The Bible consists of kings who ruled over God’s people in the Old Testament, from the crowning of Saul to the mighty King David who succeeded him, to the fall of Zedekiah, the last monarch of Judah.
Apart from the historical documentation, there are valuable lessons to learn from the kings. We can observe how some of them utilized the grace of God upon their lives for good, while others tragically misused it, leading to their eventual destruction.
In this article, we will explore the kings mentioned in the Bible, from the first to the last, uncovering their stories and the profound insights they offer.
Saul (reigned c. 1020-1000 BC)
Saul was the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel. At the beginning of his reign, he showed promise as a leader, but his disobedience to God’s commands led to his downfall. He died in battle, and David succeeded him as king.
“Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.'” – 1 Samuel 10:1
David (reigned c. 1000-961 BC)
David is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible and the greatest king of Israel. He is known for being a man after God’s own heart and is celebrated for his military prowess, his poetry (as the author of many Psalms), and his establishment of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Till today, He is still celebrated in the modern Israel.
“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.” – 2 Samuel 5:3
Solomon (reigned c. 961-922 BC)
Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. He is best known for his wisdom and wealth, as well as for building the first Temple in Jerusalem. However, his later years were marked by idolatry and a departure from the ways of God.
So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” – 1 Kings 1:38-39
Rehoboam (reigned c. 922-915 BC)
Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and the first king of the divided Kingdom of Israel. He ruled over the southern kingdom (Judah) after ten tribes rebelled and formed the northern kingdom (Israel) under Jeroboam.
“So King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name.” – 2 Chronicles 12:13
Abijah (reigned c. 915-913 BC)
Abijah, also known as Abijam, was the son of Rehoboam and the second king of Judah. He followed the sinful ways of his father and grandfather.
“Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel” 2 Chronicles 13:1 (NLT)
Asa (reigned c. 913-873 BC)
Asa was the son of Abijah and the third king of Judah. He is praised for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to remove idolatry from the land.
When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years. 2 Chronicles 14:1
Jehoshaphat (reigned c. 873-849 BC)
Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa and the fourth king of Judah. He followed the ways of his father in seeking God and removing idolatry. He also formed alliances with the northern kingdom of Israel, which led to mixed results.
Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king. He strengthened Judah to stand against any attack from Israel. 2 Chronicles 17:1
Jehoram/Joram (reigned c. 849-842 BC)
Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat and the fifth king of Judah. His reign was marked by a departure from the ways of God, and he married Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab of Israel, which led to further idolatry in Judah.
When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king. 2 Chronicles 21:1
Ahaziah (reigned c. 842 BC)
Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram and Athaliah, making him the sixth king of Judah. His reign was short-lived and marked by his association with the wicked house of Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel.
Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, their next king, since the marauding bands who came with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigned as king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 22:1
Athaliah (reigned c. 842-837 BC)
Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab of Israel and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah. After the death of her son Ahaziah, she seized power and became the only queen regnant in the history of Judah. Her reign was marked by bloodshed and idolatry.
When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah’s royal family. 2 Chronicles 22:10
Joash/Jehoash (reigned c. 837-800 BC)
Joash was the son of Ahaziah and the seventh king of Judah. He was rescued from Athaliah’s massacre as a child and was crowned king after her downfall. During his early years, he followed the ways of God and instituted religious reforms.
“In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.” – 2 Kings 12:1
Amaziah (reigned c. 800-783 BC)
Amaziah was the son of Joash and the eighth king of Judah. He initially sought God’s guidance but later turned to idol worship, leading to military defeats and his eventual downfall.
Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. – 2 Chronicles 25:1
Uzziah/Azariah (reigned c. 783-742 BC)
Uzziah, also known as Azariah, was the son of Amaziah and the ninth king of Judah. His early years were marked by seeking God’s favor, and he experienced prosperity and military success. However, pride led to his downfall when he tried to offer incense in the temple.
All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah’s sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as king in place of his father. 2 Chronicles 26:1
Jotham (reigned c. 742-735 BC)
Jotham was the son of Uzziah and the tenth king of Judah. He followed the ways of God and experienced relative prosperity during his reign.
Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. 2 Chronicles 27:1
Ahaz (reigned c. 735-715 BC)
Ahaz was the son of Jotham and the eleventh king of Judah. He turned away from God and embraced idolatry, leading to the decline of Judah and the loss of territory to neighboring kingdoms.
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestor David had done. 2 Chronicles 28:1
Hezekiah (reigned c. 715-686 BC)
Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz and the twelfth king of Judah. He is regarded as one of the most righteous kings, known for his religious reforms and trust in God during times of crisis.
Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became the king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 Chronicles 29:1
Manasseh (reigned c. 686-642 BC)
Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah and the thirteenth king of Judah. His early reign was marked by idolatry and wickedness, but later, during his captivity in Babylon, he repented and turned to God.
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.” – 2 Kings 21:1
Amon (reigned c. 642-640 BC)
Amon was the son of Manasseh and the fourteenth king of Judah. He followed the evil ways of his father’s early reign and was assassinated after a short reign.
Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 2 Chronicles 33: 21
Josiah (reigned c. 640-609 BC)
Josiah was the son of Amon and the fifteenth king of Judah. He became king at a young age and initiated significant religious reforms, rediscovering the Book of the Law (likely the Book of Deuteronomy) in the temple.
“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” – 2 Kings 22:1
Jehoahaz/Shallum (reigned c. 609 BC)
Jehoahaz was the son of Josiah and the sixteenth king of Judah. His reign was short, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Then the people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and made him the next king in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:1
Jehoiakim/Eliakim (reigned c. 609-598 BC)
Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah and the seventeenth king of Judah. He was a puppet king under the domination of foreign powers and disregarded God’s laws.
“Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God.” – 2 Chronicles 36:5
Jehoiachin/Jeconiah (reigned c. 598-597 BC)
Jehoiachin, also known as Jeconiah or Coniah, was the son of Jehoiakim and the eighteenth king of Judah. His reign was very short, and he was taken into captivity by the Babylonians.
“Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” – 2 Kings 24:8
Zedekiah/Mattaniah (reigned c. 597-586 BC)
Zedekiah was the son of Josiah and the nineteenth and final king of Judah. His reign witnessed the final destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians.
“Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord.” – 2 Chronicles 36:11
