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Part 1. Introduction.
I. Video Information. 1-2 Kings -This video will provide a quick overview of the first and second books of Kings. Its video details can be found at the bottom of this page.
II. Lesson Overview.
A. The author of 2 Kings was Jeremiah. The date of the writing was ca., 550 b.c.
B. The timeline for this study will be from 971 B.C. until 586 B.C., (Ryrie Study Bible, Copyright 1986). The outline of 2 Kings is taken from the same Ryrie Study Bible.
C. Timeline of key events of 2 Kings: 931 B.C., Jeroboam becomes king of Israel (Northern Kingdom). 930 B.C., The Kingdom is divided. 848 B.C., Elisha begins prophetic ministry. 841 B.C., Jehu becomes king of Israel. 840 B.C., Obadiah begins prophetic ministry. 835 B.C., Joel begins prophetic ministry. 835 B.C., Joash becomes king of Judah. 789 B.C., Jeroboam II becomes king of Israel. 755 B.C., Amos begins prophetic ministry. 753 B.C., Hosea begins prophetic ministry. 742 B.C., Micah begins prophetic ministry. 740 B.C., Isaiah begins prophetic ministry. 727 B.C., Hezekiah becomes king of Judah. 722 B.C., Sargon II of Assyria conquers Israel. 640 B.C., Josiah becomes king of Judah. 627 B.C., Jeremiah begins prophetic ministry. 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah.
D. The history of Israel and Judah, that we have been studying, picks up in this Second Book of Kings and concludes at the end of 2 Kings. We will take another look at God’s chosen people in the following study of the books of First and Second Chronicles.
E. Picking up after the deaths of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, 2 Kings wraps up the life of Elijah and records the increasing moral and religious decline of both the northern and southern kingdom until Judah’s exile to Babylon in 586 BC. First and 2 Kings are a sobering historical illustration of the dire consequences for human sinfulness (Olive Tree Bible Overview).
III. Key Prophetic Events of 2 Kings. This study of Israel is prophecy based, as opposed to a verse by verse study. The destruction of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) is mentioned very heavily, as is the destruction of the Southern Kingdom (Judah). The many detailed notes of Dr. Ryrie are important for any student of the Bible to understand, and to explain to others. The following events of 2 Kings are discussed in greater detail in the Lesson Outline, where other events are also examined.
A. 2:11. The “rapture, the catching up.”In 2:11, Elihah the prophet was taken to heaven without dying. The verse says, “he went up by a whirlwind to heaven.” Strong’s Concordance shows the meaning of “went” (5927: to go up, ascend, climb). https://biblehub.com/lexicon/2_kings/2-11.htm Dr. Ryrie’s note shows an OT parallel event in Gen 5:22-24, where vs 22 says, “Enoch walked with God.” vs 24 says “God took him.” Strong’s Concordance shows the meaning of “took” (3947: to take). In the NT, John 14:2, 3, 6, Christ will come in the air, not to stand on the earth, and take His believers back to heaven with Him. In 1 Thes 4:17, we are told that we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. In John 14:3, “Christ says, I will come.” Strong’s says “2064: to come, go.” In John 14:6, the word “comes” has the same Greek Strong’s number and meaning. In 1 Thes 4:17, the words, we will be caught up together, have the Strong’s meaning, “726: to seize, catch up, snatch away; 260: at once.” The rapture, or catching up of the church in the NT, has the same meaning of Enoch and Elijah being caught up in the OT. This will also be the experience of believers living at the time of Christ’s return in he air (1 Cor 15:51-54, 1 Thes 4:17). This event, called the rapture of the church or the catching up of the church, takes place when Christ returns to earth in the air, but does not set food on the earth. The time that Christ will set foot on the earth will take place at the end of the tribulation (Zech 14:1-4), and is the event which is known as the second coming of Christ.
