April 8, 2025
Big Book Idea
There were eight good kings in Judah but zero good kings in Israel.
Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, "Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel." So Solomon built the house and finished it.
1 King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king's friend; 6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.
7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. 8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land.
20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. 21 1 4:21 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates 2 4:21 Hebrew the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 Solomon's provision for one day was thirty cors 3 4:22 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates 4 4:24 Hebrew the River; twice in this verse from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. 25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon also had 40,000 5 4:26 Hebrew; one Hebrew manuscript (see 2 Chronicles 9:25 and Septuagint of 1 Kings 10:26) 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27 And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon's table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
1 6 5:1 Ch 5:15 in Hebrew Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. 2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3 “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
7 As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, 11 while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors 7 5:11 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 8 5:11 Septuagint; Hebrew twenty cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
13 King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16 besides Solomon's 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17 At the king's command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.
1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD. 2 The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits 9 6:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. 3 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. 4 And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. 10 6:4 Or blocked lattice windows 5 He also built a structure 11 6:5 Or platform; also verse 10 against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. 6 The lowest story 12 6:6 Septuagint; Hebrew structure, or platform was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.
7 When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.
8 The entrance for the lowest 13 6:8 Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew middle story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third. 9 So he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar. 10 He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.
11 Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
14 So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 He built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls, and he built this within as an inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place. 17 The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18 The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen. 19 The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 20 The inner sanctuary 14 6:20 Vulgate; Hebrew And before the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid 15 6:20 Septuagint made an altar of cedar. 21 And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29 Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms.
31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided. 16 6:31 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain 32 He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.
33 So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, 34 and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work. 36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it.
1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.
2 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits 17 7:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four 18 7:2 Septuagint three rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. 3 And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 4 There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. 5 All the doorways and windows 19 7:5 Septuagint; Hebrew posts had square frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.
6 And he made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and a canopy in front of them.
7 And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. It was finished with cedar from floor to rafters. 20 7:7 Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew floor
8 His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall, was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter whom he had taken in marriage.
9 All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, cut according to measurement, and cedar. 12 The great court had three courses of cut stone all around, and a course of cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the LORD and the vestibule of the house.
13 And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.
15 He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same. 21 7:15 Targum, Syriac (compare Septuagint and Jeremiah 52:21); Hebrew and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of the second pillar 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice 22 7:17 Septuagint; Hebrew seven; twice in this verse for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. 18 Likewise he made pomegranates 23 7:18 Two manuscripts (compare Septuagint); Hebrew pillars in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. 19 Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital. 21 He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. 22 And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.
23 Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 24 Under its brim were gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. 25 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. 26 Its thickness was a handbreadth, 24 7:26 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. 25 7:26 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters
27 He also made the ten stands of bronze. Each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. 28 This was the construction of the stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames, 29 and on the panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames, both above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths of beveled work. 30 Moreover, each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each. 31 Its opening was within a crown that projected upward one cubit. Its opening was round, as a pedestal is made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings, and its panels were square, not round. 32 And the four wheels were underneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like a chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stands. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its stays and its panels were of one piece with it. 36 And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. 37 After this manner he made the ten stands. All of them were cast alike, of the same measure and the same form.
38 And he made ten basins of bronze. Each basin held forty baths, each basin measured four cubits, and there was a basin for each of the ten stands. 39 And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the north side of the house. And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.
40 Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the LORD: 41 the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars; 42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; 43 the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; 44 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.
45 Now the pots, the shovels, and the basins, all these vessels in the house of the LORD, which Hiram made for King Solomon, were of burnished bronze. 46 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them; the weight of the bronze was not ascertained.
48 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the LORD: the golden altar, the golden table for the bread of the Presence, 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.
51 Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
The author or authors of these two books is unknown. As the titles of the books indicate, 1–2 Kings describe the period of the monarchy in ancient Israel (970–586 B.C.), concentrating on the kings who ruled after David.
The books show that Israel suffers again and again because of its great sinfulness (2 Kings 17:7–23; 24:1–4). Yet there is still hope for the nation, because God’s chosen family of kings has not come to an end (2 Kings 25:27–30), and God remains ready to forgive those who repent (1 Kings 8:22–61).
The fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 B.C. raised several questions: Was Israel’s God not in fact in control of history, as Moses had claimed? If the God of Moses did exist, and was good and all-powerful, how was it that God’s chosen city and temple had been destroyed, and his chosen royal family had all but come to its end?
The books of Kings respond to such questions, explaining why Israel was defeated. Israel’s God is indeed in control of nature and history. There are no other true gods anywhere. It is this good and all-powerful God who has overseen the destruction of his chosen city and his temple, and Israel’s exile to Babylon. Israel’s sin has caused these punishments.
After the division of the kingdom, the northern kingdom of Israel lasted slightly more than 200 years (931–722 B.C.), with 19 different kings, all of whom were wicked. The southern kingdom of Judah had the same number of kings, but many of them were good, and Judah lasted almost 150 years longer (931–586 B.C.). Toward the end of Judah’s monarchy came two of its best kings: Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:1–20:21) and Josiah (2 Kings 22:1–23:30). Yet the people still rebelled against the Lord, and Judah, like Israel, eventually went into exile as punishment for its sin. But hope remained, for God’s chosen royal line had not come to a complete end (2 Kings 25:27–30), and God remained ready to forgive those who repented.
Solomon’s reign marked the high point of Israel’s power and wealth in biblical times. Solomon’s father, David, had given him a kingdom that included Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, and Zobah. Solomon would later rule over the kingdom of Hamath as well, and his marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter resulted in an alliance with Egypt. Solomon controlled important trade routes between several major world powers, including Egypt, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia (Asia Minor).
The book of 2 Kings tells of events in Israel and Judah from the death of Ahab to the exile of Israel and Judah. The story involves Israel, Judah, Syria, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia, as well as Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, and other kingdoms far beyond Israel’s borders.
