Reading 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles can be confusing. Kings come and go quickly, some have similar names, and the story switches between two kingdoms. This guide gives a simple overview of the kings and how the Bible assessed them.
The united kingdom
Israel's first three kings ruled the whole nation:
| King | Approximate reign | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saul | around 1050–1010 BC | The first king; began well but disobeyed God |
| David | around 1010–970 BC | "A man after God's own heart"; received the covenant of an everlasting throne |
| Solomon | around 970–930 BC | Built the temple; famed for wisdom; later turned to idols |
Read more about Saul, David and Solomon.
The division (around 930 BC)
After Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam refused to lighten the heavy burdens his father had placed on the people (1 Kings 12). Ten northern tribes rebelled and made Jeroboam their king. The kingdom split in two:
- Israel — the northern kingdom, ten tribes, capital eventually at Samaria.
- Judah — the southern kingdom, mainly the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, capital at Jerusalem, ruled by David's descendants.
How the Bible judges each king
The books of Kings judge each king by one main question: did he lead the people to worship the Lord faithfully, or did he lead them into idolatry? Typical phrases are "he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD" or "he did evil in the sight of the LORD".
The kings of Israel (northern kingdom)
Israel had nineteen kings from several different families, and coups and assassinations were common. The Bible judges all of them as having done evil, mainly because they continued the golden calf worship Jeroboam set up at Dan and Bethel.
- Jeroboam I
- Nadab
- Baasha
- Elah
- Zimri (reigned seven days)
- Omri (built Samaria)
- Ahab (with Jezebel; opposed by Elijah)
- Ahaziah
- Jehoram (Joram)
- Jehu (destroyed Baal worship but kept the golden calves)
- Jehoahaz
- Jehoash (Joash)
- Jeroboam II (a long, prosperous reign; the time of Amos and Hosea)
- Zechariah
- Shallum
- Menahem
- Pekahiah
- Pekah
- Hoshea
In 722 BC the Assyrians captured Samaria and took the people into exile. The northern kingdom came to an end (2 Kings 17).
The kings of Judah (southern kingdom)
Judah had nineteen kings and one queen, almost all from the family of David. Judah lasted longer, about 136 years more than Israel, partly because of several faithful kings.
- Rehoboam
- Abijah (Abijam)
- Asa — good; removed idols
- Jehoshaphat — good; taught God's law
- Jehoram
- Ahaziah
- Athaliah — a queen who seized power
- Joash — good while the priest Jehoiada guided him; repaired the temple
- Amaziah — partly good
- Uzziah (Azariah) — mostly good; became proud late in life
- Jotham — good
- Ahaz — evil
- Hezekiah — very good; trusted God when Assyria attacked Jerusalem; the time of Isaiah
- Manasseh — very evil, but repented late in life (2 Chronicles 33)
- Amon — evil
- Josiah — very good; found the book of the law and led a great reform
- Jehoahaz
- Jehoiakim
- Jehoiachin (taken to Babylon)
- Zedekiah
In 586 BC the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and took many people into exile. See the Babylonian exile.
Two especially good kings
Hezekiah
When the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, Hezekiah took the threatening letter, spread it before the Lord in the temple and prayed (2 Kings 19:14–19). God delivered the city. Of Hezekiah it was said, "He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah" (2 Kings 18:5).
Josiah
Josiah became king at eight years old. While the temple was being repaired, the priests found the "book of the law". When it was read to him, Josiah tore his clothes in repentance and led the nation in renewing the covenant, removing idols throughout the land (2 Kings 22–23).
Kings and Chronicles
1 and 2 Kings tell the story of both kingdoms, explaining why the exile happened. 1 and 2 Chronicles, written after the exile, focus mainly on Judah, the temple and the line of David, encouraging the returned exiles that God's promises still stood.
Lessons from the kings
- Leaders shape a nation's spiritual life.
- God is patient, sending prophets again and again.
- Faithfulness brings blessing; idolatry brings ruin.
- It is never too late to repent — even Manasseh found mercy.
- God's promise to David endured despite the failures of his descendants, pointing to Jesus, the true Son of David.
Use a timeline as you read — see a simple Bible timeline — and continue with the Babylonian exile.