Every king of Israel and Judah, in order
Israel had three kings before the kingdom split, then two lines of kings. Here is each one in order with a short note and the passage to read.
The united kingdom
| King | Note | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Saul | The first king. He hid among the baggage on the day he was chosen. | 1 Samuel 9–31 |
| David | The shepherd who killed Goliath and became king over all Israel. | 2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1–2 |
| Solomon | Built the temple and asked God for wisdom. | 1 Kings 1–11 |
After Saul died, his son Ish-bosheth reigned over Israel for two years while David reigned over Judah (2 Samuel 2:8–11).
The kingdom splits
When Solomon's son Rehoboam refused to lighten the people's burdens, ten tribes followed Jeroboam. From then on there were two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south, with Jerusalem (1 Kings 12).
Kings of Judah (south)
| # | Ruler | Note | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rehoboam | Solomon's son. The kingdom split when he refused to lighten the people's load. | 1 Kings 12; 14:21–31 |
| 2 | Abijah (Abijam) | Son of Rehoboam. | 1 Kings 15:1–8 |
| 3 | Asa | “Did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD.” | 1 Kings 15:9–24 |
| 4 | Jehoshaphat | Allied with Ahab of Israel. | 1 Kings 22:41–50 |
| 5 | Jehoram (Joram) | Married Ahab's daughter. | 2 Kings 8:16–24 |
| 6 | Ahaziah | Killed during Jehu's revolt. | 2 Kings 8:25–29; 9:27 |
| 7 | Athaliah (queen) | The only woman to rule Judah. She destroyed the royal family, but baby Joash was hidden. | 2 Kings 11:1–16 |
| 8 | Joash (Jehoash) | Became king at seven years old and repaired the temple. | 2 Kings 11:21; 12 |
| 9 | Amaziah | Defeated Edom, then lost to Israel. | 2 Kings 14:1–20 |
| 10 | Uzziah (Azariah) | The LORD struck him with leprosy. | 2 Kings 15:1–7 |
| 11 | Jotham | Built the higher gate of the house of the LORD. | 2 Kings 15:32–38 |
| 12 | Ahaz | Copied an altar he saw in Damascus. | 2 Kings 16 |
| 13 | Hezekiah | Trusted the LORD against Assyria and was given 15 more years of life. | 2 Kings 18–20 |
| 14 | Manasseh | Reigned 55 years, the longest of any king of Judah. | 2 Kings 21:1–18 |
| 15 | Amon | Killed by his own servants. | 2 Kings 21:19–26 |
| 16 | Josiah | Became king at eight. The book of the law was found in his reign. | 2 Kings 22–23:30 |
| 17 | Jehoahaz | Reigned three months. | 2 Kings 23:31–34 |
| 18 | Jehoiakim (Eliakim) | Pharaoh-nechoh changed his name. | 2 Kings 23:34–24:7 |
| 19 | Jehoiachin | Reigned three months, then was taken to Babylon. | 2 Kings 24:8–16 |
| 20 | Zedekiah (Mattaniah) | The last king. Jerusalem fell and his eyes were put out. | 2 Kings 24:17–25:7 |
Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in the reign of Zedekiah (2 Kings 25).
Kings of Israel (north)
| # | King | Note | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeroboam | Set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan. | 1 Kings 12:20–14:20 |
| 2 | Nadab | Reigned two years. | 1 Kings 15:25–31 |
| 3 | Baasha | Killed Nadab and took the throne. | 1 Kings 15:27–16:7 |
| 4 | Elah | Killed while drunk. | 1 Kings 16:8–14 |
| 5 | Zimri | Reigned seven days, then burned the king's house over himself. | 1 Kings 16:15–20 |
| 6 | Omri | Bought the hill of Samaria and built the city. | 1 Kings 16:21–28 |
| 7 | Ahab | Husband of Jezebel, who opposed Elijah. | 1 Kings 16:29–22:40 |
| 8 | Ahaziah | Fell through a lattice in his upper chamber. | 1 Kings 22:51–53; 2 Kings 1 |
| 9 | Jehoram (Joram) | Shot by Jehu. | 2 Kings 3:1; 9:24 |
| 10 | Jehu | Famous for driving furiously. | 2 Kings 9–10 |
| 11 | Jehoahaz | Son of Jehu. | 2 Kings 13:1–9 |
| 12 | Jehoash (Joash) | Visited the dying Elisha. | 2 Kings 13:10–25 |
| 13 | Jeroboam II | Reigned 41 years. | 2 Kings 14:23–29 |
| 14 | Zachariah | Reigned six months. | 2 Kings 15:8–12 |
| 15 | Shallum | Reigned one full month. | 2 Kings 15:13–15 |
| 16 | Menahem | Paid tribute to the king of Assyria. | 2 Kings 15:16–22 |
| 17 | Pekahiah | Killed by his captain, Pekah. | 2 Kings 15:23–26 |
| 18 | Pekah | Lost much of the land to Assyria. | 2 Kings 15:27–31 |
| 19 | Hoshea | The last king. Assyria took Samaria. | 2 Kings 17:1–6 |
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria.2 Kings 17:6 (KJV)
A few to remember
- Shortest reign: Zimri, seven days (1 Kings 16:15).
- Longest reign: Manasseh, 55 years (2 Kings 21:1).
- Youngest: Joash of Judah, seven years old (2 Kings 11:21).
- Only queen to rule: Athaliah (2 Kings 11).
In Overflow Bible, a less famous king like Pekahiah is worth far more than Solomon.