Updated June 21, 2018

Thomas Coke: T.

Chapters covered so far: 1Kings 1–7 are complete (although I am not very satisfied with chapters 6 or 7); 9 basic exegesis, 3 original translations only and 90+ translations included.

The Book of Kings is one book in the Hebrew, and broken down into two books in the English, 1Kings and 2Kings. 1Kings begins with Solomon’s reign; Elijah’s ministry is found in both 1 and 2Kings; and the death of Ahab begins 2Kings.

There are a number of details which have never been correctly explained before—these things will be thoroughly examined and explained, and with these explanations, you will develop a much firmer grasp of Scripture as well as a greater appreciation for what God has done historically. These are not simply historical incidents which some old Bible guy recorded; these are things which are recorded for a reason, and these are things which have actual application to your life as a believer in Jesus Christ. A pastor who examines this exegesis and teaches it from the pulpit will be the first pastor, to the best of my knowledge, to ever teach these things publicly.

Now, don’t get all weirded out at this point. The exegesis of these books will not put before you a bunch of brand new doctrines which are different from those already delivered by orthodox Christianity; that is, a study of this book is not going to upend your doctrinal foundation, or get you interested in joining some cult of some sort; these questions have doctrinal answers and fit in very well with the essential doctrines that we have learned and have believed in (see the Doctrinal Statement).

As an aside, even though I have attended Berachah Church for over 30 years, these are not my notes re-worked from R. B. Thieme, Jr.’s excellent teaching. On most chapters, I refer back to my old notes from that class to make certain that I did not leave anything out; but R. B. Thieme, Jr. did not cover most of the material included here (at least, not during the time that his lessons were recorded and distributed). And, as always, the bulk of this study is original, with view toward contemporary events. There are a great many things in these chapters that Bob did not cover. However, the theology is essentially the same.

There should no longer be any problems with the graphics or the Hebrew characters in all html documents.

A possible problem with the following pdf files is, they are quite large and they may not display on computers with limited memory (a typical chapter will be 200–300 pages long). If that is the case, then you should be able to right-click the link, choose save as, and put the file on your hard drive and open it there using Adobe Acrobat Reader. That will give you a complete view of the graphics and the Hebrew characters. Unfortunately, even though WordPerfect and its corresponding HTML document correctly displays the Hebrew letters; the PDF will show them backwards. This will make very little difference to 99% of the readers here.

The following documents will open up on your computer, either into WordPerfect or into Word (although the formatting can be somewhat funky in Word). Some may have to be downloaded and unzipped.

Now and again, I have seen that I have made some mistakes in spelling as well as in the morphology (I took the information from Owens, but changed it whenever there was a mistake in his work). If you discover mistakes, then I would want to know what they are so that I could change them and update the documents. I enjoy studying the Word of God, but I so hate to proofread.

For most chapters, the original wpd (WordPerfect document) is also available online. Just go to http://kukis.org/Kings/, right click, and choose save as. These documents will open in WordPerfect and sometimes in Word (although that is a dicey proposition). Each document (chapter) is typically around 100–400 pages.

Brief Chapter Synopses

1Kings 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).               David Names Solomon as his Successor

One of the keys to a child growing up to be honorable and having integrity is having a father who is involved with his life; a father who gives him the strong hand of guidance. In this chapter we have yet again another loser son of King David—Adonijah—a man who had no training from his father, and so he had no future as king.

The Bible again affirms what we have found out through study after study: it is not poverty which ruins the souls of young men (all of David’s sons were raised in relative luxury); but it is the guidance of the father that is key to their growth and development. David sired at least 3 sons who were criminals and losers: Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah. By all accounts, these men should have been great, but they were not.

On the other hand, David’s son Solomon, who is raised and trained by David, becomes a great king over Israel (he was not perfect and he did stray from the truth; but he was still a great king).

David promises Bathsheba that Solomon will be his successor (painting) by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout from the 1600's, from pubhist.com, accessed October 12, 2014.

This chapter of the book of Kings introduces us to the new king over all Israel; and to the intrigue surrounding his coming to the throne. There was another power struggle within the House of David, but David himself—even in ailing health—stepped up to place Solomon before the people as their king. However, this power struggle splits the allies of David, much as the kingdom itself would be split at the end of Solomon’s reign.

