[Easton]
Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (
Josh. 12:9,
24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (
Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (
1 Pet. 2:13,
17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (
Matt. 14:9;
Mark 6:22).
This title is applied to God (
1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (
1 Tim. 6:15,
16;
Matt. 27:11). The people of God are also called “kings” (
Dan. 7:22,
27;
Matt. 19:28;
Rev. 1:6, etc.). Death is called the “king of terrors” (
Job 18:14).
Jehovah was the sole King of the Jewish nation (
1 Sam. 8:7;
Isa. 33:22). But there came a time in the history of that people when a king was demanded, that they might be like other nations (
1 Sam. 8:5). The prophet Samuel remonstrated with them, but the people cried out, “Nay, but we will have a king over us.” The misconduct of Samuel’s sons was the immediate cause of this demand.
The Hebrew kings did not rule in their own right, nor in name of the people who had chosen them, but partly as servants and partly as representatives of Jehovah, the true King of Israel (
1 Sam. 10:1). The limits of the king’s power were prescribed (
1 Sam. 10:25). The officers of his court were, (1) the recorder or remembrancer (
2 Sam. 8:16;
1 Kings 4:3); (2) the scribe (
2 Sam. 8:17;
20:25); (3) the officer over the house, the chief steward (
Isa. 22:15); (4) the “king’s friend,” a confidential companion (
1 Kings 4:5); (5) the keeper of the wardrobe (
2 Kings 22:14); (6) captain of the bodyguard (
2 Sam. 20:23); (7) officers over the king’s treasures, etc. (
1 Chr. 27:25-31); (8) commander-in-chief of the army (
1 Chr. 27:34); (9) the royal counsellor (
1 Chr. 27:32;
2 Sam. 16:20-23).
(For catalogue of kings of Israel and Judah see chronological table in Appendix.)
[Smith]
“a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country.”—Webster. In the Bible the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. Many persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the Bible to God as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to Christ the Son of God as the head and governor of the Church. The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the substitution of a regal form of government for that of judges seems to have been the siege of Jabesh-gilead by Nahash king of the Ammonites. (
1 Samuel 11:1;
12:12) The conviction seems to have forced itself on the Israelites that they could not resist their formidable neighbor unless they placed themselves under the sway of a king, like surrounding nations. The original idea of a Hebrew King was twofold: first, that he should lead the people to battle in time of war; and, a second, that he should execute judgment and justice to them in war and in peace. (
1 Samuel 8:20) In both respects the desired end was attained. Besides being commander-in-chief of the army, supreme judge, and absolute master, as it were, of the lives of his subjects, the king exercised the power of imposing taxes on them, and of exacting from them personal service and labor. In addition to these earthly powers, the king of Israel had a more awful claim to respect and obedience. He was the vicegerent of Jehovah, (
1 Samuel 10:1;
16:13) and as it were his son, if just and holy. (
2 Samuel 7:14;
Psalms 2:6,
7;
89:26,
27) he had been set apart as a consecrated ruler. Upon his dead had been poured the holy anointing oil, which had hitherto been reserved exclusively for the priests of Jehovah. He had become, in fact, emphatically “the Lord’s anointed.” He had a court of Oriental magnificence. The king was dressed in royal robes, (
1 Kings 22:10;
2 Chronicles 18:9) his insignia were, a crown or diadem of pure gold, or perhaps radiant with precious gems, (
2 Samuel 1:10;
12:30;
2 Kings 11:12;
Psalms 21:3) and a royal sceptre. Those who approached him did him obeisance, bowing down and touching the ground with their foreheads, (
1 Samuel 24:8;
2 Samuel 19:24) and this was done even by a king’s wife, the mother of Solomon. (
1 Kings 1:16) His officers and subjects called themselves his servants or slaves. He had a large harem, which was guarded by eunuchs. The law of succession to the throne is somewhat obscure, but it seems most probable that the king during his lifetime named his successor. At the same time, if no partiality for a favorite wife or son intervened, there would always be a natural bias of affection in favor of the eldest son.
