Known in the Greek Septuagint as the Books of the Kingdoms (Gk. Βíβλοι Βασιλειῶν), that title incorporates four books of the Hebrew Bible: 1 and 2 Kingdoms (the equivalent of 1 and 2 Samuel) and 3 and 4 Kingdoms (the equivalent of 1 and 2 Kings). The Septuagint or LXX was presumably made for the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek had become the common language throughout the region around the middle of the third century BC. Then, in the translation to supplant the old Latin texts, eventually known as the Latin Vulgate, commissioned by Pope Damasus, which by his death in 384 AD, the translation had been substantially completed by Saint Jerome. In the various Latin editions, what was one book in the Hebrew version became the four Books of the Kingdoms (Lat. Libri Regnum or Regnorum) or simply labeled as the Book of Kings (Lat. Liber Regum), likely because Jerome disagreed with the expression Books of the Kingdoms (Libri Regnorum) found in the Septuagint (LXX).
The books of 1 and 2 Kings follow directly on 1 and 2 Samuel. In the Hebrew Bible, those four books are one (Heb. Sēfer Məlāḵīm) with the Books of Kings continuing what had begun in the books of Samuel. The title Books of Kings derived from the Greek translation of the Hebrew or the Septuagint. The Hebrew text that today is used by Jews is called the Masoretic Text, which differs considerably from the Hebrew text that was used as the basis of the Septuagint, and scholars are still working at finding the best solutions to the many problems this textual anomaly presents. The two Books of Kings, along with Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel belong to the historical books written during the Babylonian Exile (ca. 550 BC).
The first and second books of Kings record the fate of the monarchy after the death of King David. The initial chapters of the First Book of Kings complete the account of the reign of David, up until the accession of Solomon to the throne. Solomon’s reign is covered in 1 Kings 3-11. Following a long description of Solomon’s rule, 1 and 2 Kings write about how the kingdom of Israel was divided into two and, then, those works show how the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah developed. The writings highlight the reigns of the subsequent kings of Judah and Israel from the beginning of the divided monarchy (ca. 930 BC) until the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC.
Since the authors assess those kings against the yardstick of idolatry in the high places, this internal evidence seems to indicate that they were composed after King Josiah’s reform (621 BC) and, more than likely after his death (2 Chron 35:20-24). The text says of Josiah, “Before him there had been no king like him who turned to the Lord as he did, with his whole heart, with his whole being, and his whole strength, in accord with the entire law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kgs 23:25).
Nature and dignity 