The southernmost of the two kingdoms into which Israel split after the death of Solomon. It was ruled by a series of Davidic kings until the sixth century B.C., when it became a province of the Babylonian empire.
Origin of the kingdom of Judah
1 Kings 12:1–24 parallel 2 Chronicles 10:1–11:4
Loss of the wealth amassed in Judah
1 Kings 14:25–26 parallel 2 Chronicles 12:9 See also 1 Kings 15:18–19 parallel 2 Chronicles 16:2–3; 2 Kings 12:17–18, 2 Kings 14:14 parallel 2 Chronicles 25:24; 2 Kings 16:8 parallel 2 Chronicles 28:21; 2 Kings 18:14–16; 2 Chronicles 24:23
In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields that Solomon had made.
Apostasy in Judah
1 Kings 14:22–24 See also 2 Kings 8:16–19 parallel 2 Chronicles 21:5–7; 2 Kings 16:10–16, 2 Kings 21:2–16 parallel 2 Chronicles 33:2–10; 2 Chronicles 28:22–23
And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and by the sins they committed they provoked Him to jealous anger more than all their fathers had done. They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
Religious revival in Judah
2 Kings 18:2–7 parallels 2 Chronicles 29:1–2, 2 Chronicles 31:1, 2 Chronicles 31:20–21 See also 2 Kings 12:1–16 parallel 2 Chronicles 24:1–14; 2 Kings 23:1–25; 2 Chronicles 34:1–13, 2 Chronicles 34:29–33, 2 Chronicles 29:1–31:1, 2 Chronicles 35:1–19
He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.
The reign of Athaliah in Judah
2 Kings 11:1–16 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:10–23:21
Coalitions between Judah and Israel
2 Kings 8:28–29 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:5–6 See also 1 Kings 22:1–5 parallel 2 Chronicles 18:1–3; 2 Kings 3:4–7
Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
War in Judah
With Israel
1 Kings 15:6 See also 1 Kings 14:30 parallel 2 Chronicles 12:15; 1 Kings 15:16–17 parallel 2 Chronicles 16:1; 2 Kings 14:8–14 parallel 2 Chronicles 25:17–24; 2 Kings 16:5
And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam’s life.
With other nations
2 Kings 14:7 See also 2 Kings 8:20–22 parallel 2 Chronicles 21:8–10; 2 Kings 18:8, 2 Kings 18:13–19:36 parallels 2 Chronicles 32:9–19, Isaiah 36:1–22; 2 Chronicles 21:16–17, 2 Chronicles 25:11–12, 2 Chronicles 28:17–18
Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.
Judah's loss of independence and change of status from kingdom to province
2 Kings 25:1–12 parallels 2 Chronicles 36:17–20, Jeremiah 39:1–10 See also 2 Kings 25:22–24 parallel Jeremiah 40:7–9
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.