Israel and Judah’s sins continue. Picking up where 1 Kings left off, Israel and Judah continued to decline through false worship and disobedience. They were led into sin by their kings, most of whom failed to follow the Lord.
How large was Israel under Solomon’s rule? During the reign of Solomon, Israel extended into the Sinai desert near Egypt in the south and to the Euphrates River in the north. It was roughly three times the size of Israel today and would have included parts of present-day Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
Dressed stones (5:17) are stones that have been cut and polished so that they have smooth faces and edges. This type of masonry was time-consuming and expensive, so it was used primarily for palaces and temples.
No tools of iron? The Lord had forbidden the use of iron tools in the construction of altars (Ex. 20:25). As they built the temple, the Israelites used iron tools on the stones only at the quarry, never at the construction site. They probably did this as an expression of reverence for the temple.
The House of the Forest of Lebanon was part of Solomon’s palace. It was much larger than the temple and designed to be a treasury or an armory. It got its name from the large amounts of cedar timber used to build it.
Which took longer to build: Solomon’s palace, or the temple? Although Solomon spent seven years building the temple, he spent 13 years building his own palace (8:1; 1 Kings 6:38; 7:1). This may have been an early sign that he was more devoted to his own causes than to the Lord.
To eat of your own vine and fig tree was a traditional blessing found in both the historical and prophetic books of Israel (36:16; 1 Kings 4:25). It was a reward for trusting in the Lord. On the other hand, to lose those precious resources was a sign of God’s disfavor (Jer. 5:17).
The book of Exodus finishes with Moses and Israel having constructed and assembled the tabernacle at the base of Mount Sinai. The book of Leviticus primarily records the instructions the Lord gives to Moses from the tent of meeting, but also includes narratives of a few events related to the tabernacle. (Regarding the date of the exodus, see Introduction to Exodus, and note on 1 Kings 6:1.)
Solomon reorganized the Israelite territory of his kingdom into 12 districts, each of which was responsible to supply the immense provisions for the king for one month out of the year. It appears that Judah, Solomon’s tribe, was exempted from this burden. Solomon also fortified key towns throughout his kingdom and built store cities for his economic enterprises. Among his most significant building projects were the temple and his royal palace in Jerusalem, built largely with cedar supplied by King Hiram of Tyre.
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Positives | Negatives |
---|---|
David’s chosen heir (ch. 1) | Gained power in bloody coup (ch. 2) |
Nathan’s early support (ch. 1) | Prophetic voice disappears |
Prayer for wisdom to rule righteously (chs. 3–4) | Rules with forced labor; accumulates wealth unjustly (9:15–22; 10:26–29) |
Completion and dedication of temple (chs. 5–8) | Foreign wives lead him to idolatry (11:1–8) |
The Lord supports Solomon (9:1–9) | The Lord rejects Solomon (11:9–12) |
King | Years of Reign | Total Years | Accession Year* | Possible Co-Reigns | References in 1–2 Kings** | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rehoboam | 931/930–915/914 | 17 | 1 Kings 12:1–24; 14:21–31 | |||
Abijah/Abijam | 915/914–912/911 | 3 | 18 of Jeroboam I | 1 Kings 15:1–8 | ||
Asa | 912/911–871/870 | 41 | 20 of Jeroboam I | 1 Kings 15:9–24 | ||
Jehoshaphat | 871/870–849/848 | 25 | 4 of Ahab | with Asa from 873 | 1 Kings 22:41–50 | |
Jehoram/Joram | 849/848–842 | 7 (8) | 5 of Joram | with Jehoshaphat from 853 | 2 Kings 8:16–24 | Married Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab (Israel) |
Ahaziah | 842–841 | 1 (2) | 11 of Joram | 2 Kings 8:25–29; 9:21–28 | Killed by Jehu (Israel) in 841 | |
Athaliah (Q.) | 841–835 | 6 | 2 Kings 11:1–20 | Killed by Jehoiada the priest | ||
Joash/Jehoash | 835–796/795 | 39 (40) | 7 of Jehu | 2 Kings 12:1–21 | Hidden from Athaliah for 6 years (841–835) by Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah; protected by Jehoiada the priest | |
Amaziah | 796/795–767 | 29 | 2 of Joash/Jehoash | 2 Kings 14:1–22 | ||
Uzziah/Azariah | 767–740/739 | 52 | 27 of Jeroboam II | with Amaziah from 791 | 2 Kings 15:1–7 | |
Jotham | 750–735/730 | 16 (20) | 2 of Pekah | Uzziah is alive in 750 but inactive in rule (see 2 Kings 15:5) | 2 Kings 15:32–38 | |
Ahaz | 735/730–715 | 16 (20) | 17 of Pekah | 2 Kings 16:1–20 | ||
Hezekiah | 715–687/686 | 29 | 3 of Hoshea | with Ahaz from 728 | 2 Kings 18:1–20:21 | |
Manasseh | 687/686–642 | 55 | No further accession dates after fall of Israel in 722 | with Hezekiah from 697/696 | 2 Kings 21:1–18 | |
Amon | 642–640 | 2 | 2 Kings 21:19–26 | |||
Josiah | 640–609 | 31 | 2 Kings 22:1–23:30 | Killed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt | ||
Jehoahaz | 609 | 3 months | 2 Kings 23:31–34 | Taken by Pharaoh Neco to Egypt | ||
Jehoiakim | 609–598 | 11 | 2 Kings 23:35–24:7 | Set on the throne by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt | ||
Jehoiachin/Jeconiah | 598–597 | 3 months | 2 Kings 24:8–17; 25:27–30 | Exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597; released and honored by Evil-merodach of Babylon in 562 | ||
Zedekiah | 597–586 | 11 | 2 Kings 24:18–20 | Zedekiah is Jehoiachin’s uncle; Jerusalem and Judah fall to Babylon in 586 |
*This chart follows the dating method found in both Kings and Chronicles: For Judah, accession to the throne is marked by a year within the reign of a king of Israel. Parentheses—e.g., 39 (40)—indicate non-accession year dating (year of accession is counted in the totals of both the predecessor and the new king). The actual number of years in a reign can be determined by subtracting 1 from the number given (40 – 1 = 39 actual years).