B. 15:27-31. “Tiglath-pileser (III) of Assyria attacked northern Israel about 733 B.C., conquering it in 722 B.C. and ending the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
C. 17:1-6. The defeat of Israel (Northern Kingdom). 17:3. “Shalmaneser.” Shalmaneser V, son of and successor of Tiglath-Pileser III, reigned from 727-722 B.C. 17:4. “So King of Egypt. Osorkon IV (about 727-716 B.C.). 17:6. The king of Assyria. I.e., Shalmaneser, though Sargon II (722-705 B.C.) takes credit in his annals for the actual conquest of Samaria. Perhaps they were both involved, Shalmaneser as the king and Sargon as the general.
D. 17:7-23. The sin of Israel. 17:24-41. The resettlement of Israel. 17:24. The fall of Samaria/Israel. After the fall of Samaria, it was repopulated with people from “Cuthah” (in Babylon), “Avva” (on the Orontes River), “Hamath”(between Aleppo and Damascus), and “Sepharvaim” (possibly on the border between Damascus and Hamath). These people, by intermarriage with those left in Israel, began the new mongrel race known as the Samaritans. The Samaritans were descendants of colonists whom the Assyrian kings planted in Palestine after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. They were despised by the Jews because of their mixed Gentile blood and their different worship, which centered at Mount Gerizim (John 4:20-22). Luke 10 relates to “the good Samaritan, vs 33. The name, “Palestine,” is a word that has been applied to the Northern Kingdom, but has no scriptural validity. The KJV, in Joel 3:4 uses the word, “Palestine.” The NASB, in the same verse uses the word, “Philistia,” as does the NKJV, and refers to the Philistines. Based on Scripture, those whom say that they are Palestinians, are actually descendants of the Philistines (See Judges 16, re: Samson and Delilah.).
E. 18:1. “Hezekiah.” He was one of Judah’s best kings, pursuing an anti-Assyrian policy, which brought about a campaign against Judah by Sennacherib. 18:7. Sometime after Sennacherib replaced Sargon II as king of Assyria in 705 B.C., the Assyrian invasion occurred. 18:9. The contrast is startling: under Hezekiah, Judah was being led back to God at the same time that Israel, under Hoshea, was being taken in captivity. 18:13. In 701 B.C. “Sennacherib” captured the cities of Judah (46 according to his annals) except Jerusalem. Jerusalem would not fall to the Assyrians (vs 32-34). Sennacherib was God’s servant as God’s instrument. 19:35-36. “Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning behold, all of them were dead.” The Lord used a sudden particularly virulent plague to slay the Assyrian army. Herodotus records that the army camp was infected with mice (or rats).
F. 21:1 Manasseh. He was Judah’s worst and longest reigning King. 21:6. “He made his son pass through the fire” (concerning human sacrifice). Jerusalem would be judged according to the same righteousness standard as were Samaria and Ahab, and as a result would be destroyed. 21:16. According to tradition, Manasseh killed Isaiah (Isaiah was martyred by being sawed in two inside of a hollow log).
G. 23:29. Josiah’s reign (640-609 B.C.). “Pharoah Neco king of Egypt (609-594) went up to the king of Assyria to help him against Nabopolassar, king of Babylon.
H. 23:35. Jehoiakim (Eliakim). 23:35. “Jehoiakim” became a vassal to Egypt for four years, exacting the tribute from all the people.
24:1. After the battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C. (which ended the rule of Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem, made Jehoiakim a vassal, and took Daniel and others to Babylon.
I. 24:10. Jehoiachin. The second invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, in 597 B.C., stripping the Temple of its treasures.
J. 24:17. Zedekiah (Mattaniah). Rebellion against Babylon and destruction of the Temple. 25:1. The final siege of Jerusalem began in January 588 B.C. and lasted a year and a half. 25:4. The city was broken into on July 16, 586 B.C. 25:7. Third deportation to Babylon.
Part 2. Supportive Information. Scofield Reference Notes. Bio can be found in the About Sources page of this site.
