Names of the Book
| English: | 2 Kings |
| Hebrew: | מלכים בּ |
| Transliterated: | Melakhim Bet |
| Other names: | Book of the Kings of Israel (2 Chronicles 20:34) [1 and 2 Kings were originally one book] |
Who
| Wrote the book: | unknown (possibly Jeremiah?) |
| Are the key people: | Elijah, Elishah, Shunammite woman, Naaman, Jezebel, Jehu, Joash, Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Isaiah, Manasseh, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar |
| Is it written to: | The people of Israel |
What
| The divided kingdom and the exile of Israel (2 Kings 1:1-17:41) |
| The surviving kingdom and the rule of Judah's kings (2 Kings 18:1-25:30) |
When
| Was it written: | c 550 BCE |
| Did the events occur: | c 960-560 BCE |
| Was it canonized: | c 499-100 BCE |
| (see the Timeline of the Tanakh) | |
Where
| Was it written: | unknown |
| Did the events occur: | The land of Israel: Jericho, desert of Edom, Shunem, Gilgal, Dothan, Samaria, Ramoth Gilead, and Jerusalem; Damascus |
Why
| 2 Kings was written to inform us that: |
| G-d is merciful. |
| Idolatry only fosters further sin. |
| G-d is patient and corrects those He loves. |
| G-d's patience is not unending and judgment eventually comes. |
Introduction
Second Kings is a historical narrative that, together with First Kings, was originally a single book called "The Book of the Kings of Israel". Second Kings begins where First Kings ended, with the continuing saga of Israel's disobedience against G-d. Despite repeated warnings from the prophet Elijah and his successor, Elisha, Israel continues in her unfaithfulness which ultimately results in Israel's defeat and dispersion by Assyria. The southern kingdom of Judah had several kings who were faithful to G-d and attempted to turn their people back to Him. But after decades of warnings through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets who called Judah to repent and return to the Lord, Judah's sins resulted in their defeat by the nation of Babylon. Even though the people were exiled to Babylon for seventy years, G-d remained faithful to His covenant and His people.
Scripture- Book Selection
| Chapter | Description |
| 1 | After Ahab's death, Moab rebels against Israel. Ahaziah is injured and sends messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Elijah prophecies against Ahaziah. Ahaziah sends three squads of fifty men to bring Elijah but the first two squads are consumed by fire. Ahaziah dies. |
| 2 | Elisha follows Elijah and G-d parts the waters of the Jordan river. Elijah is taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. Elisha receives the spirit of Elijah. G-d purifies the water of Jericho. Bears maul forty-two young men who mock Elisha. |
| 3 | Israel, Judah, and Edom fight against Moab. Elisha prophesies their victory against Moab. G-d miraculously provides water for the troops and Moab is defeated. |
| 4 | Elisha works G-d's miracles: A widow miraculously receives oil to pay a debt. A Shunammite woman's dead son is rasied to life. A single pot of stew feeds many men. Twenty barley loaves feed a hundred men. |
| 5 | Naaman of Syria gets leprosy and asks Elisha for healing. Elisha sends him to wash in the Jordan river 7 times and he is healed. Elisha's servant lies to get a reward from Naaman and gets leprosy. |
| 6 | Elisha makes ax head float on water. Elisha advises Israel of Aram's plans during the war. G-d blinds the Arameans attacking Dothan. The king of Aram besieges Samaria. Israel's king seeks to kill Elisha. |
| 7 | Elisha predicts the siege of Samaria will end the following day. G-d causes the Arameans to flee Samaria in fear. Four lepers discover the Arameans have fled and loot the Aramean camp. |
| 8 | The Shunammite woman avoids a famine for seven years by travelling abroad then returns to reclaim her land. Hazael kills Ben-hadad of Aram and becomes king in his place. Jehoram becomes king of Judah for eight years but does evil and dies. Ahaziah becomes king of Judah for one year and does evil. |
| 9 | Elisha calls a prophet's son to anoint Jehu king over Israel. Jehu kills Joram, the king of Israel, Ahaziah king of Judah, and Jezebel. |
| 10 | Jehu arranges for Ahab's seventy sons to be killed. Jehu kills Ahaziah's forty-two brothers. Jehu gathers all the priests and worshipers of Baal and puts them to death then destroys the house of Baal. Hazael, the king of Aram, cuts off portions of the land from Israel. Jehu reigns twenty-eight years and then dies. |