**The verses cited in 1–2 Kings do not include the initial mention of a ruler, which occurs in reference to the death of his father (e.g., Abijam in 1 Kings 14:31).
King | Years of Reign | Total Years | Accession Year* | Possible Co-Reigns | References in 1–2 Kings** | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jeroboam I | 931/930–911/910 | 21 (22) | 1 Kings 11:26–40;12:1–14:20 | |||
Nadab | 911/910–910/909 | 1 (2) | 2 of Asa | 1 Kings 15:25–32 | Killed by Baasha | |
Baasha | 910/909–887/886 | 23 (24) | 3 of Asa | 1 Kings 15:27–16:7 | ||
Elah | 887/886–886/885 | 1 (2) | 26 of Asa | 1 Kings 16:8–14 | Killed by Zimri | |
Zimri | 886/885 | 7 days | 26 of Asa | 1 Kings 16:9–20 | Killed himself by burning the king’s house down while he was in it | |
Omri | 886/885–875/874 | 11 (12) | 31 of Asa | Tibni reigns after Zimri for 5 years as rival to Omri | 1 Kings 16:16–17, 21–28 | |
Ahab | 875/874–853 | 21 (22) | 38 of Asa | 1 Kings 16:29–17:1; 18:1–19:3; 20:1–22:40 | ||
Ahaziah | 853–852 | 1 (2) | 17 of Jehoshaphat | 1 Kings 22:51–53; 2 Kings 1:1–18 | ||
Joram/Jehoram | 852–841 | 11 (12) | 18 of Jehoshaphat | 2 Kings 3:1–27; (“king of Israel” in 6:8–7:20); 9:14–26 | Killed by Jehu in 841 | |
Jehu | 841–814/813 | 27 (28) | 2 Kings 9:1–10:36 | |||
Jehoahaz | 814/813–798/797 | 16 (17) | 23 of Joash/Jehoash | 2 Kings 13:1–9 | ||
Joash/Jehoash | 798/797–782/781 | 15 (16) | 37 of Joash/Jehoash | 2 Kings 13:10–25; 14:8–16 | ||
Jeroboam II | 782/781–753 | 41 | 15 of Amaziah | with Joash/Jehoash from 793/792 | 2 Kings 14:23–29 | |
Zechariah | 753–752 | 6 months | 38 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:8–12 | Killed by Shallum | |
Shallum | 752 | 1 month | 39 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:10, 13–16 | Killed by Menahem | |
Menahem | 752–742/741 | 10 | 39 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:14–22 | ||
Pekahiah | 742/741–740/739 | 2 | 50 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:23–26 | Killed by Pekah | |
Pekah | 740/739–732/731 | 20*** | 52 of Uzziah | 20 years counted from 752 to include the reigns of rivals Menahem and Pekahiah | 2 Kings 15:25, 27–31 | Killed by Hoshea |
Hoshea | 732/731–722 | 9 | 12 of Ahaz | 2 Kings 15:30; 17:1–6 | Samaria and Israel fall to Assyria in 722 |
* This chart follows the dating method found in both Kings and Chronicles: For Israel, accession to the throne is marked by a year within the reign of a king of Judah. Parentheses—e.g., 21 (22)—indicate non-accession year dating (year of accession is counted in the totals of both the predecessor and the new king). The actual number of years in a reign can be determined by subtracting 1 from the number given (22 – 1 = 21 actual years).
**The verses cited in 1–2 Kings do not include the initial mention of a ruler when it occurs in reference to the death of his father (e.g., Nadab in 1 Kings 14:20).
***See note on 2 Kings 15:27–31.
1 Chronicles | 2 Samuel | |
---|---|---|
Genealogies | 1:1–9:44 | |
Death of Saul and sons | 10:1–14 | 1 Sam. 31:1–2 Sam. 1:16 |
Lament for Saul | 1:17–27 | |
David king of Judah | 2:1–7 | |
War between house of Saul and David; Ish-bosheth made king | 2:8–3:1 | |
David’s sons in Hebron | 3:2–5 | |
Abner helps David | 3:6–21 | |
Joab kills Abner | 3:22–39 | |
Ish-bosheth killed | 4:1–12 | |
David king of Judah and Israel | 11:1–3 | 5:1–5 |
Conquest of Jerusalem | 11:4–9 | 5:6–10 |
David’s mighty men | 11:10–47 | 23:8–39 |
David’s men at Ziklag | 12:1–22 | |
Celebration at Hebron | 12:23–40 | |
Attempted return of ark; death of Uzzah | 13:1–14 | 6:1–11 |
David’s house built | 14:1–2 | 5:11–12 |
David’s children in Jerusalem | 14:3–7 | 5:13–16 |
David defeats Philistines | 14:8–17 | 5:17–25 |
Spiritual preparation for the ark’s return | 15:1–24 | |
Ark brought to Jerusalem | 15:25–16:6 | 6:12–19 |
David and Michal | 6:20–23 | |
David’s psalm of praise | 16:7–43 | |
David’s desire to build the temple | 17:1–2 | 7:1–3 |
Davidic covenant | 17:3–15 | 7:4–17 |
David’s prayer of praise | 17:16–27 | 7:18–29 |
David’s victories | 18:1–13 | 8:1–14 |
David’s officials | 18:14–17 | 8:15–18 |
David helps Mephibosheth | 9:1–13 | |
Ammonites defeated | 19:1–15 | 10:1–14 |
Syrians defeated | 19:16–19 | 10:15–19 |
Ammonites defeated | 20:1–3 | 11:1; 12:26–31 |
David and Bathsheba | 11:2–12:25 | |
Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom | 13:1–14:33 | |
Absalom’s rebellion | 15:1–19:43 | |
Sheba’s rebellion | 20:1–26 | |
Famine; death of Saul’s sons | 21:1–14 | |
War with Philistines; the Philistine giants | 20:4–8 | 21:15–22 |
David’s psalm of deliverance | 22:1–51 | |
