Introduction to 2 Kings
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of 2 Kings
King Ahaziah of Israel (1:1–18)
Elijah is taken up into heaven (2:1–25)
King Jehoram of Israel (3:1–27)
Stories of the miracles and prophecies of Elisha (4:1–8:15)
King Jehoram of Judah (8:16–24)
King Ahaziah of Judah and King Jehoram of Israel (8:25–9:29)
King Jehu of Israel (9:30–10:36)
King Joash of Judah (11:1–12:21)
King Jehoahaz of Israel (13:1–9)
King Jehoash of Israel (13:10–25)
King Amaziah of Judah (14:1–22)
King Jeroboam of Israel (14:23–29)
King Azariah of Judah (15:1–7)
King Zechariah of Israel (15:8–12)
King Shallum of Israel (15:13–15)
King Menahem of Israel (15:16–22)
King Shallum of Israel (15:23–26)
King Ahaz of Judah (16:1–20)
King Hoshea of Israel (17:1–6)
Conquest of Israel by the Assyrians (17:7–31)
King Hezekiah of Judah (18:1–20:21)
King Manasseh of Judah (21:1–18)
King Amon of Judah (21:19–26)
King Josiah of Judah (22:1–23:30)
King Jehoahaz of Judah (23:31–35)
King Jehoiakim of Judah (23:36–24:7)
King Jehoiachin of Judah (24:8–17)
King Zedekiah of Judah (24:18–25:7)
Conquest of Judah and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (25:8–30)
What is the book of 2 Kings about?
The book of 2 Kings of continues the story that 1 Kings tells about what happened to the people of Israel after King David died. It tells what the kings were like who ruled over the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, into which David’s kingdom split. It uses David’s conduct as a standard to measure the conduct of these later kings. It often says whether or not a king did what was “right in the eyes of Yahweh his Yahweh, like David his father” (that is, his ancestor). While some of the kings were godly and righteous, others were wicked. The book describes how Yahweh sent prophets to the kings and people of Israel and Judah to call them back to obedience to him. The book relates how, unfortunately, both kingdoms disobeyed Yahweh so badly that he finally allowed foreign empires to conquer them and take their people into exile.
What is the purpose of the book of 2 Kings?
The book of 2 Kings is part of a long history that includes the preceding books of 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings. The purpose of the entire history is to show that Yahweh was not at fault when the Israelites were conquered and exiled from their land. Instead, this happened because the people disobeyed Yahweh and broke their covenant with him.
Who wrote the book of 2 Kings?
The author of 2 Kings does not identify himself by name in the book. However, many interpreters believe that the prophets in Israel recorded the events that are related in this book, and in the entire history of which it is a part, in order to demonstrate that the people had disobeyed Yahweh. These prophets wanted to encourage the people to obey Yahweh once more. It is possible that a prophet, or several prophets, or someone connected with the prophets, wrote or compiled 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings in the form in which we have them today. While different people may therefore have written different parts of the book, these notes will refer to whoever wrote any given part of 2 Kings as “the author.”
What title should translators use for this book?
Translators can use the traditional title of 2 Kings or Second Kings. Translators may also consider a different title such as “The Second Book about the Kings of Israel and Judah.”
Is it all right to translate the book of 2 Kings before translating 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, or 1 Kings?
It is best to translate the books of 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings in that order, before 2 Kings, since 2 Kings continues from where 1 Kings ends.
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
The role of the king
The book of 2 Kings focuses on the lives of various kings. Their role was not just political. The king in ancient Israel was Yahweh’s appointed representative, entrusted with the task of leading the people to obey the covenant Yahweh had made with them. His success or failure was directly tied to his faithfulness to Yahweh. The king was responsible for upholding justice, protecting vulnerable people, and ensuring that the Israelites remained faithful to Yahweh as their God. When the king sinned or worshiped other gods, the entire nation suffered the consequences, because the king was no longer leading the people to live in the way that Yahweh wants people to live.
The centrality of the temple
The preceding book of 1 Kings established that Yahweh’s temple in Jerusalem was to be the central place of worship for the Israelites, rather than the “high places” where the Canaanites had previously worshiped their foreign gods. The temple was supposed to be the location for sacrifices, prayers, and festivals. It symbolized the covenant relationship between Yahweh and the Israelites. Its neglect by unfaithful kings and the establishment of rival places of worship on those “high places” directly led to the nation’s spiritual decline.
