Books of KINGS, two canonical books of the Old Testament, so called, because they contain the history of the kings of Israel and Judah from the beginning of the reign of Solomon down to the Babylonish captivity for the space of near 600 years. The first book of Kings contains the latter part of the life of David, and his death; the flourishing state of the Israelites under Solomon, his building and dedicating the temple of Jerusalem, his shameful defection from the true religion, and the sudden decay of the Jewish nation after his death, when it was divided into two kingdoms: the rest of the book is taken up in relating the acts of four kings of Judah and eight of Israel. The second book, which is a continuation of the same history, is a relation of the memorable acts of 16 kings of Judah, and 12 of Israel, and the end of both kingdoms, by the carrying of the 10 tribes captive into Assyria by Shalmaneser, and the other two into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
It is probable that these books were composed by Ezra, who extracted them out of the public records, which were kept of what passed in that nation.