I. Book Overview – 2 Kings – by C.I. Scofield
A. Book Introduction – 2 Kings
This book continues the history of the kingdoms to the captivities. It includes the translation of Elijah and the ministry of Elisha. During this period Amos and Hosea prophesied in Israel, and Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah in Judah.
B. Second Kings is in seven parts:
1. The last ministry and translation of Elijah, 2 Kings 1:1 to 2 Kings 2:11.
2. The ministry of Elisha from the translation of Elijah to the anointing of Jehu, 2 Kings 2:12 to 2 Kings 9:10.
3. The reign of Jehu over Israel, 2 Kings 9:11 to 2 Kings 10:36.
4. The reigns of Athaliah and Jehoash over Judah, 2 Kings 11:1 to 2 Kings 12:21.
5. The reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash over Israel, and the last ministry of Elisha, 2 Kings 13:1-25.
6. From the death of Elisha to the captivity of Israel, 2 Kings 14:1 to 2 Kings 17:41.
7. From the accession of Hezekiah to the captivity of Judah, 2 Kings 18:1 to 2 Kings 25:30.
The events recorded in Second Kings cover a period of 308 years. (Ussher)
Part 3. Lesson Outline.
I. The Divided Kingdom. 1:1-17:41.
A. The reign of Ahaziah in Israel (853-852 B.C.), 1:1-18.
1. 1:3. “the angel of the Lord.” See notes on Gen 16:9. A theophany, a self-manifestation of God. He here speaks with God, identifies himself with God, and claims to exercise the prerogatives of God. Because the angel of the Lord ceases to appear after the coronation (the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem), it is often inferred that the angel in the OT is a pre-incarnate appearance of the second person of the trinity.
2. 1:9. “man of God.” A synonym for “prophet” in the books of Kings (cf. 1 Kings 12:22: 17:18; 2 Kings 4:7, etc.)
B. The reign of Jehoram (Joram) in Israel (852-841 B.C.), 2:1-8:15.
1. The translation o Elijah, 2:1-11.
a. 2:11. Elihah, like Enoch (See Gen 5:22-24), was taken to heaven without dying. This will also be the experience of believers living at the time of Christ’s return (1 Cor 15:51, 1 Thes 4:17). My note: this event, called the rapture of the church, or the catching up of the church, takes place when Christ returns to earth in the air, but does not set food on the earth. The time that Christ will set foot on the earth will take place at the end of the tribulation (Zech 14:1-4), and is the event which is known as the second coming of Christ.
2. The beginning of Elisha’s ministry, 2:12-25.
3. Jehoram’s expedition against Moab, 3:1-27.
a. 3:1. The double dating of the accession of “Jehoram” (cf.1:17) indicates a coregency with Jehoshaphat in Judah. Jehoram reigned from 852 to 841 B.C.
b. 3:2. “his mother.” Jezebel, who lived throughout his entire reign (9:30).
4. Elisha’s ministry, 4:1-8:15.
a. Elisha aids a widow, 4:1-7.
b. Elisha and the Shunammite woman, 4:8-37.
c. Elisha at Gilgal, 4:38-44.
d. Elisha and Naaman the the leper, 5:1-27.
e. Elisha recovers the axe head, 6:1-7.
f. Elisha thwarts Aram, 6:8-8:6.
g. Elisha in Damascus, 8:7-15.
C. The reign of Joram (Jehoram) in Judah (848-841 B.C.; 2 Chron 21:1-20), 8:16-24.
D. The reign of Ahaziah in Judah (841 B.C.; 2 Chron 22:1-9), 8:25-29.
E. The reign of Jehu in Israel (841-814 B.C.), 9:1-10:36.
1. Jehu anointed by Elisha, 9:1-10.
a. 9:8. “For the whole house of Ahab will perish” (NASB).
b. 9:10. “The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall burn her” (NASB). Concerning Jezebel’s fate, see verses 35-37 and 1 Kings 21:23.
