KINGS, BOOKS OF (kings, boliks Ov). The two books of Kings hrined anciently but one book in the Jewish Scriptures.
But great stress cannot always be laid on the Jewish forms of the sacred books, as they were arranged so as to correspond with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
(1) Brief Annals. The books of Kings con tain the brief annals of a long period, iron-. the accession of Solomon till the dissolution of the commonwealth. The first chapters describe the reign of Solomon over the united kingdom, and the revolt under Rehoboam. The history of the rival states is next narrated in parallel sections till the period of Israel's downfall on the in vasion 'of Shalmaneser. Then the remaining years of the principality of Judah are recorded till the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar and the com mencement of the Babylonish captivity. In the ar ticle ISRAEL, the period comprised has been ex hibited under the name and reign of the kings who are mentioned there and in these books, and in the article JUDAH, KINGDOM OF, the chronology of the books has been sufficiently considered.
(2) Peculiarities. There are some peculiari ties in this succinct history worthy of attention. It is very brief, but very suggestive. It is not a biography' of the sovereigns, nor a mere record of political occurrences, nor yet an ecclesiastical reg ister. King, church, and state are all comprised in their sacred relations. It is a theocratic history, a retrospective survey of the kingdoms as existing under a theocratic government.
The character of the sovereign is tested by his fidelity to the religious obligations of his office, and this decision in reference to his conduct is generally added to the notice of his accession. The new king's religious character is generally portrayed by its similarity or opposition to the way of David. of hic father, or of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, 'who made Israel to sin.' Ecclesiastical affairs are noticed with a simi lar purpose, and in contrast with past or prev alent apostasy, especially as manifested in the popular superstitions, whose shrines were on the 'high places.' Political or national incidents are introduced in general for the sake of illustrating the intluence of religion on civic prosperity; of showing how the theocracy maintained a vigilant and vengeful guardianship over its rights and privileges—ad herence to its principles securing peace and plenty, disobedience to them bringing along with it sud den and severe retribution.
(3) Verification of Mosaic Warnings. The books of Kings are a verification of the Mosaic warnings, and the author of them has kept this steadily in view. He has given a brief history of his people, arranged under the various political chiefs in such a manner as to show that the gov ernment was essentially theocratic, that its spirit, as developed in the Mosaic writings, was never extinct, however modified or inactive it might sometimes appear.
(4) Religious Form. Thus the books of Kings appear in a religious costume, quite different from the form they would have assumed either as a po litical or ecclesiastical narrative. In the one case legislative enactments, royal edicts, popular move ments, would have occupied a prominent place; in the other, sacerdotal arrangements, Levitical service, mtisic and pageantry, would have filled the leading sections of the treatise.
In either view the points adduced would have had a restricted reference to the palace or the temple, the sovereign or the pontiff, the court or the priesthood, the throne or the altar, the tribute or tithes, the nation on its farms, or the tribes in the courts of the sacred edifice.
But the theocracy conjoined both the political and religious elements, and the inspired annalist unites them as essential to his design. The agcncy of Divinity is constantly recognized, the hand of Jehovah is continually acknowledged.
(5) Agency of the Prophets. The chief or gan of theocratic influence enjoys peculiar prom inence. We refer to the incescant agency of the prophets, their great power and peculiar modes of action as detailed by the composer of the books of Kings. They interfered with the succession, and their instrnmentality was apparent in the schism. They roused the people, and they braved the sover eign. The balance of power Ivas in their hands; the regal dignity seemed to be sometimes at their disposal; indeed they were his vicegerents by whom his judgments were executed.