Difference between revisions of "King"

== Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology <ref name="term_17989" /> ==

<p> <i> See </i> [[Names Of God]] </p>

<p> As the sovereign ruler of the universe, [[God]] is the all-powerful and glorious king who reigns for ever and rules over all (Psalms 10:16; Psalms 24:8; Psalms 24:10; Psalms 95:3; Psalms 103:19; Jeremiah 51:57 : Daniel 4:17; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 15:3). In particular he is king to his people, who live under his absolute lordship (Psalms 98:6; Malachi 1:14). This was well illustrated in the covenant that God made with [[Israel]] at Mt Sinai. In response to God’s sovereign act of graciously taking Israel to be his people, the [[Israelites]] promised to live in obedience to all his commands (Exodus 19:5-6; Exodus 24:3). </p> <p> During the period of the Old Testament, Israel’s national life functioned under various kinds of government – the absolute leadership of [[Moses]] (Numbers 12:6-8), a federation of self-governing tribes (Joshua 24:1), a united monarchy (1 Samuel 11:15), a divided monarchy (1 Kings 12:17-20; 1 Kings 15:1) and a governorship controlled by a foreign overlord (Nehemiah 5:14). However, the people were to regard God as their king, regardless of the kind of government they lived under. The New [[Testament]] teaches that the same principle applies to Christians, who in different countries and eras may live under different kinds of governments (Luke 20:25; 1 Peter 2:13-17; see GOVERNMENT). </p> <p> [[Establishment]] of Israel’s monarchy </p> <p> In the early days of Israel’s settlement in Canaan, there was no monarchy and no central government. The various tribes looked after their own affairs (Judges 21:25). During this period, the people of Israel were repeatedly unfaithful and disobedient to God, and this brought God’s judgment upon them in the form of repeated invasions from hostile neighbours (Judges 2:13-19). In their search for greater national stability, the people decided to follow the pattern of neighbouring nations and appoint a king who would rule over the whole nation through a central government (1 Samuel 8:4). </p> <p> This desire for a king was really a rejection of God – not in the sense that an [[Israelite]] monarch replaced God as the leader of the government, but in the sense that the people tried to solve their problems without submitting to God. Their troubles arose from their sins, not from their system of government. Therefore, the way to overcome those troubles was to turn from their sins to God. [[Instead]] they chose to ignore God and to try to solve their problems by changing the political system. They did not want a way of life where their well-being depended on their spiritual relationship with God (1 Samuel 8:7-8). </p> <p> Samuel warned that having a king would not improve matters if the people remained disobedient. In the days before they had a king they had been punished for disobedience, and under a king they would be punished just the same (1 Samuel 12:9-15). </p> <p> Characteristics of the kings </p> <p> During the period before the setting up of the monarchy, God had rescued Israel from foreign oppression by raising up deliverers (called judges) in response to the people’s repentance. Through the power of God’s Spirit, these leaders carried out God’s judgment on the oppressors and restored Israel’s independence (Judges 2:16-19; Judges 3:10; Judges 6:34; Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25). This sort of activity continued into the reign of Israel’s first king, [[Saul]] (1 Samuel 10:6; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 11:6), but the next king, David, was the last of the Spirit-gifted leaders (1 Samuel 16:13-14). [[David]] established the sort of dynasty that the people had looked for. They wanted a system where the throne would pass on automatically from the king to his son, generation after generation. Such a system had no need of God’s provision of specially gifted people. </p> <p> From what they had seen in the nations round about, the Israelites knew that kings could be oppressive because of their desire for personal power and wealth. But when Samuel warned them of this, they ignored him (1 Samuel 8:9-20). </p> <p> Centuries earlier, Moses had anticipated this desire for an Israelite king. He therefore gave specific instructions to prevent Israelite kings from following the pattern of other kings, who built for themselves military glory, large harems and excessive wealth (Deuteronomy 17:14-17). Above all, the Israelite king was to have a personal copy of God’s law and study it carefully, so that he might govern Israel justly and righteously according to God’s standards (Deuteronomy 17:18-20; cf. 2 Samuel 23:3-7; Psalms 101). </p> <p> The history of the Israelite monarchy records the development of the sorts of problems that Moses and Samuel had expected. Only by taxing the people heavily could many of the kings support their large royal households, finance their extravagant building programs and pay foreign overlords to support their throne (1 Kings 4:1-7; 1 Kings 5:13-17; 1 Kings 12:4; 2 Kings 15:20; 2 Kings 23:35). Some kings brought justice and peace to the people, but others were cruel and corrupt (1 Kings 21:1-14; 2 Kings 18:1-6; 2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 17:3-4; 2 Chronicles 17:9; Jeremiah 22:13-17). The entire period of the monarchy was marked by a striking mixture of obedience and disobedience to the instructions set out in the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 17:14-20; cf. 1 Kings 3:9; 1 Kings 3:28; 1 Kings 10:14-22; 1 Kings 10:26; 1 Kings 11:1-7; 2 Kings 11:12; 2 Kings 22:11-13; 2 Chronicles 19:4-11). </p> <p> Repeated disobedience among the kings was one reason for the nation’s decline and fall. In the end the nation was conquered, the people taken into captivity, and the monarchy brought to an end (2 Kings 17:21-23; 2 Kings 21:10-15; 2 Kings 23:26-27). </p> <p> The ideal king </p> <p> With the increasing disorder that characterized Israelite life during the period of the monarchy, people looked back to the time of David as the nearest Israel had ever been to having an ideal king (Psalms 89:20-21; Acts 13:22). Each king of the dynasty of David was, in a sense, God’s son, because through him God exercised his rule. The coronation ceremony was the occasion when God formally adopted the king and anointed him for the task of ruling his people (2 Samuel 7:14-16; Psalms 2:7; Psalms 20:6; Psalms 45:7; Psalms 89:3-4; Psalms 89:26-29). </p> <p> In spite of the failure of their kings and the termination of the monarchy, the Israelite people still hoped for the day when the dynasty of David would be restored to power. They looked for one who would be the ideal king, the great descendant of David whom they called the Lord’s ‘anointed one’, or, in the [[Hebrew]] language, ‘the Messiah’ (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Ezekiel 37:24; see MESSIAH). In contrast to the kings of a former era, this king would rule with perfect wisdom, power, love and justice (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:2-5; Jeremiah 33:15). </p> <p> [[Jesus]] [[Christ]] was this promised king (Matthew 2:2; Matthew 21:5; Matthew 21:9). However, he was not the sort of king many of the [[Jews]] expected; for his chief concern was not with bringing in a political golden age, but with bringing sinful people to submit to the rule of God in their lives. His kingdom was not concerned with national glory; it was a kingdom of a different kind from the political kingdoms of the world (John 6:15; John 12:13-16; John 18:33-37; see KINGDOM OF GOD). Unrepentant sinners did not want a king whose concern was for such a kingdom, and in the end they had him crucified (Matthew 27:29; Matthew 27:37; Matthew 27:42; John 19:15; John 19:19; cf. Luke 19:14). </p> <p> Through the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, God showed that Jesus Christ was indeed his chosen king, and the early preachers enthusiastically proclaimed his kingship and his kingdom (Acts 2:36; Acts 4:26-27; Acts 5:31; Acts 8:12; Acts 17:7; Acts 19:8; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31; Philippians 2:9-11). This kingship will be displayed openly on the day when Jesus Christ returns in glory as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:15-16; cf. Matthew 25:31; Matthew 25:34; Matthew 25:40). </p>

