1 Kings

1 Kings
Center
Abbreviation	1 Ki
Class.	Old Testament
Category	Book of history
Chapters	22 Chapters
Record Related
Writer	Unknown
Date (Approx.)	BC 600

1 Kings is the eleventh book in the Old Testament. It belongs to the historical books along with Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The book of Kings, which is divided into First and Second Kings, records the history of kings in Israel. 1 Kings is the story of about 100 years, from the end of the reign of King David to the reigns of King Jehoshaphat of South Judah and of King Ahab of North Israel.

Writers of 1 Kings

The writer of the book of Kings is not definitively known, but according to Talmudic tradition, it is believed by some that the prophet Jeremiah may have been the writer. Some passages in 2 Kings also parallel the book of Jeremiah. However, since the time period of the prophet Jeremiah’s ministry does not precisely align with the historical background of the books of Kings, the possibility of an anonymous author cannot be ruled out.

Historical Background

After the death of King Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was divided into South Judah and North Israel. When the kings obeyed God’s word, the kingdom enjoyed peace and prosperity. However, when the kings did not obey God’s word, it was constantly attacked by foreign powers and declined.

Composition of 1 Kings

Chapters	Content	Class.
Chs. 1–2	Solomon Becomes King After David	Solomon’s Accession and Reign
Ch. 3	Solomon’s Prayer and Judgment
Ch. 4	Solomon’s Glory
Chs. 5–9	Construction and Dedication of the Jerusalem Temple
Ch. 10	Visit of the Queen of Sheba
Ch. 11	Solomon’s Corruption
Chs. 12–14	Division of the Kingdom and Jeroboam’s Sin	History of the Divided Kingdom
Chs.15–16	Kings of Israel Who Ignored God’s Word
Ch. 17	Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
Ch. 18	Elijah’s Confrontation With the Prophets of Baal and Asherah
Ch. 19	Mission of Elijah
Ch. 20	Battle Between North Israel and Aram
Ch. 21	Ahab and Jezebel Seize Naboth’s Vineyard
Ch. 22	The Death of Ahab

Solomon’s Accession and Reign (Chapters 1–11)

Solomon Becomes King After David (Chapters 1–2)

As King David grew old, his fourth son Adonijah held a feast and attempted to make himself king. Since his older brothers—Amnon, Kileab, and Absalom—had already died, Adonijah believed he was the rightful heir to the throne. However, David, in accordance with God’s promise, appointed Solomon as king.

Before his death, David gave Solomon his final instructions, saying, “If you keep God’s word faithfully, you will prosper in all that you do.” David died after reigning for forty years, and Solomon ascended the throne.

Solomon’s Prayer (3:1–15)

Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to God. That night, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he desired. Solomon asked for wisdom to discern between good and evil and to judge the people righteously. God was pleased with Solomon’s request, as it was made not for personal gain but for the benefit of the people. As a result, God granted him wisdom and understanding, as well as riches and honor—blessings he had not asked for.

Solomon’s Judgment to Reveal the True Mother (Chapter 3:16–28)

Two women came before Solomon to seek judgment, each claiming that a baby was her own son. Solomon ordered that the child be cut in two and each woman given half. At this, one woman cried out in anguish, saying, “Please don’t kill the child—give him to her instead,” while the other said, “Dividing him is fair.” Solomon declared that the woman who wanted to save the baby was the true mother and gave the child to her.

The people of Israel were in awe when they heard Solomon’s wise ruling and held King Solomon in reverence, recognizing that God was with him.

The Glory of Solomon (Chapter 4)

During Solomon’s reign, Israel experienced a great abundance of grain, livestock, and other resources. God gave Solomon exceptional wisdom and understanding, so kings from foreign nations came to Israel to hear his renowned wisdom.

Construction and Dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem (Chapters 5–9)

Following God’s word that “a son who succeeds David’s throne will build a temple for Me,” Solomon began the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. He prepared all necessary materials, including transporting cedar and juniper wood by the sea and cutting large and precious stones. The construction took seven years.

Once the temple was completed, the furnishings and sacred items were crafted and brought into the temple during the seventh month of the sacred calendar. The ark of the covenant, containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, was placed in the Most Holy Place. At that moment, the temple was filled with a cloud as the glory of God descended upon it.

Solomon dedicated the temple to God, praying that the LORD would listen to all the prayers offered toward the temple, so that people might come to know and fear God with all their hearts.

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba (Chapter 10)

The Queen of Sheba came to Israel to test Solomon with difficult questions. When Solomon answered all of her questions without hesitation, she was amazed. She was also astonished by the grandeur of Jerusalem, including Solomon’s palace and the staircase leading up to the temple. The Queen of Sheba praised the God who had granted Solomon such wisdom and glory, and she offered many gifts, including spices and precious stones.

Solomon’s Corruption (Chapter 11)

Solomon had many foreign wives, and he followed their gods, building high places for foreign deities within the temple. Because Solomon broke the covenant with God, the LORD declared that the kingdom would be divided, and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel would be given to Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s officials. When Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, he fled to Egypt for safety.

