Bible Commentaries
2 Kings

THE BOOK OF SECOND KINGS

Introduction

The Division of the Second Book of the Kings

The second book of the Kings is a continuation of the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah up to the time of the captivities. As stated in the introduction to the book of Kings, both books were originally undivided. In the opening chapters Elijah the prophet is seen once more in his final ministrations, followed by his translation. Then Elisha comes upon the scene. In and through his ministry and miracles Jehovah manifested His power in behalf of His people. It was Jehovah’s gracious appeal to Israel to return unto Him. The history of decline and apostasy in Israel and Judah follows after that. The house of Israel was first carried into captivity through Assyria. In the Kingdom of Judah a revival took place under Hezekiah, which was followed by a reaction under Manasseh and Amon. After Josiah’s reform and death Judah’s doom was sealed. The book ends with the record of the siege of Jerusalem and the captivity. Hosea and Amos exercised their prophetic offices in the northern Kingdom, while Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah were the prophets of Judah. Ezekiel prophesied among the captives, while Daniel was in Babylon. The division of this second part of the book of the Kings is therefore easily made.

Appendix

THE MOABITE STONE

This ancient monument was discovered by R.F. Klein in 1868 at Diban in Moab.

The inscription consists of thirty-four lines (the last two being undecipherable), and was written by Mesha, King of Moab to commemorate his successful revolt from the yoke of Israel, recorded in 2 Kings 1:1 and chapter 3; and to honor his god Chemosh, to whom he ascribed his successes.

The writing is in the ancient Hebrew characters, which continued in use down to 139 B.C., but was gradually replaced by the modern square Hebrew characters which are in use today.

1. “I, Mesha son of Chemosh-Melech King of Moab, the Di-

2. bonite. My father reigned over Moab thirty years and I reign-

3. ed after my father. I made this monument to Chemosh at Korkhah. A monument of sal-

4. vation, for he saved me from all invaders, and let me see my desire upon all my enemies. Om-

5. ri [was] king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his

6. land. His son followed him, and he also said: I will oppress Moab. In my days Che[mosh] said;

7. I will see my desire on him and his house. And Israel surely perished for ever. Omri took the land of

8. Medeba and [Israel] dwelt in it during his days and half the days of his son, altogether forty years. But there dwelt in it

9. Chemosh in my days. I built Baal-Meon and made therein the ditches; I built

10. Kirjathaim. The men of Gad dwelt in the land of Ataroth from of old, and built there the king of

11. Israel Ataroth; and I made war against the town and seized it. And I slew all the [people of]

12. the town, for the pleasure of Chemosh and Moab: I captured from thence the Arel of Dodah and tore

13. him before Chemosh in Kerioth: And I placed Therein the men of Sh(a)r(o)n, and the men

14. of M(e)kh(e)rth. And Chemosh said to me: Go, seize Nebo upon Israel; and

15. I went in the night and fought against it from the break of dawn till noon: and I took

16. it, and slew all, 7,000 men, [boys?], women, [girls?]

17. and female slaves, for to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted them. And I took from it the Arels of Yahveh, and tore them before Chemosh. And the king of Israel built

18.Jahaz, and dwelt in it, while he waged war against me; Chemosh drove him out before me. And

19. I took from Moab 200 men, all chiefs, and transported them to Jahaz, which I took,

20. to add it to Dibon. I built Korkhah, the wall of the forests and the wall

21. of the citadel: I built its gates, and I built its towers. And

22. I built the house of Moloch, and I made sluices of the water-ditches in the middle

23. of the town. And there was no cistern in the middle of the town of Korkhah, and I said to all the people, Make for

24. yourselves every man a cistern in his house. And I dug the canals for Korkhah by means of the prisoners

25. of Israel. I built Aroer, and I made the road in [the province of] the Amon. [And]

26. I built Beth-Bamoth, for it was destroyed. I built Bezer, for in ruins

27. [it was. And all the chiefs] of Dibon were 50, for all Dibon is subject; and I placed

28. one hundred [chiefs] in the towns which I added to the land: I built

29. Beth-Medeba and Beth-diblathaim and Beth-Baal-Meon, and transported thereto the [shepherds]? ...

30. and the pastors) of the flocks of the land. And at Horonaim dwelt there

31. ... And Chemosh said to me, Go down, make war upon Horonaim. I went down [and made war]

32. ... And Chemosh dwelt in it during my days. I went up from thence...”

Translation by Dr. Neubauer

I. ELIJAH’S FINAL MINISTRY AND TRANSLATION

1. Elijah and Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:1-18 )

2. Elijah’s Translation (2 Kings 2:1-11 )

II. THE PROPHET ELISHA

1. The Beginning of His Ministry (2 Kings 2:12-25 )

2. Jehoram, Moab and Elisha (2 Kings 3:1-27 )

3. The Miracles (2 Kings 4:1-44 )

4. Naaman and His Healing (2 Kings 5:1-27 )

5. Elisha and the Syrians (2 Kings 6:1-33 )

6. Elisha’s Prediction and its Fulfilment (2 Kings 7:1-20 )

7. The Famine Predicted and Further Events (2 Kings 8:1-29 )

8. The Anointing of Jehu (2 Kings 9:1-10 )

III. THE PERIOD OF DECLENSION AND APOSTASY

1. Jehu, King of Israel and His deeds (2 Kings 9:11-37 )

2. Jehu’s Judgments, the Baal-worship Destroyed, and Jehu’s Death(2 Kings 10:1-36 )

3. Athaliah and Jehoida’s Revival (2 Kings 11:1-21 )

4. Jehoash, the Temple Repairs, and the Death of Jehoash (2 Kings 12:1-21 )

5. Jehoahaz and Jehoash, the Death of Elisha (2 Kings 13:1-25 )

6. Kings of Israel and Judah (2 Kings 14-15)

7. King Ahaz and Assyria (2 Kings 16:1-20 )

8. Assyria Conquers Israel and the Captivity (2 Kings 17:1-41 )

IV. THE REIGN OF HEZEKIAH, MANASSEH AND AMON

1. Hezekiah and Sennacherib’s Invasion (2 Kings 18:1-37 )

2. Hezekiah and Isaiah and the Deliverance (2 Kings 19:1-37 )

3. Hezekiah’s Illness, Recovery, Failure and Death (2 Kings 20:1-21 )

4. Manasseh and Amon (2 Kings 21:1-26 )

V. THE REIGN OF JOSIAH

1. The Revival (2 Kings 22:1-20 )

2. The Results of the Revival and the Death of Josiah (2 Kings 23:1-30 )

VI. THE FINAL APOSTASY OF JUDAH AND THE CAPTIVITY

1. Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:31-37 )

2. Jehoiachin and Zedekiah: The Beginning of Judah’s Captivity(2 Kings 24:1-20 )

3. The Siege of Jerusalem and Judah’s Complete Overthrow (2 Kings 25:1-30 )