David’s last words | 23:1–7 | |
David’s census | 21:1–27 | 24:1–25 |
David plans for the temple | 21:28–22:5 | |
David’s charge to Solomon and the leaders | 22:6–19 | |
David organizes temple personnel | 23:1–26:32 | |
Israel’s military | 27:1–15 | |
Israel’s leaders | 27:16–34 | |
David’s charge to Israel; affirmation of Solomon | 28:1–10 | |
Pattern for the temple | 28:11–21 | |
Offerings for the temple | 29:1–9 | |
David’s prayer of thanks for the temple | 29:10–19 | |
1 Kings | ||
David and Abishag | 1:1–4 | |
Adonijah claims the throne | 1:5–27 | |
Solomon’s coronation | 29:20–25 | 1:28–40 |
David instructs Solomon | 2:1–9 | |
Death of David | 29:26–30 | 2:10–11 |
Solomon establishes his kingdom | 2:12–46 | |
2 Chronicles | ||
Solomon marries Pharaoh’s daughter | 3:1–3 | |
Solomon at Gibeon | 1:1–6 | 3:4 |
God gives Solomon wisdom | 1:7–12 | 3:5–14 |
Solomon’s wise judgment | 3:16–28 | |
Solomon’s prosperity | 1:14–17 | 4:20–34 |
Preparations for the temple | 2:1–18 | 5:1–18 |
Temple built | 3:1–5:1 | 6:1–38;7:13–51 |
Solomon’s palace | 7:1–12 | |
Ark brought to the temple | 5:2–12 | 8:1–9 |
God’s glory fills the temple | 5:13–14 | 8:10–11 |
Solomon blesses the people | 6:1–11 | 8:12–21 |
Solomon consecrates the temple | 6:12–42 | 8:22–61 |
Fire from the Lord consumes the sacrifices | 7:1–3 | |
Solomon and the people offer sacrifices | 7:4–7 | 8:62–64 |
Feast of Tabernacles | 7:8–10 | 8:65–66 |
The covenant confirmed | 7:11–22 | 9:1–9 |
Solomon’s territory increases | 8:1–6 | 9:10–19 |
Solomon’s enemies defeated | 8:7–10 | 9:20–23 |
Solomon’s religious practices | 8:11–16 | 9:24–25 |
Solomon’s economic operations | 8:17–18 | 9:26–28 |
Queen of Sheba visits | 9:1–12 | 10:1–13 |
Solomon’s wealth | 9:13–28 | 10:14–29 |
Solomon’s apostasy and adversaries | 11:1–40 | |
Death of Solomon | 9:29–31 | 11:41–43 |
Division of the kingdom | 10:1–11:23 | 12:1–33 |
Man of God from Judah warns Jeroboam (Israel) | 13:1–34 | |
Ahijah’s prophecy against Jeroboam | 14:1–18 | |
Death of Jeroboam | 14:19–20 | |
Shishak invades Judah | 12:1–12 | 14:25–28 |
Reign of Rehoboam (Judah) | 12:13–16 | 14:21–24,29–31 |
War between Judah and Israel | 13:1–22 | 15:1–8 |
Evaluation of Asa (Judah) | 14:1–8 | 15:9–12 |
Ethiopians defeated | 14:9–15 | |
Azariah the prophet | 15:1–7 | |
Asa’s reforms | 15:8–19 | 15:13–15 |
Asa defeats Syria | 16:1–10 | 15:16–22 |
Death of Asa | 16:11–14 | 15:23–24 |
Reigns of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri (Israel) | 15:25–16:28 | |
Ahab becomes king (Israel) | 16:29–34 | |
Elijah | 17:1–19:18;21:17–29 | |
Call of Elisha | 19:19–21 | |
Ahab conquers Syria, acquires Naboth’s vineyard | 20:1–21:29 | |
Evaluation of Jehoshaphat (Judah) | 17:1–9 | |
Expansion of Judah | 17:10–19 | |
Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab; death of Ahab | 18:1–34 | 22:1–40 |
Jehoshaphat’s reforms, crisis, and deliverance | 19:1–20:30 | |
Reign of Jehoshaphat | 20:31–37 | 22:41–50 |
Reign of Ahaziah (Israel) | 22:51–53 | |
2 Kings | ||
Death of Ahaziah; Elijah’s prophecy | 1:1–18 | |
Elijah and Elisha | 2:1–25 | |
Evaluation of Jehoram (Israel) | 3:1–3 | |
Moab rebels | 3:4–27 | |
The widow’s oil | 4:1–7 | |
The Shunammite woman | 4:8–37 | |
Miracles for the prophets | 4:38–44 | |
Naaman healed | 5:1–27 | |
The axe head recovered | 6:1–7 | |
Chariots of fire | 6:8–23 | |
Siege of Samaria | 6:24–7:20 | |
Shunammite’s land restored | 8:1–6 | |
Hazael kills Ben-hadad | 8:7–15 | |
Evaluation of Jehoram (Judah) | 21:1–7 | 8:16–19 |
Edom and Libnah rebel | 21:8–11 | 8:20–22 |
Warning of Elijah | 21:12–15 | |
Invasion of Philistia and Arabia | 21:16–17 | |
Death of Jehoram | 21:18–20 | 8:23–24 |
Reign of Ahaziah (Judah) | 22:1–9 | 8:25–29; 9:15–16, 27–28; 10:12–14 |
Reign of Jehu (Israel) | 22:7–9 | 9:1–10:36 |
Reign of Athaliah (Judah) | 22:10–23:15 | 11:1–16 |
Jehoiada’s reforms (Judah) | 23:16–21 | 11:17–20 |
Evaluation of Joash (Judah) | 24:1–3 | 11:21–12:3 |
Joash repairs the temple | 24:4–14 | 12:4–16 |
Death of Jehoiada | 24:15–16 | |
Jehoiada’s son killed | 24:17–22 | |
Syria invades Judah | 24:23–24 | 12:17–18 |
Death of Joash | 24:25–27 | 12:19–21 |
Reign of Jehoahaz (Israel) | 13:1–9 | |
Reign of Jehoash (Israel) | 13:10–13 | |
Elisha’s final prophecy and death | 13:14–25 | |
Reign of Amaziah (Judah) | 25:1–16 | 14:1–20 |
Israel defeats Judah | 25:17–24 | 14:8–14 |
Death of Amaziah | 25:25–28 | 14:17–20 |
Evaluation of Uzziah (Judah) | 26:1–5 | 14:21–22; 15:1–5 |
Reign of Jeroboam II (Israel) | 14:23–29 | |
Victories of Uzziah | 26:6–15 | |
Sinful offering of Uzziah | 26:16–21 | |
