2 Kings Introduction
Synopsis:
2nd Kings covers the two tracts of the divided kingdom that both end with the people being exiled from the their land.
In 722 BC, northern Israel’s capitol, Samaria, falls to the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians disperse the northern tribes throughout their empire to crush the people’s spirit. The Assyrians bring in outsiders to intermingle with those few remaining in the land. This cross mingling of people leads to the group known as the Samaritans in the New Testament period.
In 587 BC, Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed by Babylonian Empire under King Nebuchadnezzar. Judah’s exile is a fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy that the people will fall into idolatry that will force God to punish them by a foreign enemy. But inside of this punishment, God never abandons the people completely. He uses the destruction of Jerusalem and the exiling of the people to drive out idolatry once and for all out of hearts of His people.
Authorship: Jeremiah
- Jeremiah according to the Jewish tradition
- Three sources:
- 1) “book of the acts of Solomon (1 Kn 11:41)”
- 2) “book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel (1 Kn 14:19; 15:7)”
- 3) “book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah (1 Kn 14:29; 15:7)”
- probably completed during Babylonian Captivity due to grammar and style
Time Period: 853-560 BC
- Based upon the Thiele's Chronology.
Simple Outline:
1. Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 1-7)
A. Ministry of Elisha (Ch 1-8)
B. Reigns of Kings (Ch 9-16)
C. Fall of Israel (Ch 17)
2. Southern Kingdom (1 Kings 18-25)
A. #12 Hezekiah - #14 Amon (Ch 18-21)
B. #15 Josiah - #19 Zedekiah (Ch 22-24)
C. Fall of Judah (Ch 25)
Neo-Assyrian Rulers:
- Adad-nirari II 912-891
- Tukulti-Ninurta II 891-884
- Assur-nasirpal II 883-859 BC
- Shalmaneser III 858-824 BC
- Shamshi-Adad V 823-811 BC
- Adad-nirari III 810-783 BC
- Shalmaneser IV 782-773 BC
- Assur-dan III 772-755 BC
- Assur-nirari V 754-745 BC
- Tiglath-Pileser III 745-727 BC - 2 Kn 15:19, 16:10
- Shalmaneser V 727-722 BC 722 - 2 Kn 18:9 (722 Fall of Samaria)
- Sargon II 722-705 BC - Is 20:1
- Sennacherib 705-681 BC - 2 Chr 32:9
- Esarhaddon 681-669 BC - 2 Kn 19:37
- Ashurbanipal 668-627 BC - Ezra 4:10
- Ashur-etil-ilani 631–627 BC (627 Babylonian-Median Revolt)
- Sin-shumu-lishir 626 BC
- Sin-shar-ishkun ca. 627–612 BC (612 Fall of Ninevah)
- Ashur-uballit II 612 BC–ca. 608 BC (608 Fall of Harran)
Syrian (Damascus) Rulers:
- Hezion (Rezon) c. 990-930 BC - 1 Kn 11:23,25; 15:18
- Tabrimmon c. 930-885 BC - 1 Kn 15:18
- Ben-Hadad I c. 885-860 BC - 1 Kn 15:18,20
- Ben-Hadad II c. 860-841 BC - 1 Kn 20; 2 Kn 6:24; 8:7,9,14
- Hazel c. 841-801 BC - 1 Kn 19:15,17; 2 Kn 8; 9:14; 10:32; 12:17,18; 13:3,22,24,25
- Ben-Hadad III c. 807-780? BC - 2 Kn 13:3, 24,25
- Rezin c. 780-732 BC - 2 Kn 15:37; 16:5,6,9; Is 7:1,4,8; 8:6; 9:11
Prior Chapter
Next Chapter