While Solomon obeyed God’s laws, Israel prospered; but once he turned away, surrounding nations began to rise against Israel. After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam became king of Israel.

History of the Divided Kingdom of Israel (Chapters 12–22)

Division of the Kingdom of Israel (Chapter 12:1–24)

Israelites asked Rehoboam to lighten the heavy labor burdens that had been imposed during Solomon’s reign. However, Rehoboam rejected their plea and declared that he would rule them even more harshly. As a result, the northern tribes—except for Judah and Benjamin—refused to accept Rehoboam as king. Instead, they made Jeroboam, who had returned from Egypt, their king. Thus, the kingdom of Israel was divided into South Judah, ruled by Rehoboam, and the North Israel, ruled by Jeroboam.

The Sin of Jeroboam, King of North Israel (Chapter 12:25–14:20)

The people of Israel used to gather at the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices during the appointed feasts. Jeroboam, the king of North Israel, feared that if the people continued going to Jerusalem—which was in the South Judah—they might shift their loyalty back to Rehoboam. To prevent this, Jeroboam made two idols of golden calves and placed them in Bethel and Dan, telling the people, “These are your gods.” He also appointed priests at his own discretion and appointed feasts on different days to keep them similar to the feasts of God. Though God sent a prophet to turn Jeroboam from his evil ways, he refused to listen to God’s word.

Rulers of South Judah and North Israel (Chapters 14–16).

South Judah: During the reign of King Rehoboam, Judah fell into idolatry and was invaded by Shishak, king of Egypt, who plundered the treasures of the temple and the royal palace. Rehoboam’s son Abijah also became king and did evil. However, Abijah’s son Asa succeeded him and removed idols, serving God faithfully throughout his life.

North Israel: Jeroboam’s son Nadab became king, followed by Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab. These kings continued to ignore the word of the LORD. Among them, King Ahab was the most wicked of all. He married Jezebel, a Sidonian woman who worshiped Baal, and built a temple for Baal in Israel, along with an Asherah pole, leading the people into Baal worship.

Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath (Chapter 17)

The prophet Elijah prophesied a drought to King Ahab as a judgment for his idolatry. Since Ahab sought to capture him, Elijah fled to a place God instructed. There, by the Kerith Ravine in the Jordan, God provided for him by sending ravens to bring him bread and meat. Later, in Zarephath, God directed a widow to care for Elijah. Though the drought was severe, by God’s blessing, the widow’s jar of flour was never used up, and her jug of oil never ran dry.

The Prophet Elijah vs. 850 Prophets of Baal and Asherah (Chapter 18)

Elijah, following God’s command, went to confront King Ahab. On Mount Carmel, he challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to prove who the true God was. Each side was to prepare a bull on an altar, and the God who answered with fire would be recognized as the true God.

The prophets of Baal went first, crying out desperately, but no fire came upon the altar. Then Elijah rebuilt the broken altar of the LORD, placed the sacrifice and wood on it, and drenched it with water. When Elijah earnestly prayed to God, fire immediately fell from heaven and consumed the altar.

Israelites, who had wavered between God and Baal, clearly recognized the LORD as the true God and seized the prophets of Baal, putting them to death. It was only then, after three and a half years of drought, that the rain finally returned.

Elijah’s Mission (Chapter 19)

When Elijah learned that Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, was seeking to kill him, he fled to Beersheba. God sent an angel to provide food for Elijah and led him to Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai). There, Elijah received a new mission from God: he was to anoint Hazael as king over Aram, Jehu as king over North Israel, and Elisha as the prophet to succeed him.

The Battle Between North Israel and Aram (Chapter 20)

Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, besieged Samaria and attacked it. Following God’s word, King Ahab of Israel defeated the Aramean army decisively. The following year, Ben-Hadad launched another invasion against Israel, but once again, with God’s help, Israel was victorious. However, Ahab spared the defeated Ben-Hadad, which led to a message from a prophet: “Because you have released the man I had determined to destroy, your life will be taken in place of his, and your people will be destroyed in place of his people.”

Ahab and Jezebel Seize Naboth’s Vineyard (Chapter 21)

Ahab wanted the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. However, Naboth refused to sell it, as the Law forbade selling land that had been passed down through his ancestors. Jezebel then devised a scheme to falsely accuse Naboth, leading to his death. She gave the vineyard to Ahab. God sent Elijah to declare His judgment: a disaster would come upon Ahab, and Jezebel would meet a gruesome death.

The Death of Ahab (Chapter 22)

After King Asa, Jehoshaphat became the ruler of South Judah. He joined forces with Ahab, king of North Israel, to go to war against Aram in order to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead. During the battle, King Ahab was killed.

His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king of North Israel and, like the kings before him, continued to sin against God. In Judah, Jehoshaphat was succeeded by his son Jehoram.