There are a number of details in this chapter which are explained, which explanations are not found in the commentaries (insofar as I know). How did Nathan know who would be the next king? Why did Nathan the prophet go to Bathsheba in order to bring Adonijah’s coronation to David’s attention? Why did David call in Bathsheba to renew his vows to her? Why did Abiathar the priest side with Adonijah? I had to speculate to answer this question.

There are misconceptions about the relationships in this chapter. The New Berkeley Bible says David and Bathsheba seem to have drifted away from each other. However, this narrative says exactly the opposite—if you know how to properly exegete the text. You can read the text 20 times, and you will not understand why the New Berkeley Bible is wrong; but when you will read the explanation in this exegesis, and you will understand perfectly.

There are a number of important topics covered in this chapter: Why does God allow some men to experience a decline in health at the end of our lives? Single parent statistics and why God’s plan is not for a mother to raise children on her own. The Doctrine of Leadership. Israel, Horses and Mules. The Oath in the Old Testament Economy. Also, why does God insist that Solomon build the Temple and not David? I do not believe that this has been accurately explained before. 373 pages.

1Kings 2 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).                         Solomon Establishes his Kingdom

In 1Kings 2, David gives Solomon some advice about various people, and then he dies. Solomon is quite young when taking over the kingdom, being somewhere between 20 and 30. In this chapter, we first study David’s advice, and then we study Solomon’s implementation of his advice.

1Kings 2:2–3 (graphic) from Closer Day by Day.org, accessed October 13, 2014.

There is a great deal of confusion about David’s final words and reasonable commentators over the years attribute David’s final words to revenge motivation. This is completely and totally wrong! David has spent that last 7 years teaching his son Solomon Bible doctrine, the laws of divine establishment and how to assume the throne. That means, they have gone over the Law of God, the historical books as they existed, and then Solomon wrote much of the book of Proverbs based upon what David taught him. How do you start there, include David’s marvelous addresses to the people at the end of 1Chronicles, and then somehow think that, in this final hour, David is filled with a heart of revenge? That is wrongly dividing the Word of Truth and imposing upon this narrative goofy, pansy ideas resident in a confused soul.

Throughout this chapter, there are mistaken notions of understanding and interpretation. Adonijah will have a meeting with Bathsheba, and some excellent commentators misunderstand the interplay between these two. Some commentators suggest that Bathsheba is just a simple woman who does not get political intrigue. This will be explained and with details which are not found in any other commentary. Once you understand this, you will then understand the interaction and motivations of the principals of this chapter. There is also something else at play here, which is ignored in the 30 or so commentaries which I read: Solomon is king and Adonijah is not king because of Bathsheba. She played an important role in this matter.

There are a lot of motivations in this chapter and things unsaid which are misinterpreted by many of the commentators which are available. Where motivations can be reasonably assigned to this or that person; they will be. When such an assertion is impossible to back up, then that will be explained as well. There are a number of people who populate this chapter: Solomon, Joab, Adonijah, Shimei, and Bathsheba. Some times it can be very instructive to delve into their thinking and motivation.

Now, Adonijah goes to Bathsheba and asks her to ask Solomon for the hand of Abishag, David’s nurse. One of the questions raised in this chapter is, can Solomon simply give Abishag, a free woman, to Adonijah to wed? Is this within his power as king? Is this another indication that the Bible is archaic and holds women in low esteem? This will be discussed fully. We are not discussing the question does he? as much as we are discussing the question can he really do this?

There is some fairly complex genealogy referenced in this chapter which calls into question the accuracy of the text. Was there someone or some group who changed the Bible, at some point in time, to reflect a particular point-of-view from that era (either a point of view that was popular or the opinion of the individual or group that made these changes). There are many people who believe this. They believe that some certain individual or some group made wholesale changes to Scripture to reflect some certain viewpoint, and, for that reason, we are not really reading the Word of God, but the viewpoint of some person or some group. Many accuse the Catholic Church of doing this—they think that the Catholic Church stepped in, somehow took over the Bible, and then called all of the shots after that. That is, they determined what belonged in the Bible and what did not; and they made whatever changes to the Bible needed to be made in order to fill the Bible with their own theology. Such a concept is poppycock, and why it is poppycock will be discussed in 1Kings 2.

Furthermore, the is a significant addition in the Greek to 1Kings 2:35 and 46; so does not that addition prove that there was some sneakiness and chicanery which occurred during the formation of the Bible and its canon? This will be discussed, as there is a very important distinction which needs to be made between copies made of Scripture and translations made of Scripture.