2. Jehu defeats Jehoram (Joram) of Israel, 9:11-10:17.
3. Jehu destroys Baal worshipers, 10:18-36.
a. 10:29. Though Jehu destroyed Baal worship, he did not eradicate the idolatry of Jehoram (see notes on 1 Kings 12:28,29) nor walk in the law of God (v. 31).
b. 10:36. Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for 28 years.
F. The reign of Athaliah in Judah (841-835 B.C.; 2 Chron 22:10-23:15), 11:1-16.
a. 11:1. The story of Ahazia is resumed from 9:27. Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and he wife of Jehoram.
b. 11:2. Athaliah’s attempt to exterminate all rivals to the throne was thwarted by the hiding of Joash (=Jehoash of v.21) in the “bedroom” (a room where mattresses and couches were stored).
c. 11:12. “the testimony.” Probably a copy of the Mosaiac Law to remind the king of his obligations.
d. 11:12. “anointed.” On the significance of anointing, see note on 1 Sam 9:16. Anointing involved a consecration, or setting apart, for service. It was a religious act that established a special relationship between God and the king, who served as His representative and ruler over the people.
e. 11:16. Athaliah was put to death.
G. The reign of Jehoash (Joash) in Judah (835-796 B.C.; 2 Chron 23:16-24:27); 11:17-12:21).
H. The reign of Jehoahaz in Israel (814-798 B.C.), 13:1-9.
I. The reign of Jehoash (Joash) in Israel (798-782 B.C.), 13:10-25.
J. The reign of Amaziah in Judah (796-767 B.C.; 2 Chron 25:1-28), 14:1-22.
K. The reign of Jeroboam II in Israel (794-753 B.C.), 14:23-29).
L. The reign of Azariah (Uzziah) in Judah (790-739 B.C.; 2 Chron 26:1-23), 15:1-7.
M. The reign of Zechariah in Israel (753 B.C.), 15:8-12.
N. The reign of Shallum in Israel (752 B.C.) 15:13-15.
O. The reign of Menahem in Israel (752-742 B.C.), 15:16-22.
1. 15:19-20. “Pul,” Tiglath-{Pileser III (745-727 B.C.; 1 Chron 5:26) a general who took the reins of the Assyrian government and made its army into an efficient military machine. “a thousand talents” = 3,000,000 shekels. Therefore, about 60,000 men contributed to this levy.
P. The reign of Pekahiah in Israel (742-740 B.C.), 15:23-26.
Q. The reign of Pekah in Israel (752-732 B.C.), 15:27-31.
1. 15:27-31. A year after “Pekah” began to reign, Uzziah, king of Judah died as a leper, and Isaiah saw the great vision in Isa 6. Because Judah refused to join an anti-Assyrian alliance with Israel, she was successfully invaded by Israel (2 Chron 28:5-15). A second invasion a few months later was not successful because “Tiglath-pileser (III) of Assyria attacked northern Israel about 733 B.C. (v. 29; Isa 7), thus marking the beginning of the end for the Northern Kingdom. “Hoshea,” a puppet king and the last king of Israel, attempted an alliance with Egypt and was imprisoned by the Assyrians, who besieged Samaria, the capital, conquering it in 722 B.C. and ending the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
R. The reign of Jotham in Judah (750-731 B.C.; 2 Chron 27:1-9), 15:32-38.
S. The reign of Ahaz in Judah (731-715 B.C.; 2 Chron 28:1-27), 16:1-20.
T. The reign of Hoshea in Israel (732-722 B.C.), 17:1-41.
1. The defeat of Israel, 17:1-6. (My note. Israel is the Northern Kingdom, in this context.)
a. 17:3. “Shalmaneser.” Shalmaneser V, son of and successor of Tiglath-Pileser III, reigned from 727-722 B.C.
b. 17:4. “So King of Egypt. Osorkon IV (about 727-716 B.C.). On this conspiracy, see notes on 15:27.
c. 17:6. The king of Assyria. I.e., Shalmaneser, though Sargon II (722-705 B.C., Isa 20:1) takes credit in his annals for the actual conquest of Samaria. Perhaps they were both involved, Shalmaneser as the king and Sargon as the general (See note 18:10, “they”). “Halah.” An unidentified city or district in Mesopotamia. “Habor.” The modern Khabur River, one of the tributares of the upper Euphrates, the area of Gozan (=Guzzani in Assyrian records).
