

• "The Hebrew title of this work is simply lm or
  'Kings,' and like the two books of Samuel it was
  originally a unity in Hebrew. The division into
  two books was first introduced in the LXX
  version, doubtless because the vocalized Greek
  text occupied considerably more space than the
  unpointed Hebrew." Harrison

3
Authorship

• In Baba Bathra 15a, Jeremiah is said to be the
  author of both Kings and Lamentations. However
  there is not evidence to support this statement.

4
Authorship

• "He Noth attributed the composition to a single
  author who wrote during the exile from Palestine
  (c.550) in order to demonstrate how Israel's
  continual disobedience to the laws of God finally
  caused the nation to be destroyed through divine
  judgment." Childs, IOTS, 286

5
Authorship

• Dual Redaction Hypothesis
• 1. The Idea of a dual redaction of the Dtr has
  been around since the time of Kuenen.
• 2. The most important recent proponent has been
  F. M. Cross who argues for Josianic Exilic
  redaction of Kings.
• 3. Other include Richard Nelson, Brian Peckham,
  Gray Knopper, etc.

6
The Text of Kings MT

• "In addition to the innumerable variations, in
  large part errors, yet often scribal corrections
  of impossible or unintelligible Hebrew, occurring
  in most authoritative MSS, as also the variations
  between presence and absence of the vowel-letter,
  or their faulty placement (the simpler form often
  giving the basis of interpretation by the
  Versions), there are the many corrections by the
  vocal K9re, which have again to be diagnosed for
  their correctness. There also appear cases of the
  Sebrn, instances of 'it is the opinion that
  it is so and so,' the correction marginally
  annotated." Montgomery

7
The Text of Kings Special Considerations

• ". . . parallels between Kings and sections of
  Chronicles, Isaiah and Jeremiah have to be
  seriously considered in passing judgment on some
  readings in Kings. Parallels for 2 Kgs 18-20 are
  found in Isa 36.1-39.8, for 2 Kgs 24-25 in Jer
  52, and for 2 Kgs 25 again in Jer 39 28 40-41."
  Jones
• "The parallel accounts in Chronicles must be used
  with very great caution owing to the tendentious
  nature of that work, its particular
  ecclesiastical bias, and it anachronistic
  tendency to safeguard he sanctity of the Temple
  and priestly monopoly of sacral office." Gray

8
The Text of Kings LXX

• "The LXX varies from the MT in both arrangement
  and content compare the order of 1 Kgs 4-11 and
  20-21 (LXX). The LXX account of the Jeroboam I
  and the division of the United Monarchy (1 Kgs
  12.24a-z) supplies novel and sometimes
  contradictory information to the account found in
  the MT and elsewhere in the LXX. The summarizing
  'miscellanies' regarding Solomon's reign found
  after 1 Kgs 2.35 and 2.46 (LXX) have no
  consecutive counterparts in the MT." Holloway,
  ABD
• "The chronological notes of eh accessions and
  reigns of kings of Israel and Judah are also a
  notable point of divergence . . . ." Gray

9
The Text of Kings LXX

• "These discrepancies and transpositions of text
  in Kings alone indicate that the tradition of the
  Hebrew text was fairly fluid when G was made. . .
  ." Gray
• "Apart from earlier fragmentary evidence of G, as
  in citations in Philo in the first half of the
  first century AD and Josephus (c. AD 70-100), the
  oldest MSS of the Old Testament approaching
  fullness are the great uncials Sinaiticus (a) and
  Vaticanus (B) from the first part of fourth
  century AD. Of these only B contains Kings, which
  is also attested in Codex Alexandrinus (A) from
  the following century." Gray

10
The Text of Kings Qumran

• "Only three manuscripts of Kings . . . were found
  in the various Judean Desert caves one each on
  leather in Cave 4 and Cave 5, and papyrus
  manuscript in Cave 6." Dead Sea Scroll Bible
• Cave 5Q 1 Kgs 1.1, 16-17, 27-37 Cave 6Q 1
  Kgs 3.12-14 12.28-31 22.28-31 2 Kgs 5.26
  6.32 7.8-10 7.20-8.5 9.1-2 10.19-21 Cave 4Q
  portions of 1 Kgs 7 and 8.