This chapter becomes a rich field of discussion topics, many of which are related to the day and time in which we live. Many of these topics deal with a variety of theological issues which are of interest to the believer in Jesus Christ.

There are two extremely important sections in this chapter dealing with the preservation and inspiration of the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures. There are some things in these sections not found anywhere else.

Like all other chapters exegeted, every attempt is made to make the study of this chapter a stand-alone unit. You should be able to, as a believer in Jesus Christ, follow the narrative, the thinking and motivations of the people in this chapter, and the related theological issues, even if you do not have a full understanding of the history which precedes this chapter.

Doctrines covered or alluded to in this chapter include: Famous Last Words; Death and Dying; Dying Grace; the Doctrine of the Way of God; Why Joab must die; David in the New Testament; David as a type of Christ; A Study of Inspiration and Preservation Parts I & II.

Along with this are a great many political applications; and an explanation as to why such applications are made in the study of the Word of God. Furthermore, this is some additional discussion on believers who do not get the privilege of discussing politics.

There is also an update to the Doctrine of Progressive Revelation in this chapter; with material on this topic that you will read nowhere else.

This is the complete study of the 2^nd chapter of 1Kings with details found nowhere else. 402 pages.

1Kings 3 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).                                   God Gives Solomon Wisdom

In 1Kings 3, God speaks to Solomon in a dream, and offers to fulfill whatever request that he has of God. Solomon asks for wisdom. God approves of his choice and tells Solomon that he will receive much more than that.

The last half of 1Kings 3 is the famous court case of two women coming before Solomon, each claiming to be the mother of the same child.

Solomon, in many ways, is defined by this chapter. He asks wisdom from God and receives it; and this gives us the opportunity to discuss what happened. In the future, Solomon will become a failure near the middle or end of his reign as king—so we have to figure out, if God gave him wisdom, how could he fail?

We study the Doctrine of Prostitution, which, interestingly enough, I could not find on any doctrinal site.

We took the opportunity to discuss the nature of worship in Israel and why neither David nor Solomon brought the Ark of God to the Tent of Meeting, and placed it inside, as God originally designed it to be. Completed study at 241 pages.

1Kings 4 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Solomon’s Cabinet, Kingdom, Wealth and Wisdom

1Kings 4 stands out because it is not really a continuation of the narrative of 1Kings 1–3, but gives an overview of the reign of Solomon. His chief officers and captains are named, along with their responsibilities. We also get a feel for the tremendous operation that the government of Solomon was. It was very well organized and quite large (because the population of Israel was large). We learn both of Solomon’s great wisdom and of the wonderful prosperity of that era.

Because Solomon’s wisdom is compared to that of other ancients, we take a brief look at some ancient wisdom literature. Afterwards, you should have an appreciation for the depth of the wisdom of the Scriptures as well as for the preservation of Scriptures from this same era.

There is a very important doctrine in this chapter—Categories of the Wisdom of Solomon. The wisdom of Solomon can be a very confusing topic, given what we read in this chapter of Kings and compare it to Proverbs and then to Ecclesiastes. This doctrine will sort all of that out.

1Kings 4:25 (a graphic); from A Little Perspective; accessed April 15, 2016.

This would be such an easy chapter to skim through in 3 minutes and go directly to chapter 5, but this is quite an amazing and inspiring chapter. There were a number of times I was inspired to make observations and applications quite pertinent to the day in which we live. In fact, rarely do I come upon a chapter with so many applications to our lives today. For instance, why were Americans so happy in the 1950's and early 1960's, but are so miserable today, even though we have so much more stuff today than we did then? This study helps us to understand that. Another application to today is, what does a good leader do with his military during peacetime? This is something that liberal America deals with constantly, hoping to reduce the military footprint and shift all of the money over to the government to distribute.

There is a very important question to discuss: How could Solomon be so wise and the country so prosperous, to all of a sudden, go to crap at the end of Solomon’s reign. What happened. What happened to Solomon’s wisdom; and why did this great nation enjoying great prosperity suddenly sputter and come to a halt?

Solomon’s leadership teaches us a great deal about leadership in American today; what did he do that was right? How can we imitate Solomon today? Completed study at 295 pages.

