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Kings of Israel and Judah

“Yet Yahweh testified to Israel and to Judah, by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes…”2 Kings 17:13 — WEB
Where It Fits

Two Kingdoms Compared

The Big Idea

1 and 2 Kings record the failure of the theocracy under monarchy. The kings of Israel and Judah could not righteously rule themselves and the nation.

Philippe R. Sterling

IInnocence
IIConscience
IIIGovernment
IVPromise
VLaw
VIGrace
VIIKingdom

At a Glance

IsraelJudah
Rulers19 kings19 kings and 1 queen
Dynasties91, David’s line
Did rightNone8
Lasted209 years345 years
EndedAssyria, 722 BCBabylon, 586 BC
Timeline

The Divided Kingdom

Drawn to scale, top to bottom. Gold bars are kings who “did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes”; red bars are kings who did evil. A lighter section marks years a king shared the throne with his father (a co-regency) or ruled as a rival. Use Enlarge to read it comfortably.

Kings of Israel and Judah, 931–586 BCVertical timeline with Israel's kings on the left and Judah's kings on the right, colored gold for kings who did right and red for kings who did evil, with co-regencies shaded lighter. Events run across the middle, and the writing prophets are in a column at the right. Israel Northern kingdom · Samaria Judah Southern kingdom · Jerusalem Prophets 930 BC 910 BC 890 BC 870 BC 850 BC 830 BC 810 BC 790 BC 770 BC 750 BC 730 BC 710 BC 690 BC 670 BC 650 BC 630 BC 610 BC 590 BC The kingdom divides 1 Kings 12 Jehu's revolt 2 Kings 9–10 Samaria falls to Assyria 2 Kings 17 Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem 2 Kings 18–19 Book of the Law found 2 Kings 22 First deportation to Babylon Daniel 1:1 Jerusalem destroyed 2 Kings 25 Jeroboam I · 931–910 BC Nadab · 910–909 BC Baasha · 909–886 BC Elah · 886–885 BC Zimri · 885–885 BC Omri · 885–874 BC Ahab · 874–853 BC Ahaziah · 853–852 BC Joram · 852–841 BC Jehu · 841–814 BC Jehoahaz · 814–798 BC Jehoash · 798–782 BC Jeroboam II · 793–753 BC Co-regency 793–782 BC Zechariah · 753–753 BC Shallum · 752–752 BC Menahem · 752–742 BC Pekahiah · 742–740 BC Pekah · 752–732 BC Co-regency 752–740 BC Hoshea · 732–722 BC Jeroboam I931–910 Nadab910–909 Baasha909–886 Elah886–885 Zimri885 Omri885–874 Ahab874–853 Ahaziah853–852 Joram852–841 Jehu841–814 Jehoahaz814–798 Jehoash798–782 Jeroboam II793–753 Zechariah753 Shallum752 Menahem752–742 Pekah752–732 Pekahiah742–740 Hoshea732–722 Rehoboam · 931–913 BC Abijam · 913–911 BC Asa · 911–870 BC Jehoshaphat · 872–848 BC Co-regency 872–870 BC Jehoram · 853–841 BC Co-regency 853–848 BC Ahaziah · 841–841 BC Athaliah (queen) · 841–835 BC Joash · 835–796 BC Amaziah · 796–767 BC Uzziah (Azariah) · 792–740 BC Co-regency 792–767 BC Jotham · 750–732 BC Co-regency 750–740 BC Ahaz · 735–715 BC Co-regency 735–732 BC Hezekiah · 715–686 BC Manasseh · 697–642 BC Co-regency 697–686 BC Amon · 642–640 BC Josiah · 640–609 BC Jehoahaz · 609–609 BC Jehoiakim · 609–598 BC Jehoiachin · 598–597 BC Zedekiah · 597–586 BC Rehoboam931–913 Abijam913–911 Asa911–870 Jehoshaphat872–848 Jehoram853–841 Ahaziah841 Athaliah (queen)841–835 Joash835–796 Amaziah796–767 Uzziah (Azariah)792–740 Jotham750–732 Ahaz735–715 Hezekiah715–686 Manasseh697–642 Amon642–640 Josiah640–609 Jehoahaz609 Jehoiakim609–598 Jehoiachin598–597 Zedekiah597–586 Elijah · c. 860–852 BC Elijah Elisha · c. 852–795 BC Elisha Jonah · c. 785–775 BC Jonah Amos · c. 762–755 BC Amos Hosea · c. 755–715 BC Hosea Isaiah · c. 740–681 BC Isaiah Micah · c. 735–700 BC Micah Nahum · c. 655–645 BC Nahum Zephaniah · c. 632–625 BC Zephaniah Jeremiah · c. 627–586 BC Jeremiah Habakkuk · c. 609–600 BC Habakkuk

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Did rightDid evilProphet to IsraelProphet to Judah
Chart

The Kings of Israel

Every king of the northern kingdom is said to have done evil, most of them by following “the sins of Jeroboam” (1 Kings 15:34). Nine different families held the throne, often by murder.