The significance of the prophets
Throughout 2 Kings, Yahweh speaks to the kings and people of Israel and Judah through prophets who serve as his messengers. The book relates how prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Isaiah, Huldah, and others whose names are not given spoke truth to powerful leaders and held them accountable for their actions. The prophets often challenged the king’s actions when those conflicted with Yahweh’s law. However, they also encouraged kings who were obeying Yahweh. They performed signs to authenticate their message and demonstrate Yahweh’s power. They did this to confront the idolatry and worship of foreign gods that plagued the kingdom. The prophets’ words and deeds served as a powerful reminder that Yahweh’s power and authority were greater than those of any human ruler, and so it was vital for the king and people to live in a faithful and obedient covenant relationship with Yahweh.
Part 3: Translation Issues in This Book
“And it happened”
While the phrase “And it happened” can sometimes just indicate ongoing action (as in 4:6, “And it happened, as she filled the containers), the author uses it at other times to introduce a new event in the story or a new development within an episode. For example, he uses the phrase in 2:1 to introduce the entire event of Yahweh taking Elijah up to heaven. Within that event, he uses it in 2:9 to introduce the development of Elijah asking Elisha what he can do for him before Yahweh takes him away. To translate this phrase in its various occurrences, use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event or a new development within an event. (See: Introduction of a New Event)
“behold”
The author and characters often use the word “behold” to focus their listeners’ attention on what they are about to say. While the word literally means “look,” the speakers do not want their listeners to look at something. Instead, they want them to pay careful attention to something they are about to say. For example, the Shunamite woman says “Behold” in 4:9 in order to call her husband’s attention to the holy character of Elisha that she has observed. When the author is calling attention to a sudden or unexpected development, it may be appropriate to translate “behold” as “suddenly.” For example, when the author says in 2:11, “behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire,” the meaning is that “a chariot of fire and horses of fire suddenly appeared.” (See: Metaphor)
“to this day”
In several places, the author uses the phrase “to this day.” By that phrase, he is referring to the time at which he was writing. Translators should be aware that “to this day” refers to a time that is now in the past. They should avoid giving the impression that “to this day” means the present day of the translation’s readers. Translators might decide to say something such as “at the time when this is being written” or “at the time of this writing.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
“in the eyes of”
The author and characters often speak of something having a certain characteristic “in the eyes of” someone. This means that that person considered this thing to have that characteristic. For example, when the captain of fifty pleads with Elisha in 1:14 “let my life be valuable in your eyes,” he means that he wants Elisha to consider his life to be valuable. When the author says in 3:2 that Jehoram “did evil in the eyes of Yahweh,” he means that Jehoram did what Yahweh considered to be evil. (See: Idiom)
“face”
The expression “to the face of” can have different shades of meaning depending on the context.
The author and characters often use the word “face” to represent the presence of a person or group, since people can see the face of someone who is present. For example, when Elisha speaks in 3:14 of “Yahweh of armies, to whose face I stand,” he means “in whose presence I stand.”
The focus may also be on something being in front of or before a person or thing, either in space or in time. For example, when the author says of Elisha in 4:12 that the Shunamite woman stood “to his face”, he means that she stood in front of him.
The focus may also be on the relationship or interaction between people or groups, as in 3:24, where the author says of the Israelite soldiers that the Moabites “fled from their face.” He means that as the Moabites opposed the Israelites in battle, they fled from them. (See: Metonymy)
In other contexts, the author or a character may use the word “face,” describing part of a person, in order to represent the whole person. For example, the angel of Yahweh tells Elijah in 1:15 regarding the hostile king Ahaziah, “do not be afraid of his face,” meaning “do not be afraid of him.” (See: Synecdoche)
“father” meaning “ancestor”
The author and characters often use the term “father” to mean “ancestor.” For example, the author frequently reports that a king died by saying that he “lay down with his fathers,” that is, he joined his ancestors in death, as in 8:24 and comparable passages. If your language uses a similar expression to describe someone dying, you could use it in your translation but say “ancestors” rather than “fathers.” In 12:18, the author speaks of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah as the “fathers” of Joash, but while Ahaziah was his actual father, Jehoram was his grandfather and Jehoshaphat was his great-grandfather. If it would be helpful in your language, in such instances you could state the meaning plainly in your translation. (See: Metaphor)
“hand”
The author and characters often use the word “hand” to represent power, capability, or control. For example, in 3:10, King Jehoram laments that Yahweh has apparently given him and his allies “into the hand of Moab,” meaning that he believes the Moabites are going to overpower them and defeat them.