2. The sin of Israel. 17:7-23.
3. The resettlement of Israel. 17:24-41.
a. 17:24. After the fall of Samaria, it was repopulated with people from “Cuthah” (in Babylon), “Avva” (on the Orontes River), “Hamath”(between Aleppo and Damascus), and “Sepharvaim” (possibly on the border between Damascus and Hamath). These people, by intermarriage with those left in Israel, began the new mongrel race known as the Samaritans. See note on Luke 10:33. “Samaritan.” The Samaritans were descendants of colonists whom the Assyrian kings planted in Palestine after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. They were despised by the Jews because of their mixed Gentile blood and their different worship, which centered at Mount Gerizim (John 4:20-22). My note. The Luke 10 account relates to “the good Samaritan vs 33. The name, “Palestine,” is a word that has been applied to the Northern Kingdom, but has no scriptural validity. The KJV, in Joel 3:4 uses the word, “Palestine.” The NASB, in the same verse uses the word, “Philistia,” as does the NKJV, which refers to the Philistines (Ryrie note). Based on the Scripture, those whom say that they are Palestinians, are actually descendants of the Philistines (See Judges 16, re: Samson and Delilah.).
II. The Surviving Kingdom Of Judah, 18:1-25:30.
A. The reign of Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.; 2 Chron 29:1-32:33), 18:1-20:21.
1. His reforms (18:1-2).
a. 18:1. “Hezekiah” was one of Judah’s best kings, pursuing an anti-Assyrian policy, which brought about a campaign against Judah by Sennacherib.
b. 18:7. “rebelled” sometime after Sennacherib replaced Sargon II as king of Assyria in 705 B.C. This brought about the Assyrian invasion recorded in 18:13-19:36.
c. 18:9. The contrast is startling: under Hezekiah, Judah was being led back to God at the same time that Israel, under Hoshea, was being taken in captivity. My note: Judah=Southern Kingdom. Israel=Northern Kingdom.
2. His deliverance from Sennacherib’s two invasions, 18:13-19:37
a. 18:13. In 701 B.C. “Sennacherib” captured the cities of Judah (46 according to his annals) except Jerusalem.
b. 18:26. The Hebrew officials asked the Assyrians to speak “Aramaic,” the commercial and diplomatic language of the day, so that bystanders would not understand what was being said. Evidently the “Rabshakeh (commander) himself was speaking in Hebrew or through an interpreter.
c. 19:29-31. Jerusalem would not fall to the Assyrians (vs 32-34). Sennacherib was God’s servant as God’s instrument (vs 25).
d. 19:35-36. “Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning behold, all of them were dead.” On the Lord’s defeat of Sennacherib, see note on Isa 37:36. The Lord used a sudden particularly virulent plague to slay the Assyrian army. Herodotus records that the army camp was infected with mice (or rats).See Kings 19:35.
3. His illness and recovery, 20:1-11.
4. His foolishness before the Babylonians, 20:12-21.
B. The reign of Manasseh (695-642 B.C.; 2 Chron 33:1-20), 21:1-18.
1. 21:1. “Manasseh” was Judah’s worst and longest reigning King (cf 24:3).
2. 21:6. “He made his son pass through the fire.” Concerning human sacrifice, see 16:3.
3. 21:13. Jerusalem would be judged according to the same righteousness standard as were Samaria and Ahab, and as a result would be destroyed.
4. 21:16. According to tradition, Manasseh killed Isaiah (See introduction to Isaiah). The Prophet. According to tradition, Isaiah was martyred during the reign of Manasseh (696-642 B.C.) by being sawed in two inside of a hollow log (cf: Heb 11:37).