Joshua 12:9,24Judges 1:71 Peter 2:13,17Matthew 14:9Mark 6:22 <p> This title is applied to [[God]] (1 Timothy 1:17 ), and to Christ, the [[Son]] of God (1 Timothy 6:15,16; Matthew 27:11 ). The people of God are also called "kings" (Daniel 7:22,27; Matthew 19:28; Revelation 1:6 , etc.). Death is called the "king of terrors" (Job 18:14 ). </p> <p> [[Jehovah]] was the sole King of the [[Jewish]] nation (1 Samuel 8:7; Isaiah 33:22 ). But there came a time in the history of that people when a king was demanded, that they might be like other nations (1 Samuel 8:5 ). The prophet Samuel remonstrated with them, but the people cried out, "Nay, but we will have a king over us." The misconduct of Samuel's sons was the immediate cause of this demand. </p> <p> The [[Hebrew]] kings did not rule in their own right, nor in name of the people who had chosen them, but partly as servants and partly as representatives of Jehovah, the true King of [[Israel]] (1 Samuel 10:1 ). The limits of the king's power were prescribed (1 Samuel 10:25 ). The officers of his court were, (1) the recorder or remembrancer (2 Samuel 8:16; 1 Kings 4:3 ); (2) the scribe (2 Samuel 8:17; 20:25 ); (3) the officer over the house, the chief steward (Isaiah 22:15 ); (4) the "king's friend," a confidential companion (1 Kings 4:5 ); (5) the keeper of the wardrobe (2 Kings 22:14 ); (6) captain of the bodyguard (2 Samuel 20:23 ); (7) officers over the king's treasures, etc. (1 Chronicles 27:25-31 ); (8) commander-in-chief of the army (1 Chronicles 27:34 ); (9) the royal counsellor (1 Chronicles 27:32; 2 Samuel 16:20-23 ). </p> <p> (For catalogue of kings of Israel and [[Judah]] see chronological table in Appendix.) </p>