Death of Uzziah | 26:22–23 | 15:6–7 |
Reign of Zechariah (Israel) | 15:8–12 | |
Reign of Shallum (Israel) | 15:13–16 | |
Reign of Menahem (Israel) | 15:17–22 | |
Reign of Pekahiah (Israel) | 15:23–26 | |
Reign of Pekah (Israel) | 15:27–31 | |
Reign of Jotham (Judah) | 27:1–9 | 15:32–38 |
Evaluation of Ahaz (Judah) | 28:1–4 | 16:1–4 |
Israel defeats Judah | 28:5–21 | 16:5–9 |
Ahaz’s idolatry and death | 28:22–27 | 16:10–12 |
Fall of Israel | 17:1–23 | |
Resettlement of Israel | 17:24–41 | |
Evaluation of Hezekiah (Judah) | 29:1–2 | 18:1–8 |
Hezekiah cleanses the temple | 29:3–19 | |
Hezekiah restores temple worship | 29:20–36 | |
Hezekiah restores Passover | 30:1–27 | |
Hezekiah destroys idols, organizes priests | 31:1–21 | |
Fall of Israel (restated) | 18:9–12 | |
Assyria invades Judah | 32:1–23 | 18:13–19:37 |
Hezekiah’s illness and restoration | 32:24–26 | 20:1–11 |
Hezekiah’s wealth and foolish pride | 32:27–31 | 20:12–19 |
Death of Hezekiah | 32:32–33 | 20:20–21 |
Reign of Manasseh (Judah) | 33:1–9 | 21:1–18 |
Manasseh’s repentance | 33:10–20 | |
Reign of Amon (Judah) | 33:21–25 | 21:19–26 |
Evaluation of Josiah (Judah) | 34:1–2 | 22:1–2 |
Josiah’s early reforms | 34:3–7 | |
Josiah repairs the temple | 34:8–13 | 22:3–7 |
Book of Law discovered; Josiah’s reforms | 34:14–33 | 22:8–23:20 |
Passover celebrated | 35:1–19 | 23:21–27 |
Death of Josiah | 35:20–27 | 23:28–30 |
Reign of Jehoahaz (Judah) | 36:1–3 | 23:31–33 |
Reign of Jehoiakim (Judah) | 36:4–8 | 23:34–24:7 |
Reign of Jehoiachin (Judah); Babylonian captivity | 36:9–10 | 24:8–17 |
Evaluation of Zedekiah (Judah) | 36:11–12 | 24:18–20 |
Destruction of Jerusalem | 36:13–21 | 25:1–21 |
Remnant flees to Egypt | 25:22–26 | |
Jehoiachin released | 25:27–30 | |
Proclamation by Cyrus | 36:22–23 |
The son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon succeeded his father as king of Israel. Rather than ask God for riches or power, Solomon asked for wisdom. His request pleased God, who granted him not only what he asked for but also what he did not ask—riches and honor such as the world had never known. Among the king’s most significant building projects were the first temple in Jerusalem and a magnificent palace. But riches and wisdom were not the only things Solomon had in abundance—he also had over 700 wives! He was a great king when he obeyed God, but sadly his marriages to women outside the people of God proved to be his downfall. Solomon’s reign ended in tragedy when “his wives turned away his heart” (11:3) by influencing him to worship pagan gods. (1 Kings 3:10–14)
When word of Solomon’s extraordinary wisdom reached the ears of the queen of Sheba, she traveled from Arabia to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a remarkable entourage, including camels bearing spices and gold and precious stones. The queen was deeply impressed by Solomon’s wisdom and wealth. This Gentile queen recognized that Solomon’s greatness was from the true God of Israel, and that God himself had put Solomon on his throne. Although the queen gave Solomon a tremendous gift—about 9,000 pounds (4 kg) of gold—it paled in comparison to the riches that he presented to her. Solomon gave the queen all she desired and more, after which she returned to her own land. (1 Kings 10:1–13)
1 Kings 4:2 Among the high officials of Solomon’s kingdom is the chief priest, who is surprisingly not Zadok (2:35) but Azariah the son of Zadok. For some unknown reason, Zadok himself is now in a lesser position, along with Abiathar, who apparently has been reinstated (4:4; see 2:26–27 and notes). The new order, designed in God-given wisdom, is different from the old order, in which Zadok had replaced Abiathar who, perhaps unjustly, had been banished.
1 Kings 4:3 The secretaries may have had general managerial responsibilities, or more specific tasks such as recording history or writing letters. It is unclear what the recorder did. He may have been a royal messenger or even the state prosecutor.
1 Kings 4:5 Azariah was in charge of the 12 officers over all Israel mentioned in vv. 7–19. Zabud held the office of king’s friend, that is, his personal adviser.
1 Kings 4:7–19 The twelve officers may have been tax supervisors. Their job was to ensure that local governments paid their dues to the central government. The one governor who was over the land was most likely Azariah (v. 5), to whom the 12 district officers were accountable.
1 Kings 4:1–20 Solomon displayed great wisdom in the early years of his kingship, and as a result, “Judah and Israel . . . were happy” (v. 20).