The word “hand” may also represent possession or conveyance, as when the author says in 5:5 that Naaman “took in his hand” silver and gold and expensive clothes as a gift for Elisha.
The word “hand” may also represent agency, as when Jehu refers in 9:36 to the prophecy that Yahweh “spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah the Tishbite” about Jezebel. He means that Yahweh spoke this prophecy through the agency of Elijah.
Translation notes will help distinguish the difference between these shades of meaning when that may not be clear from the context. (See: Metonymy)
In other contexts, the author or a character may use the word “hand,” describing part of a person, in order to represent the whole person. For example, the word “hand” may represent an entire person in the act of possessing and offering something, as when Gehazi says in 5:20 that he will take “from the hand of Naaman” some of the gifts he brought for Elisha. He means that he will take them from Naaman. (See: Synecdoche)
“house” meaning “temple” or “family”
The author and characters often use the term “house” to mean the temple in which the Israelites worshiped Yahweh, as if that temple were a house in which Yahweh lived. For example, when the author says in 15:35 that King Jotham “built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh,” he means that he built the upper gate of the temple of Yahweh. The author or characters may also speak of a temple in which another people group worshiped its deity as a “house,” as if that temple were a house in which that god lived. For example, in 5:17 Naaman speaks of the temple of Rimmon as the “house of Rimmon.” If it would be clearer in your language, you could say “temple” in your translation rather than “house.”
The author and characters may also use the term “house” to mean all the people who live in the same house, including family members and servants. This is the meaning in 7:9 when the lepers speak of “the house of the king” to mean his household. In many other contexts where the term “house” is applied to a king, it is envisioning his descendants who succeed him as king. This is the case, for example, in 8:18, where the author speaks of “the house of Ahab.” It may be helpful to translate the term “house” as “dynasty” in these contexts. (See: Metaphor)
“listen”
The author and characters sometimes use the term “listen” to mean complying with what someone has said. For example, when Jehu says to the leaders of Jezreel in 10:6, “If … you are listening to my voice,” he means, “If … you agree to do what I say.” When the author says of Jehoahaz’s prayer in 13:4 that “Yahweh listened to him,” he means that Yahweh answered his prayer by giving him what he asked for. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
“my lord” or “your servant”
Many times throughout the book, even though people are addressing a king or other leader directly, they speak of him in the third person as “my lord” to show respect. For example, in 2:19 a spokesman for the men of Jericho addresses Elisha respectfully as “my lord.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in a respectful form in the second person. You might have people say, for example, “you, my lord.” Some cultures may have a specific form that they use to address rulers, and if your culture does, you could use that form in your translation. The UST models one way to do that. It has people say to kings, “Your Majesty.”
Similarly, many times throughout the book, people speak of themselves in the third person as “your servant” to show humility. For example, in 2:16 the sons of the prophets in Jericho speak of themselves to Elisha humbly as “your servants.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in a humble form in the first person. You might have people say, for example, “with us, your servants,” “I, your servant,” and so forth. (See: First, Second or Third Person)
name of a person representing that person and associated with or accompanying people
The author and characters often use the name of a person to represent that person and others who are associated with or accompanying that person. For example, when the king of Aram says of Elisha in 6:13, “I will take him,” he is using himself to represent everyone who would be involved in taking or capturing Elisha. He would give the command, but his soldiers would make the actual capture. (See: Synecdoche)
name of nation, tribe, or city representing its people or army
The author and characters often use the name of a nation, tribe, or city to represent its people or its army. For example, when the author says in 1:1 that “Moab rebelled against Israel,” he means that the people of the kingdom of Moab rebelled against their rulers, the king and people of Israel. When the author says in 3:6 that King Jehoram mustered “all of Israel,” he means that the king mobilized the entire Israelite army. (See: Metonymy)
“saying” or “and said”
The author and characters frequently use the term “saying” to introduce direct quotations. In addition, the author sometimes uses the phrase “and said” to introduce direct quotations after other verbs of speaking such as “answered,” “spoke,” “prayed,” “cried out,” or “pleaded.” In these instances, use a natural way of introducing direct quotations in your language. It may not be necessary to represent these expressions explicitly. (See: Quotations and Quote Margins)
“shall”
The ULT represents the Hebrew instructional verb form with the English helping verb “shall.” For example, when Elijah tells King Ahaziah’s messengers in 1:6 “you shall say to him,” he is instructing him to tell the king what he says next. Other ways to say this are “you are to say to him” and “I want you to say to him.” Translate this form with the most natural way in your language for giving instructions.