<p> [[Moses]] (Deuteronomy 17:14-17) contemplated the contingency of a king being set up in [[Israel]] as in all the adjoining nations. The theocracy and the law could be maintained under kings as under a commonwealth. God's promise was," kings of people shall be of Sarah" (Genesis 17:16). Other allusions to kings to come occur (Genesis 36:31; Numbers 24:17; Deuteronomy 28:36). The request of the people (1 Samuel 8:5, etc.), "make us a king to judge us like all the nations," evidently is molded after Deuteronomy 17:14; so Samuel's language in presenting [[Saul]] to the people (1 Samuel 10:24) as "him whom the Lord hath chosen" alludes to Moses' direction (Deuteronomy 17:15), "thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee whom the Lord thy [[God]] shall choose." It was not the mere desire for a king which is blamed, but the spirit of their request and the circumstances under which they made it. </p> <p> They set aside Samuel, though appointed by the heavenly King, on the pretext "behold thou art old," though he took a leading part in state affairs for 35 years afterward (1 Samuel 8:5), "they have not rejected thee but ... Me that I should not reign over them"; they distrusted God's power and will to save them from [[Nahash]] (1 Samuel 12:12), though He had delivered them from the [[Philistines]] (1 Samuel 7). Samuel's sons were corrupt, but that did not warrant their desire to set aside himself, whom none could accuse of corruption (1 Samuel 12). Impatience of God's yoke (the laws of the theocracy), eagerness to imitate the nations around, and unbelief in trial, instead of seeking for the cause of their misfortunes in themselves, were the sin of their request. God in retribution "gave them a king in His anger" (Hosea 13:10-11). </p> <p> Samuel by God's direction warned them of the evil results of their desire, the prerogative to dispose of their property and their children at will, which he would claim; yet they refused to obey: "nay, but we will have a king, that we also may be like all the nations, and that the king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." The sacred record of Solomon's multiplying horses and chariots from Egypt, and foreign wives who turned away his heart, alludes to the prohibition (Deuteronomy 17:16-17; compare Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:16), and proceeds to verify the prediction of the results of disobedience to it. God saves not by horses and horsemen, but by the Lord His people's God (Hosea 1:7). Moses' caution against "returning to Egypt" accords with his experience (Numbers 14:4). After the kingdom was set up in Israel the danger was no longer of a literal (but see Jeremiah 42:14) but of a spiritual backsliding return to [[Egypt]] (Hosea 11:5; Isaiah 30:1-2; Isaiah 36:9; Ezekiel 17:15). </p> <p> Solomon's multiplication of horses and chariots from Egypt entailed constant traffic with that idolatrous nation, which the prohibition, Deuteronomy 17:16, was designed to prevent. The king when set up, as the judge previously, was but God's viceroy, enjoying only a delegated authority. The high priest, priests, and Levites, as God's ministers, were magistrates as well as religious officers. Saul was elected by the divine oracle from an obscure family, so that all saw his authority was held solely at God's pleasure. The king had the executive power under God; God reserved to Himself the executive. The words "Jehovah is our Judge, [[Jehovah]] is our Lawgiver, Jehovah is our King," embody the theocracy (Isaiah 33:22). The land itself was His (Leviticus 25:23-42; Leviticus 25:55); and the people, as His servants, could not be permanently bondservants to men. </p> <p> The king was closely connected with the priesthood, and was bound to "write (i.e. have written for him) a copy of the law out of that before the priests and Levites; he should read therein all his life, to keep all the words, that his heart might not be lifted up above his brethren, to the end that he might prolong his days in his kingdom" (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). [[Instead]] of being, like [[Eastern]] kings, of a distinct royal caste, he was simply to be first among equals, like his subjects bound by the fundamental law of the nation (compare Matthew 23:9). [[None]] of the [[Israelite]] kings usurped the right to legislate. The people chose their king, but only in accordance with God's "choice" and from their "brethren" (1 Samuel 9:15; 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 16:12; 1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 22:10). The rule ("one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee," Deuteronomy 17:15) that no stronger should reign gives point to the question (See JESUS CHRIST), Matthew 22:17, "is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar?" (Jeremiah 30:21). </p> <p> The unlimited polygamy of Eastern kings was forbidden. Samuel wrote down "the manner of the kingdom" (1 Samuel 10:25), i.e. the rights and duties of the king in relation to Jehovah the supreme King, and to the nation. Despotic murders were committed as that of the 85 priests at Nob, besides the other inhabitants, by Saul (1 Samuel 22:18-19); but mostly the kings observed forms of law. Even [[Ahab]] did not seize at once Naboth's vineyard, but did it with the show of a trial. [[David]] slew [[Rechab]] and [[Baanah]] because they were self convicted of Ishbosheth's murder. The king was commander in chief, supreme judge, and imposer of taxes (Menahem, 2 Kings 15:19-20; Jehoiakim, 2 Kings 23:35) and levies of men (1 Kings 5:13-15). He was "the Lord's anointed," consecrated with the holy oil heretofore reserved for the priests (Exodus 30:23-33; 1 Kings 1:39; 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalms 89:19-20; Psalms 89:26-27; Psalms 2:2; Psalms 2:6-7). It was sacrilegious to kill him, even at his own request (1 Samuel 24:5-6; 1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 26:9; 1 Samuel 26:16; 2 Samuel 1:14; Lamentations 4:20). </p> <p> [[Type]] of [[Messiah]] (Daniel 9:26). The prophets were his advisers, reprovers (2 Samuel 12, 1 Kings 21) and intercessors with God (1 Kings 12:21-24; Isaiah 37:22-36; Jeremiah 37:17; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 38:4; Jeremiah 38:14-26). He was bound to consult God by the [[Urim]] and [[Thummim]] of the high priest in every important step (1 Samuel 14:18-19; 1 Samuel 28:6; 2 Samuel 2:1; 2 Samuel 5:19; 2 Samuel 5:23). He held office on condition of loyalty to his supreme Lord. Saul, failing herein, forfeited his throne; he usurped the place of God's will: "we inquired not at the ark in the days of Saul" (1 Chronicles 13:3). David, on the contrary, could not bear that God's throne, the ark, should lie neglected while his throne was so elevated, and he stripped off his royal robe for the linen ephod to do homage before the symbol of God's throne (2 Samuel 6:14). </p> <p> The king selected his successor, under God's direction, as David chose [[Solomon]] before the elder son [[Adonijah]] (1 Kings 1:30; 1 Kings 2:22; 2 Samuel 12:24-25); compare 2 Chronicles 11:21-22, Rehoboam, Abijah; the firstborn was usually appointed (2 Chronicles 21:3-4). The queen mother was regent during a son's minority, and always held a high position of power at court (1 Kings 2:19; 2 Kings 24:12; 2 Kings 24:15; 2 Kings 11:1-3; Athaliah). His chief officers were the recorder, who wrote annals of his reign (2 Samuel 8:16); the scribe or secretary wrote dispatches and conducted his correspondence (2 Samuel 8:17); the officer over the house, arrayed in a distinctive robe of office and girdle (Isaiah 22:15, etc., Isaiah 36:3); the king's friend or companion (1 Kings 4:5); the captain of the body guard (2 Samuel 20:23; 1 Kings 2:25; 1 Kings 2:34; 1 Kings 2:46), who was also chief executioner; the commander in chief under the king (2 Samuel 3:30-39; 2 Samuel 20:23); his counselor (2 Samuel 216:20-23; 2 Samuel 217:1-14; 1 Chronicles 27:32). Besides demesnes , flocks, tenths (1 Samuel 8:15), levies, he enjoyed a large revenue by "presents," which virtually became a regular tax. </p>

== Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary <ref name="term_48044" /> ==

<p> There is somewhat very blessed in eyeing the Lord [[Jesus]] in this character, His church must always find in this view of their Lord a very high satisfaction. His is the blessed: office, in this royal character, to govern, rule, maintain, support, to pardon, reward, countenance, favour, and bless all his kingdom. He hath indeed made all his kings and priests to [[God]] and the Father. And what a rapturous thought is it to recollect, that his kingdom is for ever, and his dominion that which shall have no end! While we behold the Lord Jesus in this exalted point of view, it becomes an interesting enquiry of the soul, whether we are subjects of his kingdom. (See Romans 6:16) </p>

== Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible <ref name="term_52291" /> ==

