Dict: smith - KING

smith:

KING - K>@ - "a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country."
Webster. In the Bible the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. Many persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the Bible to God as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to Christ the Son of God as the head and governor of the Church. The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the substitution of a regal form of government for that of judges seems to have been the siege of Jabesh-gilead by Nahash king of the Ammonites. ( kjv@1Samuel:11:1 kjv@1Samuel:12:12) The conviction seems to have forced itself on the Israelites that they could not resist their formidable neighbor unless they placed themselves under the sway of a king, like surrounding nations. The original idea of a Hebrew King was twofold: first, that he should lead the people to battle in time of war; and, a second, that he should execute judgment and justice to them in war and in peace. ( kjv@1Samuel:8:20) In both respects the desired end was attained. Besides being commander-in-chief of the army, supreme judge, and absolute master, as it were, of the lives of his subjects, the king exercised the power of imposing taxes on them, and of exacting from them personal service and labor. In addition to these earthly powers, the king of Israel had a more awful claim to respect and obedience. He was the vicegerent of Jehovah, ( kjv@1Samuel:10:1 kjv@1Samuel:16:13) and as it were his son, if just and holy. (2 Samuel kjv@7:14; Psalms:2:6-7 kjv@Psalms:89:26-27) he had been set apart as a consecrated ruler. Upon his dead had been poured the holy anointing oil, which had hitherto been reserved exclusively for the priests of Jehovah. He had become, in fact, emphatically "the Lord’s anointed." He had a court of Oriental magnificence. The king was dressed in royal robes, (Kings:22:10; kjv@2Chronicles:18:9) his insignia were, a crown or diadem of pure gold, or perhaps radiant with precious gems, (2 Samuel kjv@1:10; 12:30; kjv@2Kings:11:12; kjv@Psalms:21:3) and a royal sceptre. Those who approached him did him obeisance, bowing down and touching the ground with their foreheads, ( kjv@1Samuel:24:8; 2 Samuel 19:24) and this was done even by a king’s wife, the mother of Solomon. (Kings:1:16) His officers and subjects called themselves his servants or slaves. He had a large harem, which was guarded by eunuchs. The law of succession to the throne is somewhat obscure, but it seems most probable that the king during his lifetime named his successor. At the same time, if no partiality for a favorite wife or son intervened, there would always be a natural bias of affection in favor of the eldest son.

KINGS - K>@ - of Judah and Israel. For the list see table at the end of this volume.

KINGS, FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF - K>@ - originally only one book in the Hebrew canon, from in the LXX. and the Vulgate the third and fourth books of Kings (the books of Samuel being the first and second). It must be remembered that the division between the books of Kings and Samuel is equally artificial, and that in point of fact the historical books commencing with Judges and ending with 2Kings present the appearance of one work, giving a continuous history of Israel from the time of Joshua to the death of jehoiachin. The books of Kings contain the history from David’s death and Solomon’s accession to the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the desolation of Jerusalem, with a supplemental notice of an event that occurred after an interval of twenty-six years
viz., the liberation of Jehoiachin from his prison at Babylon
and a still further extension to Jehoiachin’s death, the time of which is not known, but which was probably not long after his liberation. The history therefore comprehends the whole time of the Israelitish monarchy, exclusive of the reigns of Saul and David. As regards the affairs of foreign nations and the relation of Israel to them, the historical notices in these books, though in the earlier times scanty, are most valuable, and in striking accord with the latest additions to our knowledge of contemporary profane history. A most important aid to a right understanding of the history in these books, and to the filling up of its outline, is to be found in the prophets, and especially in Isaiah and Jeremiah. Time when written.
They were undoubtedly written during the period of the captivity, probably after the twenty-sixth year. Authorship.
As regards the authorship of the books, but little difficulty presents itself. The Jewish tradition which ascribes them to Jeremiah is borne out by the strongest internal evidence, in addition to that of the language. Sources of information.
There was a regular series of state annals for both the kingdom of Judah and that of Israel, which embraced the whole time comprehended in the books of Kings, or at least to the end of the reign of Jehoiakim. ( kjv@2Kings:24:5) These annals are constantly cited by name as "the book of the acts of Solomon," (Kings:11:41) and after Solomon "the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah" or "Israel," e.g. (Kings:14:29; 15:7; 16:5,14,20; kjv@2Kings:10:34 kjv@2Kings:24:5) etc.; and it is manifest that the author of Kings had them both before him while he drew up his history, in which the reigns of the two kingdoms are harmonized and these annals constantly appealed to. But in addition to these national annals, there, were also extant, at the time that the books of Kings were compiled, separate works of the several prophets who had lived in Judah and Israel. Authority.
Their canonical authority having never been disputed, it is needless to bring forward the testimonies to their authenticity which may be found in Josephus, Eusebius, jerome, Augustine, etc. They are reckoned among the prophets, in the threefold division of the Holy Scriptures; a position in accordance with the supposition that they were compiled by Jeremiah, and contain the narratives of the different prophets in succession. They are frequently cited by our Lord and by the apostles.