2 Kings
2 Kings
2 Kings stands within the Former Writings (historical books), tracing Israel’s life in the land—leadership, kingship, catastrophe, and return. It weaves memory and theology: events are narrated not as bare chronicle but as covenant history, where fidelity brings life and infidelity, loss. Modern readers notice court records, annals, and memoir‑like sections drawing on diverse sources. The book’s literary design—cycles, speeches, prophetic evaluations—helps make sense of complex politics and international pressures from Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon/Persia. In synagogue and church, 2 Kings functions as a treasury of warning and hope, showing how ordinary choices and royal policies alike stand under God’s address. Its portraits of leaders and communities continue to inform ethics, public theology, and patient trust through judgment and restoration.
Annotated Bibliography (Chicago Style)
- Dillard, Raymond B., and Tremper Longman III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006. Standard introduction covering authorship, date, literary features, and theology for each OT book.
- Alexander, T. Desmond. From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012. Thematic and historical overview of the Torah within the Old Testament story.