1Kings 5 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Solomon Organizes the Materials for the Temple

In 1Kings 5, Solomon and his father’s friend, King Hiram connect, both having genuine respect for one another. They will work together to gather and prepare the raw materials for both the Temple and (later) for Solomon’s palace. Most of this chapter is devoted to the negotiation between the two men and the number of men involved in this project.

Some of the very important short doctrines covered in this chapter are: The Temple and the Line of Promise; Why Solomon Builds the Temple, and Not David; Hiram, Solomon and Self-interest; The believer and ministries of others; a discussion on trade and commerce between different countries; and at least two discussions built upon commentators who think that building the Temple was a mistake.

Photo of the Sagrada Familia from Google (including 360° photos); accessed March 6, 2017.

When I begin a particular chapter, I never know exactly what I am going to cover or what information I will be conveying. It is a very organic process, based first on the material before me; and secondly, on where this material might lead me (sometimes, this is combined with things occurring out in the real world). This particular chapter led me on a number of interesting tangents. What about personal or doctrinal attacks on other pastors or upon other local churches? What about people who attend the congregation who are gay (who think that they are gay)? Also, I found this a good chapter to insert one of my favorite secular columns, George Will: Pencils and Politics. Also included is the fascinating list Genocides and Political Killings of the 20th Century.

Also discussed: Typology in the Old Testament and the Church Age; Free Enterprise and Trade Between Countries; Why God Allows Manuscript Errors; The Difference Between Teaching Mathematics and Teaching the Bible (and why most doctrinal churches only teach 3–4 times per week).

Complete. 223 pages.

1Kings 6 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped).                         Solomon Builds the Temple

1Kings 6 is all about the specifications and details of Solomon building of the Temple of God. In the previous chapter, the materials needed, the workmen needed, and how they were all gathered was at the forefront; in this chapter, it is putting all of these materials together to build the Temple, the Holy of Holies, the annex, and the courtyard. It took 7 years to build the Temple.

This is a record—perhaps the earliest record—of the building of a religious structure in the ancient world, with specifications, designs, and finishing work all presented in a fairly careful narrative. The Temple was destroyed twice after this, rebuilt twice; and then destroyed for the third time. No doubt, this chapter was consulted for subsequent buildings of this structure.

The Temple of Israel’s God was unique among all religious buildings in human history. No one thought that God lived there or was confined in any way by this Temple; and only a very small percentage of the people of Israel ever actually entered into the Temple.

In this particular chapter, we will study the relationship between priests, prophets and kings (prophets, as we know them, did not arise until Israel decided to have a king—and there is a reason for that).

Some of the important studies/doctrines in this chapter include: how New Testament Christianity is based firmly in the Old Testament worship of Y^ehowah; we compare Kings David and Solomon and why Solomon built the Temple and David did not; we study the difference between statutes, commandments and judgments; improvements which have occurred in the modern Catholic church (these are Orthodox Christian studies, not Catholic studies); Solomon, Solomon’s Temple, and the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ; we study the Ark of God and the Holy of Holies; and we study how Solomon it is type of Jesus Christ in the Millennium.

Solomon’s Temple – Illustrated (a graphic). Taken from ABC Parish; accessed April 13, 2017.

Complete at 417 pages.

1Kings 7 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped).                     Solomon’s Palace Completed;

Temple Furniture Constructed

This entire chapter is devoted to Solomon’s continued building projects (specifically the palace and homes for himself and his Egyptian queen); and to the manufacture of the furniture and furnishings for the Temple. As in the previous chapter, there are a great many technical building terms, and it is very easy to get lost in the language used (as well as in the possible problems with the text). For some people, massive building projects are no more interesting than genealogical lists; for others like myself, I enjoy the concept of these things being built and us being there by means of this literature; but I did become frustrated by the difficulties of the text.

It may be helpful to bear in mind that most buildings have elements which are practical and others which are aesthetically pleasing.

There is one controversy squarely dealt with—the diameter and circumference of the great basin are given, and this is seen by some as a great scientific confirmation in the Bible; and others as an example of a mathematical mistake made in the Bible. It is actually neither and this will be explained more fully—along with an additional related concept not found anywhere else.

Quite frankly, there will be times when there is entirely too much slogging through this or that phrase. If you come to a difficult phrase and you think, I don’t really care what exactly this means; then you can easily skip over the opinions of 3 or 10 commentators who have tried to make sense of it, as they will all be gathered together in a box which may be easily passed over (just as the Hebrew exegesis can be skipped over throughout).