<p> <strong> KING </strong> </p> <p> 1. Etymology and use of the term . The Heb. name for ‘king’ ( <em> melek </em> ) is connected with an Assyr. [Note: Assyrian.] root meaning ‘advise,’ ‘counsel,’ ‘rule,’ and it seems to have first signified ‘the wise man,’ the ‘counsellor,’ and then ‘the ruler.’ The root occurs in the names of several Semitic deities, e.g. <em> [[Molech]] </em> , the tribal god of the Ammonites, and the PhÅ“n. <em> Melkarth </em> . In the days of [[Abraham]] we find the title ‘king’ applied to the rulers of the city-States of Palestine, <em> e.g </em> . Sodom, Gomorrah, etc. ( [[Genesis]] 14:2 ). We also find references to kings in all the countries bordering on [[Canaan]] Syria, Moab, Ammon, Egypt, etc., and in later times Assyria, [[Babylonia]] and Persia. In the NT the title ‘king’ is applied to the vassal-king [[Herod]] ( Matthew 2:1 , Luke 1:5 ) and to [[Agrippa]] ( Acts 25:13 ). In the Psalms and the [[Prophets]] [[God]] Himself is constantly designated ‘King of Israel’ or ‘my King’ ( <em> e.g. </em> Isaiah 43:15; Isaiah 44:6 , Psalms 10:16; Psalms 24:7; Psalms 24:9; Psalms 24:9-10; Psalms 44:4; Psalms 74:12; Psalms 84:3 etc.), and the Messianic advent of the true King of the [[Kingdom]] of God is predicted ( Zechariah 9:9 , Isaiah 32:1 etc.). In the NT [[Christ]] is represented as the fulfilment of this prophecy and as the true King of God’s Kingdom (cf. John 18:33; John 18:37 , 1 Timothy 6:15 , Revelation 17:14 ). </p> <p> <strong> 2. The office of king in [[Israel]] </strong> </p> <p> (1) <em> [[Institution]] </em> . The settlement of the people of Israel in Canaan, and the change from a nomadic to an agricultural life, laid the incomers open to ever fresh attacks from new adventurers. [[Thus]] in the time of the judges we find Israel ever liable to hostile invasion. In order to preserve the nation from extermination, it became necessary that a closer connexion and a more intimate bond of union should exist between the different tribes. The judges in the period subsequent to the settlement seem, with the possible exception of [[Gideon]] ( Judges 8:22 ), to have been little more than local or tribal heroes, carrying on guerilla warfare against their neighbours. The successes of the warlike [[Philistines]] made it clear to patriotic minds that the tribes must be more closely connected, and that a permanent leader in war was a necessity. [[Accordingly]] [[Saul]] the [[Benjamite]] was anointed by Samuel ( 1 Samuel 10:1 ), and appointed by popular acclamation ( 1 Samuel 10:24 , 1 Samuel 11:14 ). The exploits of Saul and his sons against the [[Ammonites]] ( 1 Samuel 11:11 ff.), against the [[Amalekites]] ( 1 Samuel 15:7 ), and against the Philistines ( 1 Samuel 14:1 ff.) showed the value of the kingly office; and when Saul and his sons fell on Mt. Gilboa, it was not long till [[David]] the outlaw chief of [[Judah]] was invited to fill his place. </p> <p> (2) <em> The duties of the king </em> are partly indicated by the history of the rise of the kingship. The king was ( <em> a </em> ) leader in war. He acted as general, and in person led the troops to battle (cf. Saul on Mt. Gilboa, 1 Samuel 31:2; [[Ahab]] at Ramoth-gilead, 1 Kings 22:29 ff.), By and by a standing army grew up, and fortresses were placed on the frontiers (cf. 1 Kings 12:21 f., 2 Chronicles 17:2 ). ( <em> b </em> ) Besides being leader of the army in war, the king was the supreme [[Judge]] (cf. 2 Samuel 14:5; 2 Samuel 15:2 , 1 Kings 3:15 ). Before the institution of the monarchy judicial functions were exercised by the heads of the various houses the elders. These elders were gradually replaced by officials appointed by the king ( 2 Chronicles 19:5-11 ), and the final appeal was to the king himself, who in Amos 2:3 is called ‘the judge.’ ( <em> c </em> ) Further, according to the usual Semitic conception, the king was also the chief person from a religious point of view. This idea has been lost sight of by later [[Jewish]] writers, but there is little doubt that in early times the king regarded himself as the supreme religious director, the chief priest. Thus Saul sacrifices in Samuel’s absence ( 1Sa 13:9-11; 1 Samuel 14:33 ff.), so also David ( 2 Samuel 6:13; 2 Samuel 6:17; 2 Samuel 24:25 ); while both David and [[Solomon]] seem to appoint and dismiss the chief priest at pleasure (cf. 2 Samuel 8:17 , 1 Kings 2:26-27; 1 Kings 2:35 ), and both bless the people ( 2 Samuel 6:18 , 1 Kings 8:14 ). [[Jeroboam]] sacrifices in person before the altar in [[Bethel]] ( 1 Kings 12:32-33 ), and [[Ahaz]] orders a special altar to be made, and offers in person on it ( 2 Kings 16:12 ). In later times, however, the priestly functions of the kings were less frequently exercised, priests being appointed, who are usually regarded as royal officials and numbered among other civil servants ( 2 Samuel 20:23 ff.). </p> <p> (3) <em> The kingship hereditary </em> . It was a fixed idea in ancient Israel that the office of the kingship passed from father to son, as the judgeship passed from Gideon to his sons ( Judges 9:2 ), or from Samuel to his sons ( 1 Samuel 8:1 ). Although Saul was chosen by the people and David invited by the elders of Judah to be king, yet Saul himself regarded it as the natural thing that [[Jonathan]] should succeed him ( 1 Samuel 20:30 ff.). [[Adonijah]] assumed that, as David’s son, he had a right to the throne ( 1 Kings 2:15 ), and even the succession of his younger half-brother Solomon was secured without any popular election. It is impossible to speak of an elective monarchy in Israel. The succession in Judah