At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Anonymous; Jewish tradition: Jeremiah |
| Date | Period covered ~970-850 BC; composition pre-exilic and exilic |
| Genre | Historical narrative |
| Purpose | Solomon's reign and kingdom division and early divided-kingdom |
| Chapters | 22 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Solomon's accession | 1-2 | David's death and Solomon's establishment |
| Solomon's reign | 3-11 | Wisdom; temple; prosperity; decline through idolatry |
| Kingdom divided | 12-16 | Rehoboam and Jeroboam; northern and southern kings begin |
| Elijah cycle | 17-22 | Elijah vs. Ahab and Jezebel and Baal worship |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Wisdom and folly | Solomon's wisdom and later folly |
| Temple | God's dwelling among Israel |
| Kingdom division | Sin's national consequences |
| Prophetic confrontation | Elijah vs. king and culture |
Key passages
- 1 Kings 3, Solomon's wisdom request
- 1 Kings 8, temple dedication
- 1 Kings 11, Solomon's decline
- 1 Kings 12, kingdom split
- 1 Kings 18, Mt. Carmel confrontation
- 1 Kings 19, Elijah's despair and God's gentle whisper