There are a few other difficulties related to this chapter which have been sorted out (the altar in the Temple; the number of altars overall). On the other hand, I had tremendous difficulty translating some of the passages here. Much of this has been sorted out, with one very important different take on one verse (which appears to differ from all other translations).

The Furniture of the Tabernacle (a graphic); from Pinterest; accessed January 26, 2018.

God had Adam and the woman work with their surroundings to make them to their liking; something which is legitimate for us to do (within reason). Some of the topics included in this chapter are: the Temple/Tabernacle furniture and their significance; a comparison of the Temple and the Tabernacle; nationalism; and Idolatry and the Temple/Tabernacle Furniture.

Complete at 490 pages.

1Kings 8 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped).                             King Solomon Dedicates

the Completed Temple

We have spent two chapters on the building of the Temple and Solomon’s palace. In this chapter—clearly a follow-on to what came before—we witness the inaugural celebration of the Temple, with Solomon overseeing all of it, offering up the message and the prayer for that day.

Despite the dates given in the chapter, we do not know exactly when this celebration occurred—most assume that it took place 11 months after the Temple had been completed. A few others have suggested that this service occurred after all of the building had taken place, based upon the first section of 1Kings 9 (which we will discuss in both chapters 8 & 9).

Whereas the previous two chapters were filled with building terms and construction; this chapter is primarily one of praise and celebration to God, which many doctrinal things being taught by a very wise Solomon.

In 1Kings 8, the Temple is open for business. The Ark of God is transported to the Temple and placed inside, and then Solomon leads a great worship service at the Temple, featuring one of the longest recorded sermons and the second longest prayer, all delivered by Solomon.

We learn many things in this chapter, among them: the Hebrew people always had a sophisticated understanding of God; God’s essence was not something which evolved over time. What Solomon taught in this message was very similar to what Moses taught—we can in fact observe the many overlaps. Like all of God’s miracles, the manifestation of God’s Presence (His Shekinah Glory) was crowd-specific. All those who could see the Temple could see the manifestation of God. Also, we see in David and Solomon, very specific types of the Messiah.

Complete at 636 pages.

1Kings 9 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped). God Appears to Solomon/Solomon’s

 Building Projects

This chapter begins with a very cohesive message from God to Solomon (and to all subsequent kings)—God begins confirming His promises to King David, but that leads into a solemn warning given to a man who is almost imperceptively going off course from the plan of God.

What follows are a variety of topics related to Solomon’s building and his means to accomplish these projects, interspersed with mentions of Hiram and Solomon’s Egyptian wife. All of these topics are actually quite cohesive, although it would not seem to be to the casual reader. The NIV Study Bible does a very good job of pulling together a number of what appear to be random historical facts; and I will, in the addendum, explain why Hiram and Solomon’s Egyptian wife figure so prominently into this chapter.

Further, it is easy to miss the big picture and to not completely understand the purpose of this and the previous 2 chapters. What takes place in these chapters is directly related to the joy and happiness of the people of God (1Kings 8:66: On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.—ESV); and I do not believe that any other commentator adequately explains why they are happy (at the end of 1Kings 8) nor do they understand how this is related to us as believers in the 21^st century. At the end of this chapter, I will give you the big picture and tie the things of these 3 chapters together.

There are some very important topics discussed in this chapter. Do personal interactions with God improve a person's spiritual life? Breathing and Bible doctrine. David and Solomon taking in the Word of God. Wealth is transitory and relative. Solomon’s Influences. We learn a lot about Solomon’s spiritual life in this chapter; although it is not clearly discussed.

Basic exegesis, 3 original translations, and 90+ translations. 352 pages

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As is nearly always the case, both the list of Doctrinal Terms (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) and the list of Old Testament topics which are covered (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) are both updated and posted with each new chapter of Kings.

Chapters and Stage of Completeness

Complete means 3 original translations; a word-by-word Hebrew exegesis; a complete and thorough study of each portion of each verse. Approximately 90 other translations are consulted and many of them included. Approximately 40–60 commentaries consulted and many of them quoted. A completed chapter stands on its own and, ideally speaking, does not require study of additional materials in order to understand this chapter. All pertinent vocabulary and related verses are included within the study of each completed chapter.