remained all along in the house of David, and in the kingdom of the [[Ten]] [[Tribes]] father always succeeded son, unless violence and revolution destroyed the royal house and brought a new adventurer to the throne. </p> <p> (4) <em> [[Power]] of the king </em> . While the monarchy in Israel differed considerably from other Oriental despotisms, it could not be called a limited monarchy in our sense of the term. The king’s power was limited by the fact that, to begin with, the royal house differed little from other chief houses of the nation. Saul, even after his election, resided on his ancestral estate, and came forth only as necessity called him (cf. 1 Samuel 11:4 ff.). On the one hand, law and ancient custom exercised considerable restraint on the kings; while, on the other hand, acts of despotic violence were allowed to pass unquestioned. A powerful ruler like David or Solomon was able to do much that would have been impossible for a weakling like Rehoboam. Solomon was practically an Oriental despot, who ground down the people by taxation and forced labour. David had the power to compass the death of [[Uriah]] and take his wife, but public opinion, as expressed by the prophets, exerted a considerable influence on the kings (cf. [[Nathan]] and David, [[Elijah]] and Ahab). The idea was never lost sight of that the office was instituted for the good of the nation, and that it ought to be a help, not a burden, to the people at large. Law and ancient custom were, in the people’s minds, placed before the kingly authority. [[Naboth]] can refuse to sell his vineyard to Ahab, and the king is unable to compel him, or to appropriate it till Naboth has been regularly condemned before a judicial tribunal ( 1 Kings 21:1 ff.). Thus the king himself was under law (cf. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 ), and he does not seem to have had the power to promulgate new enactments. [[Josiah]] bases his reform not on a new law, but on the newly found [[Book]] of the Law ( 2 Kings 23:1-3 ), to which he and the elders swear allegiance. </p> <p> (5) <em> [[Royal]] income </em> . The early kings, Saul and David, do not seem to have subjected the people to heavy taxation. Saul’s primitive court would be supported by his ancestral estate and by the booty taken from the enemy, perhaps along with presents, more or less compulsory, from his friends or subjects ( 1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Samuel 16:20 ). The census taken by David ( 2 Samuel 24:1 ) was probably intended as a basis for taxation, as was also Solomon’s division of the land into twelve districts ( 1 Kings 4:7 ). Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 45:7-8; Ezekiel 48:21 ) speaks of crown lands, and such seem to have been held by David ( 1 Chronicles 27:26 ff.). The kings in the days of Amos laid claim to the first cutting of grass for the royal horses ( Amos 7:1 ). Caravans passing from [[Egypt]] to [[Damascus]] paid toll ( 1 Kings 10:16 ), and in the days of Solomon foreign trade by sea seems to have been a royal monopoly ( 1 Kings 10:16 ). It is not quite certain whether anything of the nature of a land tax or property tax existed, though something of this kind may be referred to in the reward promised by Saul to the slayer of [[Goliath]] ( 1 Samuel 17:25 ); and it may have been the tenth mentioned in 1 Samuel 8:15; 1 Samuel 8:17 . [[Special]] taxes seem to have been imposed to meet special emergencies (cf. 2 Kings 23:35 ), and the kings of Judah made free use of the [[Temple]] treasures. </p> <p> (6) <em> Royal officials </em> have the general title ‘princes’ ( <em> sârîm </em> ). These included ( <em> a </em> ) the commander-in-chief, ‘the captain of the host,’ who in the absence of the king commanded the army ( <em> e.g </em> . Joab, 2 Samuel 12:27 ). ( <em> b </em> ) The prefect of the royal bodyguard, the leader of the ‘mighty men of valour’ of AV [Note: Authorized Version.] (in David’s time the [[Cherethites]] and Pelethites, 2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 20:23 ). ( <em> c </em> ) The ‘ <strong> recorder </strong> ,’ lit. ‘one who calls to remembrance.’ His functions are nowhere defined, but he seems to have held an influential position, and was probably the chief minister, the Grand Vizier of modern times (cf. 2 Samuel 8:16 , 2 Kings 18:26 ). ( <em> d </em> ) The ‘ <strong> scribe </strong> ’ ( <em> sôphçr </em> ) frequently mentioned along with the ‘recorder’ seems to have attended to the royal correspondence, and to have been the [[Chancellor]] or rather [[Secretary]] of [[State]] ( 2Ki 18:18; 2 Kings 18:37 , 2 Chronicles 34:8 ). ( <em> e </em> ) The officer who was ‘over the tribute’ ( 2 Samuel 20:24 ) seems to have superintended the forced labour and the collecting of the taxes, ( <em> f </em> ) The governor of the royal household, the royal steward or High Chamberlain, seems to have held an important position in the days of the later monarchy ( Isaiah 36:3; Isaiah 36:22; Isaiah 22:15 ). [[Mention]] is also made of several minor officials, such as the ‘king’s servant’ ( 2 Kings 22:12 ), the ‘king’s friend’ ( 1 Kings 4:5 ), the ‘king’s counsellor’ ( 1 Chronicles 27:33 ), the ‘head of the ward-robe’ ( 2 Kings 22:14 ), the head of the eunuchs (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ‘officers,’ 1 Samuel 8:15 ), the ‘governor of the city’ ( 1 Kings 22:26 ). We hear much from the prophets of the oppression and injustice practised by these officials on the poor of the land (cf. Amos 2:6-7 , Isaiah 5:8 , Jeremiah 5:28 , Micah 3:11 etc.). </p> <p> W. F. Boyd. </p>

== Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament <ref name="term_56368" /> ==

<p> The title is applied to rulers of various degrees of sovereignty. We find it employed to designate the tetrarch [[Agrippa]] II. (Acts 25:13); [[Aretas]] of [[Arabia]] (2 Corinthians 11:32); Agrippa I., whose territory was co-extensive with that of [[Herod]] the Great, and who seems to have received the royal title (Acts 12:1); and the [[Roman]] Emperor, whom it appears to have been the custom for [[Greeks]] and Orientals so to designate (1 Timothy 2:2, 1 Peter 2:13; 1 Peter 2:17). An instance of the elasticity of the term is provided in Revelation 17, where the seven kings in Revelation 17:10 are Roman Emperors, while the ten kings in Revelation 17:12 are vassal kings. </p> <p> <b> 1. [[Christ]] as King </b> </p> <p> (1) <i> The nature of Christ’s Kingship </i> .-It was made an accusation against St. [[Paul]] and [[Silas]] at [[Thessalonica]] (Acts 17:7) that they were guilty of treason, inasmuch as they proclaimed another king, one Jesus. It was the revival of the charge brought against the [[Master]] (Luke 23:2). It is true that the [[Christians]] did claim Kingship for their Lord, but His [[Kingdom]] was not of this world (John 18:36). His throne is in heaven, where He is set down with His Father (Revelation 3:21). There are various representations of His Kingship in the apostolic writings. </p> <p> At one time His reign seems to have already begun. This is the thought suggested by the frequently recurring phrase, based on Psalms 110:1, ‘sitting at the right hand of God’ (Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1), which signifies Christ’s participation in the [[Divine]] government. According to this view, Christ enters into His βασιλεία immediately on His [[Exaltation]] (B. Weiss, <i> Bib. Theol. of the NT </i> , Eng. translation, ii. [1883] § 99), in recognition of His obedience unto death (Revelation 3:21, Hebrews 12:2, Philippians 2:8 f.). On the literal interpretation of Colossians 1:13, the Kingdom of the [[Son]] is present even now, and believers are already translated into it (so Lightfoot and Haupt, while others interpret the phrase proleptically). Their citizenship is in heaven, whence they look for Christ (Philippians 3:20). The law they obey is called νόμος βασιλικός (James 2:8), in virtue of its emanating from the King (Deissmann, <i> Licht vom Osten </i> , p. 265). At limes this heavenly Kingship of Christ is represented as undisturbed by further conflict, and as peaceful sway over the powers which have been brought into subjection. So in 1 Peter 3:22 He is on the right hand of God, ‘angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him’ (cf. Ephesians 1:20 f.); and in Hebrews 10:12 f. He is represented as sitting down for ever at the right hand of God, ‘from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.’ According to this view, His work is finished; His present state is one of royal rest, and it remains for [[God]] to complete the subjugation of the hostile powers. </p> <p> But there are other representations of Christ’s Kingship. The most general view of His βασιλεία in the NT represents it as not already realized, but beginning at the [[Parousia]] (so O. Pfleiderer, <i> Paulinism </i> , Eng. translation, 1877, i. 268); and according to the programme sketched by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:24 ff., His reign is no peaceful sway, but a ceaseless conflict against the powers of darkness. ‘He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet’ (1 Corinthians 15:25). The last enemy to be overcome is Death; and when that is accomplished, then cometh the end, when He delivers up the sovereignty to God (1 Corinthians 15:24). According to this outline, Christ’s reign is of the nature of an interregnum, to be terminated (in opposition to the εἰς τὸ διηνεκές of Hebrews 10:12) when He resigns the power into the hands of God. </p> <p> In the later [[Epistles]] this programme is not adhered to. In accordance with their more developed Christology, Christ becomes the end of [[Creation]] (Colossians 1:16), and the final consummation is now represented, not as the reign of God, who is to be ‘all in all’ (1 Corinthians 15:28), but as the Kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians 5:5), or even of Christ alone (2 Timothy 4:1), whose Kingdom is an everlasting one (2 Peter 1:11), and whose sovereignty is declared to extend to the future aeon (Ephesians 1:21). Again, in the earlier representation Christ’s Kingdom is to be established on earth at His Coming, but in the later versions it becomes a heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18), corresponding to the kingdom of the Father which St. Paul had expected to succeed the interregnum of the Son. </p> <p> In Revelation we again meet with the conception of a temporary reign of Christ, its duration being put at 1,000 years (20:4). It is questionable whether that reign is here regarded as one of uninterrupted peace and blessedness, or of continuous conflict against the powers of evil. H. J. Holtzmann ( <i> NT Theologie </i> 2, 1911, i. 542f.) thinks that the only original contribution made by the author of the Revelation in this picture of the millennium is the representation of the interregnum as a period of peace and rest (Revelation 20:2-3; Revelation 20:7). On the other hand, F. C. [[Porter]] ( <i> Hasting's Dictionary of the [[Bible]] (5 vols) </i> iv. 262) contends that the 1,000 years’ reign is part of the last conflict against evil, the reigning and judging of Christ and His saints being the gradual subjugation of the powers of evil, and that there is no suggestion in Rev. that peace and rest characterize the millennium. </p> <p> (2) <i> Christ and earthly kings </i> .-In the [[Pauline]] references to the sovereignty of Christ the hostile forces which He overcomes are not earthly potentates but the angelic principalities and powers, the world-rulers of this darkness (Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:13). To this corresponds the conflict with [[Satan]] in Revelation. But in the latter book there is also frequent representation of Christ’s sovereignty over earthly potentates. He is Prince of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5), King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:16). Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and He rules them with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). The kings of earth who have committed fornication with [[Babylon]] (Revelation 17:2), and who marshal their armies in support of the [[Beast]] (Revelation 19:19), are numbered among the enemies whom He has to subdue. Corresponding to this attitude of hostility to Christ on the part of the kings of the earth in Rev. is the spirit of hatred to the Roman [[Empire]] which the book breathes, as contrasted with that recommended in the other apostolic writings. St. Paul as a citizen of the Roman Empire recognizes in the higher powers the ordinances of God, and regards subjection to them as a religious duty (Romans 13:1 ff.). St. Peter recommends submission to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, and exhorts to fear God and honour the king (1 Peter 2:13; 1 Peter 2:17). In 1 Timothy 2:2 the injunction is given to pray for kings and for all in authority. But in Rev. we find a fierce hatred of [[Rome]] and longing for her destruction, She is to the author the throne of the Beast (Revelation 16:10), the very incarnation of the sin which [[Christianity]] sought to destroy, and his attitude towards the Imperial power is the direct opposite of that taken up by St. Paul. </p> <p> <b> 2. God as King </b> .-There is no power but of God (Romans 13:1), and all kingly authority ultimately proceeds from Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). Christ has ultimately to deliver up the sovereignty to the Father, being subject to Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). In the song of [[Moses]] and of the [[Lamb]] (Revelation 15:3) God is praised as the King of nations, and in 1 Timothy 1:17 a doxology is sounded to Him as King of the aeons. The phrase may be chosen with reference to the [[Gnostic]] series of aeons, and may mean ‘King of the worlds.’ Others take it as ‘King of the world times,’ the ruler who decrees what is to happen from age to age; while others render it, as in the Authorized Version, ‘the King eternal.’ </p> <p> <b> 3. [[Believers]] as kings </b> .-In Revelation 1:6 the Authorized Versionruns: ‘and hath made us kings and priests unto God.’ This is based on the reading βασιλεῖς, which must be abandoned for the better-attested βασιλείαν. But in Revelation 5:10, where the same phrase occurs in the song of the angels concerning the [[Church]] (though here again there is a variant βασιλεῖς, which, however, would render the concluding clause superfluous), there is the further addition: καὶ βασιλεύουσιν ἐπὶ γῆς. א reads βασιλεύσουσιν; and if we accept that reading, then the reference is to the future dominion of believers as represented in Revelation 20:4, where they live and reign with Christ 1,000 years. Other references to this future sovereignty are found in Romans 5:17, 2 Timothy 2:12, and 1 Corinthians 6:2 f. (where they judge the world and the very angels). But if βασιλεύουσιν be retained, then the standpoint of the author is that already that sovereignty of the saints prophesied in Daniel 7:22; Daniel 7:27 has begun. The Church, down-trodden and oppressed, is already the dominant power in the world. St. Paul ironically congratulates the Corinthians on the assumption of kingly authority (1 Corinthians 4:8). Their vaunting may have been due to a perversion of this doctrine of the present sovereignty of the saints. </p> <p> Literature.-The various handbooks, on <i> NT Theol. </i> ; H. Weinel, <i> [[Die]] Stellung des Urchristentums zum Staat </i> , 1908; A. Deissmann, <i> Licht vom Osten </i> , 1908. </p> <p> G. Wauchope Stewart. </p>