11
The Text of Kings Qumran

• "Despite the limited scope of text on most
  fragments, however, there are enough indications
  of text significantly divergent form the
  traditional Masoretic Text to suggest that the
  text of Kings was pluriform in antiquity, . . .
  In addition to numerous small variants, sometimes
  in agreement with the Greek text, there are more
  significant variants . . . . Just as 4QSama
  recovers bits of text thought to be lost, so too
  4QKgs preserves a passage (1 Kings 816) lost
  form the Masoretic Text when a scribe's eye
  skipped from one phrase below." Dead Sea Scroll
  Bible

12
4QKgs 1 Kgs 8.16
4QKgs From the day I brought my people Israel
out from Egypt, I have not chosen a city from
among the tribes of Israel to build a house for
my name to be there, nor did I choose anyone to
be a leader my people Israel, but I chose
Jerusalem for my name to be there, and I chose
David to be over my people, over Israel.
MT-2 Chr 6.5-6 Since the day that I brought my
people out of the land of Egypt, I have not
chosen a city from any of the tribes of Israel in
which to build a house, so that my name might be
there, and I chose no one as ruler over my people
Israel but I have chosen Jerusalem in order that
my name may be there, and I have chosen David to
be over my people Israel.

• MT
• Since the day that I brought my people Israel
  out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any
  of the tribes of Israel in which to build a
  house, that my name might be there but I chose
  David to be over my people Israel.

• LXX
• Since the day that I brought my people Israel
  out of Egypt, I have not chosen in a city, in
  one scepter of Israel, to build a house for my
  name to be there but I chose in Ierousalem for
  my name to be there and I chose Dauid to be over
  my people Israel

13
Outline of Kings Childs

• 1 Kgs 1-11 Solomon
• 1 Kgs 12-2 Kgs 17 History of the Kings of
  Israel and Judah until the Destruction of the
  Northern Kingdom
• 2 Kgs 18-25 History of the Kings of Judah
• Childs, IOTS

14

• I. The Reign of Solomon (1 Kgs 1.1-11.43)
• A. Solomon's Securing of the Throne and the Death
  of David (1 Kgs 1.1-2.46)
• B. Solomon's Reign ( 1 Kgs 3.1-11.43)
• II. Synoptic History of the Divided Monarchy to
  the Fall of Northern Kingdom (1 Kgs 12.1-2 Kgs
  17.41)
• A. Division of Solomon's Kingdom (1 Kgs
  12.1-14.20)
• B. Synchronized History of the Divided monarchy
  to the Elijah Stories (1 Kgs 14.21-16.34)
• C. The Elijah Cycle (1 Kgs 17.1-2 Kgs 1.18)
• D. The Elisha Cycle (2 Kgs 2.1-8.29)
• E. Synchronized History of the Divided Monarchy
  to the Fall of Israel (2 Kgs 9.1-17.41)
• III. The Kingdom of Judah from Hezekiah to the
  Babylonian Exile (2 Kgs 18.1-25.30) Holloway

15
Sources

• "The Book of Kings differs from all the preceding
  historical books, in the fact that the compiler
  refers habitually to certain authorities for
  particulars not contained in his own work." S.
  R. Driver

16
Sources

• 1. "Book of the Acts of Solomon" 1 Kgs 11.41
• "The extent and character of this work are
  difficult to assess, . . . . I would suggest that
  it is a collection of the records of Solomon's
  reign, especially inscriptions, that were extant
  in the time of the compiler. It is reasonable to
  suppose that a commemorative or memorial
  inscription would mention the building of the
  Temple and palace, possibly with dates (although
  this would be unusual), and would provide a few
  details about their construction." van Seters,
  In Search of History, 301

17
Sources

• 2. "Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of
  Israel" 1 Kgs 14.19-2 Kgs 15.31 and "The Book
  of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah" 1 Kgs
  14.29-2 Kgs 24.5
• "Those texts most closely associated with the
  chronicles of the kings of Israel/Judah include
  accounts of military campaigns and building
  activities, information that could have been
  taken from memorial inscriptions." van Seters,
  301
• N.B. The Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (A.
  K. Grayson)

18
Sources

• 3. Prophetic Stories Sources
• 3.1 Elijah Cycle 1 Kgs 17-19, 21 2 Kgs 1-2.
• 3.2 Elisha Cycle 2 Kgs 2 4-10.
• 3.3 Isaiah 2 Kgs 18.13-20.19 (Isa 36-39)
• 3.4 Ahijah of Shiloh 1 Kgs 11.29-39 14.1-18
  15.29.
• 3.5 Shemaiah 1 Kgs 12.21-24.
• 3.6 Un-named 1 Kgs 12.32-13.32
• 3.7 Jehu, son of Hanani 1 Kgs 16.1-4.
• 3.8 Micaiah, son of Imlah 1 Kgs 22
• 3.9 Un-named 2 Kgs 21.10-15

