King

The ruler or monarch of a country or realm. God is king of all the earth and human kings are called to rule in accordance with his will. The failure of kings in Israel and Judah after David led to the expectation of a coming king like David. This was fulfilled in Jesus Christ: the true King of Israel and all the world.

God is king of his people and of all the earth

Psalm 47:8 The Hebrew refers to the rule of a king; 1 Timothy 6:15–16 See also Exodus 15:18; 1 Samuel 12:12; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 24:10, Psalm 47:2, Psalm 47:6–7, Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, Psalm 97:1, Psalm 99:1; Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah 44:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 15:3, Revelation 19:6

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.

which the blessed and only Sovereign One— the King of kings and Lord of lords— will bring about in His own time. He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

Significant kings

Melchizedek, king of Salem

Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 5:10, Hebrews 6:20–7:17; Psalm 110:4

The Pharaohs, the kings of Egypt

Genesis 12:14–20, Genesis 41:39–40; Exodus 12:30–32, Exodus 14:4; 1 Kings 3:1; 2 Kings 23:29, 2 Kings 23:33–34; Ezekiel 32:1–10; Romans 9:17

Saul

Israel's demand for a king is seen as a rejection of God's rule: 1 Samuel 8:4–9, 1 Samuel 8:19–22, 1 Samuel 10:17–19, 1 Samuel 12:12–15; 1 Samuel 9:1–2, 1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 10:24, 1 Samuel 11:14–15, 1 Samuel 13:1, 1 Samuel 13:11–14, 1 Samuel 15:17, 1 Samuel 15:26; 1 Samuel 31:1–4 parallel 1 Chronicles 10:1–4; 1 Chronicles 10:13–14

David

1 Chronicles 29:26–28 parallel 1 Kings 2:10–12 See also 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 5:3–5 parallel 1 Chronicles 11:3; 2 Samuel 8:1–14 parallel 1 Chronicles 18:1–13; 1 Kings 11:38; Psalm 18:50, PSA 78:70–78:722SA Psalm 7:8–16 parallel 1 Chronicles 17:7–14; 1 Kings 9:4–5; 2 Chronicles 7:17–18; Psalm 132:11–12

David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years — seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. He died at a ripe old age, full of years, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon reigned in his place.

Solomon

2 Samuel 12:24–25; 1 Kings 2:12 parallel 2 Chronicles 1:1; 1 Kings 4:29–34, 1 Kings 6:1 parallel 2 Chronicles 3:1 Solomon began to build the temple; 1 Kings 10:23–25 parallel 2 Chronicles 9:22–24; 1 Kings 11:1, 1 Kings 11:4, 1 Kings 11:42–43 parallel 2 Chronicles 9:30–31 Solomon's death

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon

2 Kings 24:1 parallel 2 Chronicles 36:6–7; 2 Kings 25:1 parallels 2 Chronicles 36:17, Jeremiah 39:1, Jeremiah 52:4; Daniel 1:1; Jeremiah 21:7, Jeremiah 27:6, Jeremiah 27:8; Ezekiel 29:18–19 Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for 15 years; Daniel 2:1, Daniel 2:46–47, Daniel 3:1 the image of gold; Daniel 3:28–29, Daniel 4:28–37

Cyrus, king of Persia

2 Chronicles 36:22–23 parallel Ezra 1:1–4; Ezra 5:13–6:5; Isaiah 44:28–45:1, Isaiah 45:13; Daniel 6:28

The Herods, rulers in Palestine

Herod the Great: Matthew 2:1–3, Matthew 2:16; Matthew 14:1–2 parallels Mark 6:14–16, Luke 9:7–9; Mark 8:15; Luke 3:19–20, Luke 13:31, Luke 23:7–12; Acts 4:27; Acts 12:1–4, Acts 12:19–23

The kings of the united kingdom

Saul

1 Samuel 10:20–24, 1 Samuel 11:12–15

David

1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:1–4, 2 Samuel 5:1–5; 1 Kings 2:11; 1 Chronicles 11:1–29:30

Solomon

1 Kings 1:39; 2 Chronicles 1:1–9:31

The kings of Israel, the northern kingdom

Jeroboam I

1 Kings 12:20, 1 Kings 12:25–14:20

Nadab

1 Kings 15:25–31

Baasha

1 Kings 15:32–16:7

Elah

1 Kings 16:8–14

Zimri

1 Kings 16:15–20

Tibni

1 Kings 16:21–22

Omri

1 Kings 16:23–28

Ahab

1 Kings 16:29–22:40

Ahaziah

1 Kings 22:51–53; 2 Kings 1:1–18

Joram (Jehoram)

2 Kings 3:1–8:15

Jehu

2 Kings 9:3–10:36

Jehoahaz

2 Kings 13:1–9

Jehoash (Joash)