| 11 | When Ahaziah dies his mother, Athaliah, kills the royal family and reigns as queen. Joash (Jehoash), the son of Ahaziah, is saved by his aunt. Jehoiada the priest makes Joash king and kills Athaliah. Jehoiada makes a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people. The people tear down the house of Baal and end false worship. |
| 12 | Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, reigns over Judah for forty years. Jehoash obeys G-d and orders the rebuilding of the Temple. Jehoash gives the sacred things of the Temple to Hazael, King of Aram to avoid war. Jehoash's servants conspire against Jehoash and kill him. |
| 13 | Jehoahaz reigns in Israel for seventeen years, does evil, and then dies. Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, reigns in Israel for sixteen years, does evil, and then dies. Elisha is sick, prophesies that Israel would defeat Aram, and then dies. Jehoash delivers Israel from Aram. |
| 14 | Amaziah reigns in Judah for twenty-nine years. Israel fights against Judah, Israel wins, and Jehoash captures Amaziah. Amaziah dies and his son, Azariah, becomes king over Judah. Azariah restores the border of Israel according to the prophecy of Jonah. Jereboam becomes king over Israel for forty-one years. |
| 15 | Zechariah becomes king over Israel for six months and does evil. Shallum kills Zechariah and assumed the throne for one month. Menahem kills Shallum, assumes the throne, reigns for ten years and does evil all his days. Menahem's son, Pekahiah, reigns after his death for two years and does evil in the sight of the LORD. Pekahiah's officier, Pekah, conspires against him, and reigns over Israel for twenty years. Hoshea conspires against Pekah and reigns over Israel in his place. Jotham becomes king over Judah and does what is right in the sight of the LORD. |
| 16 | Ahaz rules over Judah for sixteen years and does evil. Aram and Israel attack Judah. Ahaz seeks help from Assyria who defeats the Arameans and Israelites. Ahaz changes the altar in the Temple to match an altar in Damascus. Ahaz dies and his son, Hezekiah, reigns after him. |
| 17 | Hoshea rules over Israel for nine years and did evil in the sight of the LORD. Hoshea becomes a vassal of Assyria, conspires against them, and is put in prison. Assyria takes Israel as captives back to their land because of their sin against the LORD. Israel's sins are explained. |
| 18 | Hezekiah rules Judah for twenty-nine years and obeys G-d. Assyria takes Israel captive and comes up against Judah. Assyria besieges Jerusalem, threatens it, and their king, Sennecherib, defies G-d. |
| 19 | Hezekiah prays to G-d. Isaiah prophesies against Assyria. The angel of the LORD kills 185,000 Assyrians, the siege is ended, and Sennacherib returns to Assyria. Sennacherib is killed. |
| 20 | Hezekiah becomes mortally ill, Isaiah prophesies that he will soon die, and Hezekiah asks G-d for more life. G-d grants his request, gives him fifteen more years to live, and the sign of His promise is that the sun will move backwards. After fifteen years, Hezekiah dies. |
| 21 | Manasseh rules Judah for fifty-five years but does much evil in the sight of the LORD. Prophets predict Jerusalem's destruction. Amon rules Judah for two years and continues in the sin of his father, Manasseh. |
| 22 | Josiah rules Judah for thirty-one years and obeys G-d. Josiah rebuilds the Temple. Hilkiah finds and reads the book of the Law. Josiah repents for his nation's sin. Huldah the prophetess speaks words from G-d to Josiah. |
| 23 | Josiah reads the book of the covenant to all Judah, turns to G-d, and ends false worship. Pharaoh Neco kills Josiah and Jehoahaz, his son becomes king. Jehoahaz rules Judah for three months, does evil, and Neco imprisons him. Neco makes Eliakim king of Judah and renames him to Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim rules Judah for eleven years and does evil in the sight of the LORD. |
| 24 | Jehoiakim serves Babylon for three years and then rebels. Jehoiakim dies and his son, Jehoiachin, rules Judah for three months and is then imprisoned in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem and appoints Zedekiah king over Judah. Zedekiah rules Judah for eleven years, does evil in the sight of the LORD, and rebels against Babylon. |
| 25 | Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem for two years then destroys the Temple and the city. Nebuchadnezzar takes all the valuables and people to Babylon. In the thirty-seventh year of the Judeans' exile, Evil-merodach rules Babylon and releases Jehoiachin from prison. |