19
Synchronic Annals

• "Although the Northern and Southern notices
  differ in some significant details, the general
  structure is as follows
•      A. Introductory formula
• 1. Date when reign commenced and length of reign
• 2. Place of reign
• 3. Theological assessment
•      B. Concluding formula
• 1. Mention of most notable deeds
• 2. Reference to further sources
• 3. Notice of death and burial. " DeVries

20
Synchronic Annals

• 1. "One special feature of the Judahite notices
  is that they record the name of the kings
  motherimportant because this made her the hrybg,
  the official queen-mother, with important powers
  (e.g., Bathsheba, Jezebel)." DeVries

21
Synchronic Annals

• 2. "Another feature is that in the theological
  assessment, the northern kings get unalleviated
  condemnation while the southern kings generally
  receive some approval. When Judahite kings are
  condemned, it is because they have somehow
  tolerated or abetted idolatry, but this is seldom
  the charge against the kings of the North
  (exception Ahab cf. 163033). They are
  uniformly berated for participating in the sin
  of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which may mean no
  more than that they did not suppress the
  Yahweh-shrines at Bethel, Dan, and elsewhere."
  DeVries

22
Two Themes of Cross's Dtr1

• "The two themes in the Deuteronomistic Book of
  Kings appear to reflect two theological stances,
  one stemming from the old Deuteronomic covenant
  theology which regarded destruction of dynasty
  and people as tied necessarily to apostasy, and a
  second, drawn from the royal ideology in Judah
  the eternal promises to David. In the second
  instance, while chastisement has regularly come
  upon Judah in her season of apostasy, hope
  remains in the Davidic house to which Yahweh has
  sworn fidelity for David's sake, and for
  Jerusalem, the city of God. A righteous scion of
  David has sprung from Judah." Cross, (1973), 284

23
Two Themes of Cross's Dtr1

• 1. "One theme is summed up in the following
  saying "This thing became the sin of the house
  of Jeroboam to crush (it) and to destroy (it)
  from the face of the earth." The crucial event in
  the history of the Northern King was the sin of
  Jeroboam." 279
• 1.1 I Kings 1226-33
• 1.2 "Against each of king of Israel in turn the
  judgment comes, "he did evil in the eyes of
  Yahweh, doing evil above all who were before him,
  and he walked in the way of Jeroboam." 280

24
Two Themes of Cross's Dtr1

• 2. "The second theme we wish to analyze begins in
  2 Samuel 7 and runs through the book of Kings. It
  may be tersely put in the refrain-like phrase
  for the sake of David my servant and for the sake
  of Jerusalem which I have chosen." 281
• 2.1 "While the kings of Israel were always
  condemned, each having done "that which was evil
  in the eyes of Yahweh," judgment does not come
  automatically upon the kings of Judah. Certain
  kings, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and
  above all Josiah "did that which was right in the
  eyes of Yahweh, as did David his father." Even
  King David and Hezekiah had peccadilloes. Josiah
  alone escaped all criticism. Josiah "did that
  which was right in the eyes of Yahweh and walked
  in all the ways of David his father and did not
  turn aside to the right or to the left." 282

25
The Themes of Cross's Dtr2 Exilic Edition

• "There is to be found in the Deuteronomistic
  history a subtheme . . . . We should attribute
  this subtheme to the Exilic editor (Dtr2) who
  retouched or overwrote the Deuteronomistic work
  to bring it up to date in the Exile, to record
  the fall of Jerusalem, and to reshape the
  history, with a minimum of reworking, into a
  document relevant to exiles for whom the bright
  expectations of the Josianic era were hopelessly
  past. This subtheme is found articulated most
  clearly in the pericope dealing with Manasseh and
  the significance of his sins of syncretism and
  idolatry, in 2 Kings 212-15. The section is
  modeled almost exactly on the section treating
  the fall of Samaria." 285

26
The Prophetic Tradition
2 Sam 7.13 1 Kgs 8.20 1 Kgs 21.21-24 1 Kgs 21.27-29
1 Kgs 11.29-39 1 Kgs 12.15 1 Kgs 22.17 1 Kgs 22.35-36
1 Kgs 13.1-3 2 Kgs 23.16-18 2 Kgs 9.4-10 2 Kgs 10
1 Kgs 14.6-16 2 Kgs 15.29 2 Kgs 1.6 2 Kgs 1.17
1 Kgs 16.1-4 1 Kgs 16.12 2 Kgs 21.10-15 2 Kgs 24.3
Josh 6.26 1 Kgs 16.34

