the Third Week of Advent
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Bible Commentaries
Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Sutcliffe's Commentary
Elijah Calls Down Fire on Ahaziah's Messengers.Chapter 2
Elijah Ascends to Heaven; Elisha Succeeds Him.Chapter 3
Elisha Aids Israel Against Moab.Chapter 4
Elisha's Miracles: Widow's Oil, Shunammite's Son.Chapter 5
Naaman Healed of Leprosy by Elisha.Chapter 6
Elisha's Axe Head Floats; Arameans Blinded.Chapter 7
Elisha Predicts Famine's End; Syrians Flee.Chapter 8
Shunammite's Land Restored; Hazael Becomes King.Chapter 9
Jehu Anointed King; Jezebel Killed.Chapter 10
Jehu Eradicates Ahab's House; Baal's Worshipers Killed.Chapter 11
Athaliah's Usurpation; Joash Crowned King.Chapter 12
Joash Repairs the Temple; Assassination.Chapter 13
Jehoahaz and Jehoash's Reigns in Israel.Chapter 14
Amaziah of Judah; Jeroboam II's Reign in Israel.Chapter 15
Uzziah's Reign in Judah; Israelite Kings' Instability.Chapter 16
Ahaz's Wicked Reign in Judah; Alliance With Assyria.Chapter 17
Israel Falls to Assyria; Exile and Idolatry Explained.Chapter 18
Hezekiah's Reforms; Assyria's Threat Against Judah.Chapter 19
Hezekiah's Prayer; Assyria Defeated by God's Intervention.Chapter 20
Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery; Visitors From Babylon.Chapter 21
Manasseh's Evil Reign; Judah's Apostasy Deepens.Chapter 22
Josiah Finds the Book of the Law; Begins Reforms.Chapter 23
Josiah's Reforms; His Death in Battle.Chapter 25
Jerusalem Destroyed; Judah in Exile in Babylon.
- 2 Kings
by Joseph Sutcliffe
THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS.
The two Books of Kings contain the history of the kings of Judah and of Israel, for the space of about four hundred and twenty years. Respecting the authors of these books, we know in general that as the acts of David were written by Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, 1 Chronicles 29:29, so the life of Solomon was written by Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo. 2 Chronicles 9:29. The life of Rehoboam by Shemaiah and Iddo. The life of Uzziah, and a great part, if not the whole, of Hezekiah’s life was composed by Isaiah the prophet. But as the last chapter of the second book contains the imprisonment of Zedekiah in Babylon, it is supposed that Ezra transcribed the history from those holy prophets, and from the public records of the nation, as seems most reasonable to allow, from the frequent recurrence of the words, “to this day.” Their authority is farther confirmed by many correspondent passages in the sixteen Prophets, and by many quotations in the New Testament. In this first book we have the death of David, the accession of Solomon, the building of the Temple, and his retrograde from the highest glory to partial idolatry. It contains also the rent of the kingdom which began its miseries, and it closes with the reign of four kings of Judah, and of eight kings of Israel, comprehending a period of one hundred and eighteen years.