[Nave]
–Called KING OF KINGS
Ezr 7:12 ;
Eze 26:7 ;
Da 2:37
–Divinely authorized
De 17:15 ;
1Sa 9:16 ,
17 ;
16:12 ; 1Ch
22:10 ;
2Ch 2:11 ,
12 ;
Pr 8:15 ;
Da 2:21 ,
37 ;
4:17 ;
5:20 ;
Ho 8:4 ;
13:11
–How chosen
.By divine appointment, Saul
1Sa 10:1
.David and the Davidic dynasty
1Sa 16:1-13
–Hereditary succession
2Sa 7:12-16 ;
1Ki 1:28-30 ;
2Ch 21:3 ,
4 ;
Ps 89:35-37
–See ISRAEL, KINGS OF JUDAH
–Not hereditary
1Ch 1:43-51
–See ISRAEL, KINGS OF ISRAEL , after the revolt
–By lot
1Sa 10:20 ,
21
–Modes of induction into office
.By anointing
.See ANOINTING
–By proclamation
2Sa 15:10 ;
1Ki 1:33 ,
34 ;
2Ki 9:13 ;
11:12
–By an oath
2Ki 11:4
–Ceremonial recognition of
.Prostration
1Sa 25:41 ;
2Sa 9:6 ,
8 ;
1Ki 1:23 ,
31 ,
47
.Obeisance
1Ki 1:16
.Kneeling before
Mt 27:29
.Salutation to: “O king, live forever,”
Da 2:4 ;
6:6 ,
21
–Acts as Judge
2Sa 8:15 ;
15:2 ;
1Ki 10:9 ;
2Ki 8:1-6 ;
Ps 72:1-4 ;
122:5 ;
Ac 25:11 ,
12 ,
20
–Precepts concerning
De 17:14-19 ;
Pr 31:4 ,
5 ;
Eze 46:16-18
–Obedience to, enjoined
Ec 8:2-5
–Rights and duties of
Pr 25:2 ,
5 ,
6 ,
15 ;
29:4 ,
12 ,
14 ;
Jer 21:12
–Exercise executive clemency
1Sa 11:13
–Constitutional restrictions of
De 17:18-20 ;
1Sa 10:24 ,
25 ;
2Sa 5:3 ;
2Ki 11:12 ,
17 ;
2Ch 23:11 ;
Jer 34:8-11 ;
Da 6:12-15
–Influenced by popular opinion
.Saul
1Sa 14:45 ;
15:24
.David
2Ch 20:21
.Hezekiah
2Ch 30:2
.Zedekiah
Jer 38:19 ,
24-27
.Herod
Mt 14:5 ;
Ac 12:2 ,
3
.Pilate
Joh 19:6-13
–Religious duties of
Eze 45:9-25 ;
46:2 ,
4-8
–Deification of
Eze 28:2 ,
9
–Loyalty to, enjoined
Pr 16:14 ,
15 ;
Ec 10:20
–Influential queens
.Bath-sheba
1Ki 1:28-34
.Jezebel
1Ki 18:4 ,
13 ;
19:1-3 ;
21:5-16
.Esther
Es 5:1-8
–Respect due to
Job 34:18 ;
Isa 8:21 ;
Mt 22:21 ;
Mr 12:17
–Profiting from
.Confiscations of property
2Sa 16:4 ;
1Ki 21:1-16
–Plunder
2Sa 12:30 ;
1Ch 26:27 ;
2Ch 24:23
–Tariff on imports, and internal revenue on merchandise
1Ki 10:15-29
–Taxes
2Sa 20:24 ;
1Ki 12:18 ;
2Ch 17:11
–Poll tax
Mt 17:24-27
–Presents
1Sa 10:27 ;
16:20 ;
2Sa 8:2 ;
1Ki 10:2 ,
10 ,
25 ;
2Ch 9:24 ;
Ps 72:10
–Commissary of
1Ki 4:7-19 ,
27 ,
28 ;
1Ch 27:25-31 ;
2Ch 26:10 ;
32:28 ,
29
–Extensive livestock of
Jud 12:14 ;
1Ki 1:33 ;
4:26 ;
10:25 ;
2Ch 9:24 ,
25 ;
Es 6:8
–Chief officers of
.The captain of the army
2Sa 8:16 ;
1Ki 4:4
.The recorder
2Sa 8:16 ;
20:24 ;
1Ki 4:3
.The scribe
2Sa 8:17 ;
20:25 ;
1Ki 4:3
.The chief priests
2Sa 8:17 ;
20:25 ;
1Ki 4:2
.The chief of the bodyguard
2Sa 8:18 ;
15:18 ;
20:23 ;
1Ch 11:25
.The collector of taxes
2Sa 20:24
.The chief ruler
2Sa 20:26 ;
1Ki 4:5 ;
Es 3:1 ,
2 ;
8:1 ,
2 ,
15 ;
10:3
.The advisor
1Ki 4:5
.The provincial governors
Da 6:1-3
–Subordinate officers of
.The governor of the household
1Ki 4:6 ;
2Ch 28:7
.The keeper of the wardrobe
2Ki 22:14 ;
2Ch 34:22
–Drunkenness of, forbidden
Pr 31:4 ,
5
–Drunken, instances of
Ho 7:5
–Baasha
1Ki 16:9
–Ben-hadad
1Ki 20:16
–Belshazzar
Da 5:1-4 ,
23
–Ahasuerus
Es 1:7 ,
10 ;
5:6 ;
7:2
–Prayer for
Ezr 6:10
–Prayer for, enjoined
1Ti 2:1 ,
2
–Decrees of, irrevocable
Es 8:8 ;
Da 6:8 ,
9 ,
12-15
–Chronicles of, recorded
1Ki 11:41 ;
14:19 ;
2Ki 21:25 ;
1Ch 9:1 ;
27:24 ;
29:29 ;
2Ch 9:29 ;
12:15 ;
20:34 ;
26:22 ;
32:32 ;
Ezr 5:17 ;
Es 6:1
–See GOVERNMENT
–See RULERS
–For the kings of Israel, before and after the revolt of the ten tribes
.See ISRAEL