How large was Israel under Solomon’s rule? During the reign of Solomon, Israel extended into the Sinai desert near Egypt in the south and to the Euphrates River in the north. It was roughly three times the size of Israel today and would have included parts of present-day Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
1 Kings 4:21–24 Solomon had a strong influence over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. It is a large area, corresponding to the area promised to Abraham in Gen. 15:18.
Solomon reorganized the Israelite territory of his kingdom into 12 districts, each of which was responsible to supply the immense provisions for the king for one month out of the year. It appears that Judah, Solomon’s tribe, was exempted from this burden. Solomon also fortified key towns throughout his kingdom and built store cities for his economic enterprises. Among his most significant building projects were the temple and his royal palace in Jerusalem, built largely with cedar supplied by King Hiram of Tyre.
1 Kings 4:25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety . . . every man under his vine and under his fig tree. The people lived under God’s blessing and had some economic independence.
To eat of your own vine and fig tree was a traditional blessing found in both the historical and prophetic books of Israel (36:16; 1 Kings 4:25). It was a reward for trusting in the Lord. On the other hand, to lose those precious resources was a sign of God’s disfavor (Jer. 5:17).
1 Kings 4:26 40,000 stalls of horses. Although most Hebrew manuscripts place this number at 40,000, a Greek Septuagint manuscript and one Hebrew manuscript say 4,000, which is also the number indicated in 2 Chron. 9:25. So the number here could possibly be a copying error. Compare the 1,400 chariots in 1 Kings 10:26, which would suggest fewer than 40,000 horse stalls. In either case, such a large number of stalls (even 4,000) would violate the prohibition in Deut. 17:16 that the king “must not acquire many horses for himself.”
1 Kings 4:30–31 Solomon’s wisdom exceeded that of people from places well-known for their wisdom, including all the people of the east (see Matt. 2:1–12). His wisdom was greater than that of various individuals famous for their wisdom (Ethan, Heman, etc.).
1 Kings 4:33 He spoke of trees . . . beasts . . . birds . . . reptiles, and of fish. Careful observation of the natural world and how it works is one of the “normal” ways in which people gain wisdom. Solomon combined such wisdom with the special wisdom God gave him (ch. 3).
When word of Solomon’s extraordinary wisdom reached the ears of the queen of Sheba, she traveled from Arabia to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a remarkable entourage, including camels bearing spices and gold and precious stones. The queen was deeply impressed by Solomon’s wisdom and wealth. This Gentile queen recognized that Solomon’s greatness was from the true God of Israel, and that God himself had put Solomon on his throne. Although the queen gave Solomon a tremendous gift—about 9,000 pounds (4 kg) of gold—it paled in comparison to the riches that he presented to her. Solomon gave the queen all she desired and more, after which she returned to her own land. (1 Kings 10:1–13)
1 Kings 5:3–5 God has given Solomon the rest on every side that he had promised to David (2 Sam. 7:11). This picture reflects what happens when the people of Israel have a wise ruler and they walk in obedience to God’s commandments. The time is right for the divinely ordained temple-building project: build the house for my name. See 2 Sam. 7:13.
1 Kings 5:6 Sidonians is a general term for the Phoenicians, famous for their expertise in timber. Sidon, like Tyre, was on the Phoenician coast, south of what is now Beirut. my servants will join your servants . . . such wages as you set. Solomon suggests to Hiram a cooperative effort and, possibly (although the Hebrew is unclear), that Hiram should set the wages to be paid to his men.
1 Kings 5:7–8 Blessed be the LORD. A Gentile recognizes God’s blessing on his great people, Israel.
1 Kings 5:9–12 My servants shall bring it down. Hiram responds with proposals of his own—that his own men should cut the wood and transport it down the coast to Israel, and that Solomon’s men should be involved only after this has been done. Instead of wages for Hiram’s laborers, payment should be in the form of supplies of food for his royal household. Solomon agrees to supply food, but he sends workers to Lebanon “in shifts” to help with the timber (v. 14). Although he is happy to negotiate with Hiram to a certain extent, Solomon is also prepared to ignore terms that do not suit him. This clearly implies that Solomon has the upper hand in the relationship.
1 Kings 5:13 Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel. First Kings 9:15–23 makes it clear that Solomon did not force Israelites to work abroad, but only workers from the Canaanite population of Israel. Two quite distinct groups are intended in 5:13–18 and 9:15–23. The first group consists of 30,000 Canaanites and is supervised by 550 officials. The other comprises 150,000 Israelites and is supervised by 3,300 foremen.
1 Kings 5:14 At home likely refers to Solomon’s house or palace, the construction of which will be described in ch. 7. Even at this early stage, it seems, Solomon is spending twice as much time on his palace as on the temple (see 6:38–7:1), while giving the appearance that he is moving quickly ahead with the temple.
Dressed stones (5:17) are stones that have been cut and polished so that they have smooth faces and edges. This type of masonry was time-consuming and expensive, so it was used primarily for palaces and temples.
1 Kings 5:17–18 Dressed stones probably describes “ashlar” masonry, which uses uniform, rectangular blocks that can be joined with mortar.
1 Kings 5:18 The men of Gebal are workers from Byblos, a coastal city north of Tyre.
The son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon succeeded his father as king of Israel. Rather than ask God for riches or power, Solomon asked for wisdom. His request pleased God, who granted him not only what he asked for but also what he did not ask—riches and honor such as the world had never known. Among the king’s most significant building projects were the first temple in Jerusalem and a magnificent palace. But riches and wisdom were not the only things Solomon had in abundance—he also had over 700 wives! He was a great king when he obeyed God, but sadly his marriages to women outside the people of God proved to be his downfall. Solomon’s reign ended in tragedy when “his wives turned away his heart” (11:3) by influencing him to worship pagan gods. (1 Kings 3:10–14)
1 Kings 6:1 The four hundred and eightieth year after Israel’s release from slavery and the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel was around the year 966 B.C. This verse is important for calculating the date of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The figure of 480 years would seem to support the traditional “early” date for the exodus, c. 1446 B.C. On the other hand, some scholars believe the 480 might be symbolic, i.e., that it could stand for 12 generations of 40 years each. This would match a “late” date for the exodus, about 1260 B.C. See Introduction to Exodus.