KingReign (BC)LengthVerdictPassageDynasty
Jeroboam I931–91022 yearsDid evil1 Kings 14:201
Nadab910–9092 yearsDid evil1 Kings 15:251
Baasha909–88624 yearsDid evil1 Kings 15:332
Elah886–8852 yearsDid evil1 Kings 16:82
Zimri8857 daysDid evil1 Kings 16:153
Omri885–87412 yearsDid evil1 Kings 16:234
Ahab874–85322 yearsDid evil1 Kings 16:294
Ahaziah853–8522 yearsDid evil1 Kings 22:514
Joram852–84112 yearsDid evil2 Kings 3:14
Jehu841–81428 yearsDid evil2 Kings 10:365
Jehoahaz814–79817 yearsDid evil2 Kings 13:15
Jehoash798–78216 yearsDid evil2 Kings 13:105
Jeroboam II793–75341 yearsDid evil2 Kings 14:235
Zechariah7536 monthsDid evil2 Kings 15:85
Shallum7521 monthNo verdict given2 Kings 15:136
Menahem752–74210 yearsDid evil2 Kings 15:177
Pekahiah742–7402 yearsDid evil2 Kings 15:237
Pekah752–73220 yearsDid evil2 Kings 15:278
Hoshea732–7229 yearsDid evil2 Kings 17:19
Chart

The Kings of Judah

Judah kept one dynasty, David’s, for its whole history, as God had promised (2 Samuel 7:16). Athaliah’s six years were the only break, and even then a son of David was hidden in the temple (2 Kings 11:2–3).

KingReign (BC)LengthVerdictPassage
Rehoboam931–91317 yearsDid evil1 Kings 14:21
Abijam913–9113 yearsDid evil1 Kings 15:1–2
Asa911–87041 yearsDid right1 Kings 15:9–11
Jehoshaphat872–84825 yearsDid right1 Kings 22:41–43
Jehoram853–8418 yearsDid evil2 Kings 8:16–18
Ahaziah8411 yearDid evil2 Kings 8:25–27
Athaliah (queen)841–8356 yearsDid evil2 Kings 11:1–3
Joash835–79640 yearsDid right2 Kings 12:1–2
Amaziah796–76729 yearsDid right2 Kings 14:1–3
Uzziah (Azariah)792–74052 yearsDid right2 Kings 15:1–3
Jotham750–73216 yearsDid right2 Kings 15:32–34
Ahaz735–71516 yearsDid evil2 Kings 16:1–2
Hezekiah715–68629 yearsDid right2 Kings 18:1–3
Manasseh697–64255 yearsDid evil2 Kings 21:1–2
Amon642–6402 yearsDid evil2 Kings 21:19–20
Josiah640–60931 yearsDid right2 Kings 22:1–2
Jehoahaz6093 monthsDid evil2 Kings 23:31–32
Jehoiakim609–59811 yearsDid evil2 Kings 23:36–37
Jehoiachin598–5973 monthsDid evil2 Kings 24:8–9
Zedekiah597–58611 yearsDid evil2 Kings 24:18–19

Notes & Sources

  1. Dates follow Edwin R. Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, the chronology used by most evangelical study Bibles. Thiele’s overlaps explain why the reign lengths in Kings add up to more years than the calendar allows.
  2. Tibni ruled part of Israel as a rival to Omri for about five years (1 Kings 16:21–22). He is not shown on the chart.
  3. Jehu is called evil because he kept Jeroboam’s golden calves, though God commended him for destroying Baal worship (2 Kings 10:30–31).
  4. Prophets’ dates are approximate and taken from the kings named in their books. Joel and Obadiah are left off because their dates are uncertain.
  5. Manasseh repented late in life (2 Chronicles 33:12–13), but Kings judges his reign as the worst in Judah’s history.

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Adapted from Philippe R. Sterling’s Bible survey notes, used with permission.