“sons of” or “son of”
The author and characters often speak of “the sons of” a person to mean the nation or tribe that consists of his descendants. For example, in 8:12 Elisha speaks of the “sons of Israel” to mean the Israelites. In 23:13, the author speaks of the “sons of Ammon” to mean the Ammonites. In such cases, “sons” means not first-generation offspring but later descendants. You may wish to translate these expressions with the word “descendants” or with the name of the people group that consists of the descendants of the named person. (See: Metaphor)
In other contexts, the authors and characters use the expression “son of” to indicate that a person has the characteristic of something. For example, in 6:32 Elisha calls King Jehoram a “son of a murderer,” meaning that he is a murderous person. In a specialized use of this expression, the author typically says that a person was “a son of” a certain number of years to mean that the person was that many years old. For example, he says in 8:17 that Jehoram was “a son of 32 years” to mean that he was 32 years old when he became king. Unless your language uses the term “son” in the same sense, we recommend that you translate these expressions with corresponding characteristic expressions from your own language. (See: Idiom)
“strike” or “struck”
In many places, the author says that soldiers “struck” an opposing army, city, or king, as if they had only hit them. But in various contexts, he means that they either destroyed, killed, defeated, or attacked those opponents. For example, when Yahweh tells the Israelites and their allies in 3:19 that “you will strike every fortified city,” he means that they will destroy every city. When the Moabites say in 3:23 that the opposing soldiers have “struck” one another, they mean that they have killed one another. When the author says in 3:24 that the Israelite army “struck” Moab, he means that it defeated the Moabite army. And when the author says later in 3:24 that the Israelites advanced into Moab and “struck” it, he means that they attacked that country. Consider carefully how to translate the terms “strike” and “struck” in each context where they do not actually mean “hit.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
travel descriptions marked for change in elevation (“went up,” “went down”)
In keeping with what was usual in the biblical language and culture, the author and characters typically indicate whether people are going up to a higher elevation or going down to a lower elevation when they travel. For example, in 2:23 the author says of Elisha, who had been in Jericho, that “he went up to Bethel.” But in 2:2 he says of Elijah and Elisha, who had been in Gilgal in the hill country of Ephraim, that “they went down to Bethel.” If your language does not mark travel for change in elevation, you can translate instances with simple expressions such as “went” or “came.” (See: Making Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information Explicit)
“walking” representing “living”
The author and characters often speak of how a person lives as if that were a way or path along which the person was walking. For example, in 8:18 the author says of Jehoram that “walked in the way of the kings of Israel.” He means that Jehoram lived as the kings of Israel had lived. He says in 23:3 that Josiah made a covenant “to walk after Yahweh.” He means that Josiah made a covenant to live the way Yahweh has said people should live. (See: Metaphor)
“word”
In many contexts, the author and characters use the term “word” or “words” to represent what a person said by using words. For example, in 1:7, King Ahaziah asks his messengers, “What was the custom of the man who … spoke these words to you?” It is unlikely that the messengers had repeated all of Elijah’s words to him exactly. Rather, they told him generally what Elijah had said to them. So Ahaziah means “the man who … said these things to you.” When the author then reports in 1:17 that Ahaziah died “according to the word of Yahweh that Elijah had spoken,” he means that he died “according to the message from Yahweh that Elijah had delivered.” (See: Metonymy)
