2 Kings

Eunuchs had many roles in the ancient world. They served in the royal court as cooks, scribes, guards of the harem, and ambassadors. The Hebrew… Read More »Eunuchs

Kings, priests, and prophets were sometimes anointed with oil as a sign that God had set them apart for a special purpose (see 1 Sam.… Read More »Anointed with oil

Was it Joram or Jehoram? At about the same time, Israel had a king named Joram who was sometimes called Jehoram, while Judah had a… Read More »Was it Joram or Jehoram?

A seah is a dry measurement equal to about 7 quarts or 7.7 liters.

What is a siege? In ancient times, a “siege” occurred when an enemy army surrounded a city and de­­manded that it surrender. If the city… Read More »What is a siege?

Who was Rimmon? Rimmon was another name for the Syrian god Baal-hadad. Known as the storm god, he was depicted as a bearded deity holding… Read More »Who was Rimmon?

The wild gourds gathered by the prophet (4:38–41) were poisonous. The prophet, of course, did not realize this. He added the gourds to the stew,… Read More »Wild gourds

The Moabite Stone is a small monument inscribed with details about the conflict between the Israelites and the Moabites (3:4–27). Written by the Moabites, it… Read More »The Moabite Stone

Though bears no longer live in the region of Palestine, the bear God used to punish the disrespectful boys (2:24) was probably of a type… Read More »Bears

Israel and Judah’s sins continue. Picking up where 1 Kings left off, Israel and Judah continued to decline through false worship and disobedience. They were… Read More »Israel and Judah’s sins continue

What happened to the ark of the covenant? After the fall of Jerusalem, the ark completely disappeared from historical records. It is unlikely that the… Read More »What happened to the ark of the covenant?

Josiah’s reforms reveal the true extent of Judah’s idolatry (23:1–27). Despite God’s commands to worship him alone, his people adopted Canaanite gods, including Baal, Asherah,… Read More »Josiah’s reforms