The book of Exodus finishes with Moses and Israel having constructed and assembled the tabernacle at the base of Mount Sinai. The book of Leviticus primarily records the instructions the Lord gives to Moses from the tent of meeting, but also includes narratives of a few events related to the tabernacle. (Regarding the date of the exodus, see Introduction to Exodus, and note on 1 Kings 6:1.)
No tools of iron? The Lord had forbidden the use of iron tools in the construction of altars (Ex. 20:25). As they built the temple, the Israelites used iron tools on the stones only at the quarry, never at the construction site. They probably did this as an expression of reverence for the temple.
1 Kings 6:1–10 The authors(s) describe the temple’s overall proportions and its basic form (vv. 2–3); its windows (v. 4); and the structure around it with its side chambers (vv. 5–6, 8, 10). The work was carried out with reverence, avoiding the use of iron tools at the temple site: neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron (see Ex. 20:25 and Deut. 27:5–6 for the restrictions that appear to be in mind here). The temple was 90 feet (27 m) long, 30 feet (9 m) wide, and 45 feet (14 m) high (see illustration).
Solomon began to build “the house of the LORD” in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah in the spring of 967 or 966 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1; 2 Chron. 3:1–2) and completed it seven years later, in the fall of 960 or 959 (1 Kings 6:38). The temple itself, not including the surrounding chambers on three sides, was 90 feet (27 m) long, 30 feet (9 m) wide, and 45 feet (14 m) high. It stood in the middle of a court with boundary walls.
1 Kings 6:12–13 God will certainly dwell among his people once the temple is built, but the people must still obey his law (see Lev. 26:11–12). This was something the Israelites were always forgetting (see Jeremiah 7).
1 Kings 6:14–35 Solomon built the house and finished it. The repetition of v. 9a in v. 14 marks a return to the main story line of vv. 1–10 after the detour of vv. 11–13. Now the inside of the temple is described. Most attention is paid to the inner sanctuary (vv. 16, 19–32), the Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant was to be placed (v. 19). It was within the inner sanctuary that the Lord sat. He was enthroned on the cherubim (v. 23; see 1 Sam. 4:4; Ps. 99:1).
1 Kings 6:36 This verse moves back outside the temple, to the inner court.
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Solomon began to build “the house of the LORD” in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah in the spring of 967 or 966 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1; 2 Chron. 3:1–2) and completed it seven years later, in the fall of 960 or 959 (1 Kings 6:38). The temple itself, not including the surrounding chambers on three sides, was 90 feet (27 m) long, 30 feet (9 m) wide, and 45 feet (14 m) high. It stood in the middle of a court with boundary walls.
1 Kings 6:38–7:1 the house was finished. Solomon spent much more time building his own palace than he did building God’s house. This is an early sign that he was not fully committed to the Lord. The author probably intended the following emphasis in 7:1: “But his own house Solomon spent thirteen years building.”
Which took longer to build: Solomon’s palace, or the temple? Although Solomon spent seven years building the temple, he spent 13 years building his own palace (8:1; 1 Kings 6:38; 7:1). This may have been an early sign that he was more devoted to his own causes than to the Lord.
The House of the Forest of Lebanon was part of Solomon’s palace. It was much larger than the temple and designed to be a treasury or an armory. It got its name from the large amounts of cedar timber used to build it.
1 Kings 7:2–5 The House of the Forest of Lebanon, just the first of several buildings in the palace complex, was much bigger than the temple (see 6:2). This building had so much cedar (7:2–3, 7, 11, 12) that it was named after the forest from which the cedar came. It was apparently designed as a treasury or armory (see 10:17, 21; Isa. 22:8). This shows that Solomon was much more concerned about his palace than about the temple.
David commanded his son Solomon to build a new temple on Mount Moriah. This work took seven years, followed by 13 years of building a royal complex to the south of the temple (1 Kings 6:38; 7:1). As this quarter was located outside and north of the original city of David, new city walls must have been built to connect the two areas.
Solomon’s temple was Israel’s first permanent sanctuary. The temple was constructed on the top of Mount Moriah (2 Chron. 3:1). The royal complex was built to the immediate south of the temple. It consisted of Solomon’s own palace and a smaller house for his Egyptian wife (1 Kings 7:8), an armory called the “House of the Forest of Lebanon” (vv. 2–5), a Hall of Pillars (v. 6), and a Hall of the Throne (v. 7). A special “Ascent” connected this complex with the temple.
The area between the temple complex and the city of David was called the Ophel.
1 Kings 7:6–12 The Hall of Pillars was almost as large as the temple. There was a throne hall, also called the Hall of Judgment. Two palaces were built, one for Solomon and one for his Egyptian wife.
1 Kings 7:13–14 Hiram from Tyre, who makes the temple furnishings, is not the king of ch. 5. His mother was an Israelite widow of the tribe of Naphtali.