2 Kings 13:10–25, 2 Kings 14:8–16

Jeroboam II

2 Kings 14:23–29

Zechariah

2 Kings 15:8–12

Shallum

2 Kings 15:13–15

Menahem

2 Kings 15:16–22

Pekahiah

2 Kings 15:23–26

Pekah

2 Kings 15:27–31

Hoshea

2 Kings 17:1–6

The kings and queen of Judah, the southern kingdom

Rehoboam

1 Kings 12:1–24 parallel 2 Chronicles 10:1–11:4; 2 Chronicles 11:5–12:8; 1 Kings 14:21–31 parallel 2 Chronicles 12:9–16

Abijah

1 Kings 15:1–8 parallel 2 Chronicles 13:1–14:1

Asa

1 Kings 15:9–24 parallel 2 Chronicles 14:2–16:14

Jehoshaphat

1 Kings 22:41–50 parallel 2 Chronicles 20:31–21:1; 2 Chronicles 17:1–21:3

Jehoram (Joram)

2 Kings 8:16–24 parallel 2 Chronicles 21:4–20

Ahaziah

2 Kings 8:25–29 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:1–6; 2 Kings 9:21–29 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:7–9

Queen Athaliah

2 Kings 11:1–21 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:10–23:21

Joash (Jehoash)

2 Kings 11:2–12:21 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:10–24:27

Amaziah

2 Kings 14:1–22 parallel 2 Chronicles 25:1–28

Azariah (= Uzziah)

2 Kings 14:21–22, 2 Kings 15:1–7 parallel 2 Chronicles 26:1–23

Jotham

2 Kings 15:32–38 parallel 2 Chronicles 27:1–9

Ahaz

2 Kings 16:1–20 parallel 2 Chronicles 28:1–27

Hezekiah

2 Kings 18:1–20:21 parallels 2 Chronicles 29:1–32:33, Isaiah 36:1–39:8

Manasseh

2 Kings 21:1–18 parallel 2 Chronicles 33:1–20

Amon

2 Kings 21:19–26 parallel 2 Chronicles 33:21–25

Josiah

2 Kings 22:1–23:30 parallel 2 Chronicles 34:1–35:27

Jehoahaz

2 Kings 23:31–34 parallel 2 Chronicles 36:2–4

Jehoiakim

2 Kings 23:36–24:6 parallel 2 Chronicles 36:5–8

Jehoiachin

2 Kings 24:8–17 parallel 2 Chronicles 36:9–10

Zedekiah (= Mattaniah)

2 Kings 24:18–25:7 parallels 2 Chronicles 36:11–21, Jeremiah 52:1–11

The expectation of a future king like David

Jeremiah 23:5–6 See also Isaiah 9:6–7, Isaiah 11:1–5, Isaiah 16:5; Jeremiah 30:8–9, Jeremiah 33:15; Ezekiel 34:23–24, Ezekiel 37:24–25; Amos 9:11; Micah 5:2–5; Haggai 2:20–23

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.

The duties of the king

To fear God

2 Samuel 23:3–4; Proverbs 20:28 See also Deuteronomy 17:14–20; 1 Samuel 10:25; Psalm 2:10–11

The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king; by these he maintains his throne.

To maintain righteousness and administer justice

Proverbs 29:4, Proverbs 29:14 See also 1 Kings 3:28; Psalm 72:1–4; Proverbs 16:12–13, Proverbs 20:8, Proverbs 20:26, Proverbs 31:4–5, Proverbs 31:8–9; Isaiah 11:4; Jeremiah 33:15; Romans 13:4

By justice a king brings stability to the land, but a man who exacts tribute demolishes it.

A king who judges the poor with fairness— his throne will be established forever.

To read the law of God and ensure it was obeyed

Deuteronomy 17:18–20 See also 1 Kings 2:1–4, 1 Kings 9:4–5; 2 Kings 11:12

When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.

The coronation of the king

His anointing by the prophet of God

1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 16:1–13

His proclamation as king before the people

2 Kings 11:12 parallel 2 Chronicles 23:11 See also 1 Samuel 10:17–25, 1 Samuel 11:15; 2 Samuel 2:4, 2 Samuel 5:1–3 parallel 1 Chronicles 11:1–3; 2 Samuel 15:10; 1 Kings 1:28–40, 1 Kings 12:1 parallel 2 Chronicles 10:1; 1 Kings 12:20

Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”

Royal Psalms

These Psalms, although used in honour of the king of the day, possibly at his coronation, share the expectation of a greater king. The NT regards them as fulfilled in Jesus Christ: Psalm 2:6–9, Psalm 45:1, Psalm 72:1, Psalm 110:1, Psalm 132:10

Jesus Christ is the true King of Israel and of the world

Matthew 27:37 parallels Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38John 1:49 See also Matthew 21:5; Mark 15:2 parallels Matthew 27:11, Luke 23:3; John 18:36–37; Acts 17:7; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 1:8; Psalm 45:6; Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:16

Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus Christ fulfils the expectation of a son of David who will be a king like David

Luke 1:32–33 See also Luke 1:69; Acts 13:22–23; Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8; Revelation 5:5, Revelation 22:16

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”