<p> KING, n. </p> 1. The chief or sovereign of a nation a man invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country a monarch. Kings are absolute monarchs, when they possess the powers of government without control, or the entire sovereignty over a nation they are limited monarchs, when their power is restrained by fixed laws and they are absolute, when they possess the whole legislative, judicial, and executive power, or when the legislative or judicial powers, or both, are vested in other bodies of men. Kings are hereditary sovereigns, when they hold the powers of government by right of birth or inheritance, and elective, when raised to the throne by choice. <p> Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle. </p> 2. A sovereign a prince a ruler. [[Christ]] is called the king of his church. Ps.2 3. A card having the picture of a king as the king of diamonds. 4. The chief piece in the game of chess. <p> King at arms, an officer in [[England]] of great antiquity, and formerly of great authority, whose business is to direct the heralds, preside at their chapters, and have the jurisdiction of armory. There are three kings at arms, clarencieux, and norroy. The latter northroy officiates north of the Trent. </p> <p> KING, In ludicrous language, to supply with a king, or to make royal to raise to royalty. </p>

== Smith's Bible Dictionary <ref name="term_73537" /> ==

<p> King. "a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country." - Webster. In the Bible, the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. [[Many]] persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the [[Bible]] to [[God]] as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to [[Christ]] the [[Son]] of God as the head and governor of the Church. </p> <p> The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the substitution of a regal form of government for that of judges seems to have been the siege of Jabesh-gilead by [[Nahash]] king of the Ammonites. 1 Samuel 11:1; 1 Samuel 12:12. The conviction seems to have forced itself on the [[Israelites]] that they could not resist their formidable neighbor unless they placed themselves under the sway of a king, like surrounding nations. </p> <p> The original idea of a [[Hebrew]] King was twofold: first, that he should lead the people to battle in time of war; and, a second, that he should execute judgment and justice to them in war and in peace. 1 Samuel 8:20. In both respects, the desired end was attained. Besides being commander-in-chief of the army, supreme judge, and absolute master, as it were, of the lives of his subjects, the king exercised the power of imposing taxes on them, and of exacting from them personal service and labor. </p> <p> In addition to these earthly powers, the king of [[Israel]] had a more awful claim to respect and obedience. He was the vicegerent of Jehovah, 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 16:13, and as it were his son, if just and holy, 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalms 2:6-7; Psalms 89:26-27, he had been set apart as a consecrated ruler. [[Upon]] his head had been poured the holy anointing oil, which had hitherto been reserved exclusively for the priests of Jehovah. He had become, in fact, emphatically "the Lord's anointed." He had a court of Oriental magnificence. </p> <p> The king was dressed in royal robes, 1 Kings 22:10; 2 Chronicles 18:9, his insignia were, a crown or diadem of pure gold, or perhaps radiant with precious gems, 2 Samuel 1:10; 2 Samuel 12:30; 2 Kings 11:12; Psalms 21:3, and a royal sceptre. Those who approached him did him obeisance, bowing down and touching the ground with their foreheads, 1 Samuel 24:8; 2 Samuel 19:24, and this was done even by a king's wife, the mother of Solomon. 1 Kings 1:16. </p> <p> His officers and subjects called themselves his servants or slaves. He had a large harem, which was guarded by eunuchs. The law of succession to the throne is somewhat obscure, but it seems most probable that the king, during his lifetime, named his successor. At the same time, if no partiality for a favorite wife or son intervened, there would always be a natural bias of affection in favor of the eldest son. </p>

== Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words <ref name="term_78199" /> ==

<div> A — 1: Βασιλεύς (Strong'S #935 — Noun Masculine — basileus — bas-il-yooce' ) </div> <p> "a king" (cp. Eng., "Basil"), e.g., Matthew 1:6 , is used of the [[Roman]] emperor in 1 Peter 2:13,17 (a command of general application); this reference to the emperor is illustrated frequently in the Koine (see [[Preface]] to this volume); of [[Herod]] the [[Tetrarch]] (used by courtesy), Matthew 14:9; of Christ, as the "King" of the Jews, e.g., Matt, 2:2; 27:11,29,37; as the "King" of Israel, Mark 15:32; John 1:49; 12:13; as "King of kings," Revelation 17:14; 19:16; as "the King" in judging nations and men at the establishment of the millennial kingdom, Matthew 25:34,40; of God, "the great King," Matthew 5:35; "the King eternal, incorruptible, invisible," 1 Timothy 1:17; "King of kings," 1 Timothy 6:15 , see [[Note]] (2) below; "King of the ages," Revelation 15:3 , RV (AV, "saints"). Christ's "kingship" was predicted in the OT, e.g., [[Psalm]] 2:6 , and in the NT, e.g., Luke 1:32,33; He came as such, e.g., Matthew 2:2; John 18:37; was rejected and died as such, Luke 19:14; Matthew 27:37; is now a "King" Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, Hebrews 5:6; 7:1,17; and will reign for ever and ever, Revelation 11:15 . </p> Revelation 1:65:10Exodus 19:61 Peter 2:5,91 Timothy 6:15[[Reign]] <div> B — 1: Βασίλειος (Strong'S #934 — Adjective — basileios — bas-il'-i-os ) </div> <p> denoting "royal," as in 1 Peter 2:9 , is used in the plural, of the courts or palaces of kings, Luke 7:25 , "kings' courts;" a possible meaning is "among royal courtiers or persons." </p> <div> B — 2: Βασιλικός (Strong'S #937 — Adjective — basilikos — bas-il-ee-kos' ) </div> <p> "royal, belonging to a king," is used in Acts 12:20 with "country" understood, "their country was fed from the king's," lit., "the royal (country)." See [[Nobleman]] , Royal. </p>