• Royal Oracles 1 Kgs 11.29-39 12.15-20 2 Kgs
  8.7-15)
• Oracles of Judgment 1 Kgs 14.7-11 16.1-4, 7,
  12 20.40-43 21.19-22 22.1-37 2 Kgs 9.6-10
  1.2-4
• War Oracles 1 Kgs 20.13-15, 28ff. 2 Kgs 2.12
  13.14
• Prophetic Narratives 1 Kgs 13.7-32 20.35ff.

27
The Temple Temple Theology

• Introduction
• 1. The Story of the Temple may very well begin in
  the Tabernacle
• 2. Shiloh Temple?
• 2.1 1 Sam 1.9 3.3
• "Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat
  beside the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh"
• "and Samuel lying down in the temple of Yahweh,
  where the Ark of God was."
• 2.2 Jer 7.121-5 26.6
• 2.3 Ps 78.56-72

28
The Temple Temple Theology

• Introduction
• 3. David the Temple
• 3.1 The Dance and its Politics (2 Sam 6.1-23 I
  Chr 13.1-14 15.25-16.3)
• 3.2 The House for the Ark (2 Sam 7 1 Chr 17 Ps
  78 132)
• 3.3 Purchasing the Property (2 Sam 24 1 Chr 21)
• 3.4 Gathering Materials (1 Kgs 7.51 1 Chr 23-26
  28-29)
• 3.5 Cultic Preparation (1 Chr 23-26)

29
The Temple Temple Theology

• Solomon the Temple
• 1. Solomon Prepares to Build (1 Kgs 5.1-32)
• 2. Temple Construction
• 2.1 Size 60 cu. long, 20 cu. wide, 30 cu. high
  (I Kgs 6.2, compare Ezek 41.13-14)
• 2.2 Triparite Temple or "long temple" vs. "wide
  temple"

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The Temple Temple Theology

• Solomon the Temple
• 2.3 Porch - )ulam (1 Kgs 6.3 7.12)
• 2.4 Jachin Boaz (1 Kgs 7.14-21)

32
The Temple Temple Theology

• Solomon the Temple
• 2.5 Hekal (1 Kgs 7.4-7, 33-36)
• 2.6 Windows (1 Kgs 6.4)

33
The Temple Temple Theology

• 2.7 Small altar (1 Kgs 6.4)
• 2.8 10 lamp Stands (1 Kgs 6.20)
• 2.9 Small Tables for the "bread of the presence"
  (1 Kgs 7.48)

34
The Temple Temple Theology

• 2.10 Inner Sanctuary (debir 1 Kgs 6.15-22)
• 2.11 Two Cherubim (1 Kgs 6.23.28)

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36
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Zion-Sabaoth Theology

• 1. YHWH is King Pss 48.3 46.5 47.3 (of all
  the earth)
• 1.1 Earliest statement Ex 15.18 YHWH will
  reign forever and ever following this text is
  Deut 33.4-5
• 1.2 Problems of Kingship revolt motif in Ps
  2.1-3
• 2. YHWHs Choice of Jerusalem
• 2.1 Explicit Pss 78.68 132.13 (for dwelling)
• 2.2 Implicit Pss 46.5 48.2-3, 8-9 87.2
• 2.3 Topography high mountain and river
• 2.4 Security Pss 46.7,8 48.4 (stronghold)

39
Zion-Sabaoth Theology

• 3. Enemy
• 3.1 Ps 46.2-4 unruly sea
• 3.2 Pss 46.7 48.5-7 76.6-8 kings and nations
  Also note Isa 17.12-14 and Isa 8
• 3.3 Shift in Isa 2.1-5 Mic 4.1-3
• 4. YHWHs Rebuke Pss 46.7 76.7, 9 (Amos 1.2
  Joel 4.16)

40
Zion-Sabaoth Theology

• 5. Implications for Inhabitants
• 5.1 Only those who meet Gods righteous standards
  can live in his presence Isa 33.13-16 Ps 24.3-4
• 5.2 Inhabitants and King have a duty to building
  Gods house Hag 1.2-11
• 5.3 Those inhabitants who are fit to live with
  God will rejoice in the security and abundant
  life that YHWHs presence brings Pss 48.12-14
  132.13-18.
• J. J. M. Roberts