King | Years of Reign | Total Years | Accession Year* | Possible Co-Reigns | References in 1–2 Kings** | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jeroboam I | 931/930–911/910 | 21 (22) | 1 Kings 11:26–40;12:1–14:20 | |||
Nadab | 911/910–910/909 | 1 (2) | 2 of Asa | 1 Kings 15:25–32 | Killed by Baasha | |
Baasha | 910/909–887/886 | 23 (24) | 3 of Asa | 1 Kings 15:27–16:7 | ||
Elah | 887/886–886/885 | 1 (2) | 26 of Asa | 1 Kings 16:8–14 | Killed by Zimri | |
Zimri | 886/885 | 7 days | 26 of Asa | 1 Kings 16:9–20 | Killed himself by burning the king’s house down while he was in it | |
Omri | 886/885–875/874 | 11 (12) | 31 of Asa | Tibni reigns after Zimri for 5 years as rival to Omri | 1 Kings 16:16–17, 21–28 | |
Ahab | 875/874–853 | 21 (22) | 38 of Asa | 1 Kings 16:29–17:1; 18:1–19:3; 20:1–22:40 | ||
Ahaziah | 853–852 | 1 (2) | 17 of Jehoshaphat | 1 Kings 22:51–53; 2 Kings 1:1–18 | ||
Joram/Jehoram | 852–841 | 11 (12) | 18 of Jehoshaphat | 2 Kings 3:1–27; (“king of Israel” in 6:8–7:20); 9:14–26 | Killed by Jehu in 841 | |
Jehu | 841–814/813 | 27 (28) | 2 Kings 9:1–10:36 | |||
Jehoahaz | 814/813–798/797 | 16 (17) | 23 of Joash/Jehoash | 2 Kings 13:1–9 | ||
Joash/Jehoash | 798/797–782/781 | 15 (16) | 37 of Joash/Jehoash | 2 Kings 13:10–25; 14:8–16 | ||
Jeroboam II | 782/781–753 | 41 | 15 of Amaziah | with Joash/Jehoash from 793/792 | 2 Kings 14:23–29 | |
Zechariah | 753–752 | 6 months | 38 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:8–12 | Killed by Shallum | |
Shallum | 752 | 1 month | 39 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:10, 13–16 | Killed by Menahem | |
Menahem | 752–742/741 | 10 | 39 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:14–22 | ||
Pekahiah | 742/741–740/739 | 2 | 50 of Uzziah | 2 Kings 15:23–26 | Killed by Pekah | |
Pekah | 740/739–732/731 | 20*** | 52 of Uzziah | 20 years counted from 752 to include the reigns of rivals Menahem and Pekahiah | 2 Kings 15:25, 27–31 | Killed by Hoshea |
Hoshea | 732/731–722 | 9 | 12 of Ahaz | 2 Kings 15:30; 17:1–6 | Samaria and Israel fall to Assyria in 722 |
* This chart follows the dating method found in both Kings and Chronicles: For Israel, accession to the throne is marked by a year within the reign of a king of Judah. Parentheses—e.g., 21 (22)—indicate non-accession year dating (year of accession is counted in the totals of both the predecessor and the new king). The actual number of years in a reign can be determined by subtracting 1 from the number given (22 – 1 = 21 actual years).
**The verses cited in 1–2 Kings do not include the initial mention of a ruler when it occurs in reference to the death of his father (e.g., Nadab in 1 Kings 14:20).
***See note on 2 Kings 15:27–31.
1 Kings 7:15–21 two pillars of bronze. Two massive pillars, called Jachin and Boaz, were positioned at the temple entrance. Along with their capitals, the pillars stood 27 cubits (40 feet/12 m), almost as high as the temple itself. They may have been freestanding, though some temples from the ancient world had pillars supporting the roof of the porch.
1 Kings 7:23 ten cubits from brim to brim . . . thirty cubits (in) circumference. These figures are given in whole numbers. The authors were not trying to give a precise equivalent for pi (which for the ten-cubit diameter would yield a circumference of 31.46 cubits).
1 Kings 7:23–47 See note on 2 Chron. 4:2–6. The sea of cast metal was a large metal basin containing water. It would remind the people of how the Lord created the world out of water (Gen. 1:1–2:3; Ps. 74:12–17). Associated with the sea were ten stands of bronze (1 Kings 7:27). The basins of v. 40 are not those of vv. 38–39, but different utensils used in cleaning out the altar (see Ex. 27:3), as were the pots and shovels.
1 Kings 6:1–7:51 With preparation for the temple complete, the text describes the building and its furnishings. This is interrupted in 7:1–12 by a description of the building of Solomon’s palace. The writer seems to suggest that Solomon’s concern for his own house delayed the completion of the temple.
1 Kings 7:48–51 Solomon made all the vessels. Hiram takes responsibility only for the work in bronze, while Solomon is in charge of the work in gold.
We quickly see in these chapters how God blessed Solomon with wisdom, creativity, and many talents. He spoke proverbs and wrote songs; managed strategic relationships with nearby kingdoms; orchestrated labor to build the temple, creatively using natural resources; and approved ornate designs to bring honor and reverence to God. For seven years, Solomon delegated and coordinated building a holy temple so that no hammer, axe, or tool was heard! I can only imagine the amount of patience, organization, and planning required to complete a project of this size.
The Lord would not allow David to build the temple, so He gave instructions for Solomon to follow (1 Chronicles 22:8-10). David then faithfully prepared by storing supplies during his lifetime to set up Solomon for success. The temple followed a similar layout to the tabernacle; but the temple was larger, with extravagant details covered in gold! When Solomon completes his assignment, he makes a lovely dedication and fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices (2 Chronicles 7:1). The glory of the Lord filled the temple; and the people worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." (2 Chronicles 7:2-3)
Thankfully, today, we can continue to claim that God is good and have an intimate relationship with Him. In God's perfect timing and plan, He sent King Jesus; and after His death, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell those who trust in Christ, thereby making our bodies a present-day temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). With the Holy Spirit as our Helper, we confess, surrender, and repent. He changes our hearts and aligns our hearts with God's will. God promises that Christ will "dwell in [our] hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:17). We simply need to put our trust in Him and repent.
This month's memory verse
"God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?" (NLT)
1. Examine the areas in your life you need to surrender and repent today. Give thanks to Jesus for the opportunity to have a relationship with Him and that a physical temple is no longer needed to abide with the Lord.
2. Do you regularly ask God for wisdom for the large projects in your life?
3. Like David, do you have areas in your life in which you can glorify God and prepare for the next generation?
4. What creativity, wisdom, and talents have you been blessed with, and how are you using those to glorify God?
5. 1 Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon spoke proverbs and wrote songs. Do you have a favorite proverb memorized? When was the last time you shared a proverb with someone for encouragement?