C. The reign of Amon (642-640 B.C.; 2 Chron 33:21-25) 21:19-26.
D. The reign of Josiah (640-609 B.C.; 2 Chron 34:1-35:27), 22:1-23:30.
1. He repairs the temple, 22:1-7.
2. He recovers the law, 22:8-20.
a. 22:8. “the book of the law.” Possibly the entire Pentateuch or perhaps the book of Deuteronomy or scripture portions such a Lev 26 and Deu 28, which speak of judgment. Manasseh had doubtless destroyed all the copes that had not been hidden.
b. 22:20. “in peace.” Without living to see the destruction of Jerusalem (Nebuchadnezzar’s first attack came four years after Josiah was killed in battle; 23:29-30).
3. He renews the covenant, 23:1-3.
4. He reforms the nation, 23:4-30.
a. 23:22. “such a Passover.” None had been observed in strict conformity to the law since the days of the judges, though the Passover was observed by Hezekiah (2 Chron 30). Further details of this Passover are recorded in 2 Chron 35.
c. 23:29. “Pharoah Neco king of Egypt (609-594) went up to the king of Assyria to help him against Nabopolassar, king of Babylon. Additional details are found in 2 Chron 35:20-24.
E. The reign of Jehoahaz (609 B.C.; 2 Chron 36:1-4), 23:31-33.
F. The reign of Jehoiakim (Eliakim; 609-597 B.C.; 2 Chron 36:5-8), 23:34-24:7.
1. 23:35. “Jehoiakim” became a vassal to Egypt for four years, exacting the tribute from all the people (though he built a luxurious palace for himself, Jer 22:13-14). See notes on Jer 25:1 and Dan 1:1.
2. 24:1. After the battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C. (which ended the rule of Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem, made Jehoiakim a vassal, and took Daniel and others to Babylon.
G. The reign of Jehoiachin (597 B.C.; 2 Chron 36:9-10). 24:8-16.
1. 24:10. The second invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, in 597 B.C. See introduction to Jeremiah for the chronology.
2. 24:13. Concerning Nebuchadnezzar’s stripping the Temple of its treasures, see note on Dan 1:2.
H. The reign of Zedekiah (Mattaniah; 597-586 B.C.; 2 Chron 36:11-21), 24:17-25:21.
1. Rebellion against Babylon and destruction of the Temple, 24:17-25:10.
a. 24:17. None of Jehoiachin’s sons reigned on Judah’s throne, as Jeremiah predicted (22:30).
b. 25:1. The final siege of Jerusalem began in January 588 B.C. and lasted a year and a half.
c. 25:4. The city was broken into on July 16, 586 B.C. “of the Arabah.” The Jordan Valley. King Zedekiah was captured at Jericho (v.5).
d. 25:7. Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah that he would see Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 32:4; 34:3), but Ezekiel predicted that he would not see Babylon (Ezek 12:13). How accurately bot these prophecies were fulfilled!
2. Third deportation to Babylon, 25:11-21.
I. Gedaliah, the Puppet Governor (586 B.C.), 25:22-26.
1. “Gedaliah.” A friend of Jeremiah (Jer 39:14), he was a worthy governor but was assassinated because he placed trust in unworthy men (v.23: cf. Jer 40:14).
J. The release of Jehoiachin in Babylon, 25:27-30.
1. 25:27-30. Babylonian tablets confirm that Jehoiachin, his sons and others received rations from Nebuchadnezzar’s stores. After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach, attempting to gain favor with the captive Jews, released Jehoiachin from prison and treated well.
Part 4. Video Details.
I. Video Overview: I and II Kings
A. #Kings #BibleProject #BibleVideo
B. Overview: 1-2 Kings. Apr 2, 2016. BibleProject.
C. Watch our overview video on the books of 1-2 Kings, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In Kings, David’s son Solomon leads Israel to greatness, only to fail and lead Israel to a civil war and ultimately towards destruction and exile.
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