<p> (1): </p> <p> (n.) The chief piece in the game of chess. </p> <p> (2): </p> <p> (n.) The title of two historical books in the Old Testament. </p> <p> (3): </p> <p> (n.) A playing card having the picture of a king; as, the king of diamonds. </p> <p> (4): </p> <p> (n.) A crowned man in the game of draughts. </p> <p> (5): </p> <p> (n.) One who, or that which, holds a supreme position or rank; a chief among competitors; as, a railroad king; a money king; the king of the lobby; the king of beasts. </p> <p> (6): </p> <p> (n.) A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince. </p> <p> (7): </p> <p> (n.) A Chinese musical instrument, consisting of resonant stones or metal plates, arranged according to their tones in a frame of wood, and struck with a hammer. </p> <p> (8): </p> <p> (v. i.) To supply with a king; to make a king of; to raise to royalty. </p>

<p> [[Song]] of [[Solomon]] 1:4 (c) In this way we see the Lord JESUS CHRIST in His glory as the sovereign ruler of His church. </p>

== Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature <ref name="term_16032" /> ==

<p> King, a title applied in the [[Scriptures]] to men (;; ), to [[God]] , and to [[Christ]] (;;;; )—to men, as invested with regal authority by their fellows; to God, as the sole proper sovereign and ruler of the universe; and to Christ, as the Messiah, the [[Son]] of God, the King of the Jews, the sole [[Head]] and [[Governor]] of His church. </p> <p> Regal authority was altogether alien to the institutions of [[Moses]] in their original and unadulterated form. Their fundamental idea was that [[Jehovah]] was the sole king of the nation : to use the emphatic words in , 'The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king.' We consider it as a sign of that self-confidence and moral enterprise which are produced in great men by a consciousness of being what they profess, that Moses ventured, with his half-civilized hordes, on the bold experiment of founding a society without a king, and that in the solicitude which he must have felt for the success of his great undertaking, he forewent the advantages which a regal government would have afforded. Nor is such an attempt a little singular and novel at a period and in a part of the world in which royalty was not only general, but held in the greatest respect, and sometimes rose to the very height of pure despotism. Its novelty is an evidence of the divine original to which Moses referred all his polity. [[Equally]] honorable is the conduct of Moses in denying to his lower nature the gratifications which a crown might have imparted, and it is obvious that this self-denial on the part of Moses, this omission to create any human kingship, is in entire accordance with the import, aim, and spirit of the [[Mosaic]] institutions, as being divine in their origin, and designed to accomplish a special work of [[Providence]] for man; and, therefore, affords, by its consistency with the very essence of the system of which it forms a part, a very forcible argument in favor of the divine legation of Moses. </p> <p> That great man, however, well knew what were the elements with which he had to deal in framing institutions for the rescued Israelites. [[Slaves]] they had been, and the spirit of slavery was not yet wholly eradicated from their souls. They had, too, witnessed in [[Egypt]] the more than ordinary pomp and splendor which environ a throne, dazzling the eyes and captivating the heart of the uncultured. Not improbably the prosperity and abundance which they had seen in Egypt, and in which they had been, in a measure, allowed to partake, might have been ascribed by them to the regal form of the [[Egyptian]] government. Moses may well, therefore, have apprehended a not very remote departure from the fundamental type of his institutions. [[Accordingly]] he makes a special provision for this contingency , and labors, by anticipation, to guard against the abuses of royal power. Should a king be demanded by the people, then he was to be a native Israelite; he was not to be drawn away by the love of show, especially by a desire for that regal display in which horses have always borne so large a part, to send down to Egypt, still less to cause the people to return to that land; he was to avoid the corrupting influence of a large harem, so common among [[Eastern]] monarchs; he was to abstain from amassing silver and gold; he was to have a copy of the law made expressly for his own study—a study which he was never to intermit till the end of his days; so that his heart might not be lifted up above his brethren, that he might not be turned aside from the living God, but observing the divine statutes, and thus acknowledging himself to be no more than the vicegerent of heaven, he might enjoy happiness, and transmit his authority to his descendants. </p> <p> The [[Jewish]] polity, then, was a sort of sacerdotal republic—we say sacerdotal, because of the great influence which, from the first, the priestly order enjoyed, having no human head, but being under the special supervision, protection, and guidance of the Almighty. The nature of the consequences, however, of that divine influence avowedly depended on the degree of obedience and the general faithfulness of the nation. The good, therefore, of such a superintendence in its immediate results was not necessary, but contingent. The removal of Moses and of Joshua by death soon left the people to the natural results of their own condition and character. Anarchy ensued. [[Noble]] minds, indeed, and stout hearts appeared in those who were termed Judges; but the state of the country was not so satisfactory as to prevent an unenlightened people, having low and gross affections, from preferring the glare of a crown and the apparent protection of a scepter, to the invisible and, therefore, mostly unrecognized arm of omnipotence. A king accordingly was requested. The misconduct of Samuel's sons, who had been made judges, was the immediate occasion of the demand being put forth. The request came with authority, for it emanated from all the elders of Israel, who, after holding a formal conference, proceeded to Samuel, in order to make him acquainted with their wish. Samuel was displeased; but, having sought in prayer to learn the divine will, he is instructed to yield to the demand on a ground which we should not assuredly have found stated, had the book in which it appears been tampered with or fabricated for any courtly purposes or any personal ends, whether by Samuel himself, or by David, or any of his successors—'for they have not rejected thee (Samuel), but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them' (, see also ). Samuel was, moreover, directed to 'protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.' [[Faithfully]] did the prophet depict the evils which a monarchy would inflict on the people. In vain: they said, 'Nay, but we will have a king over us.' Accordingly, [[Saul]] the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, was, by divine direction, selected, and privately anointed by Samuel 'to be captain over God's inheritance;' thus he was to hold only a delegated and subordinate authority. Under the guidance of Samuel, Saul was subsequently chosen by lot from among the assembled tribes; and though his personal appearance had no influence in the choice, yet when he was plainly pointed out to be the individual designed for the scepter, Samuel called attention to those qualities which in less civilized nations have a preponderating influence, and are never without effect, at least, in supporting 'the divinity which doth hedge a king:' 'See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people,' for he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward; 'and all the people shouted, God save the king.' </p> <p> Emanating as the royal power did from the demand of the people and the permission of a prophet, it was not likely to be unlimited in its extent or arbitrary in its exercise. The government of God, indeed, remained, being rather concealed and complicated than disowned, much less superseded. The king ruled not in his own right, nor in virtue of the choice of the people, but by concession from on high, and partly as the servant and partly as the representative of the theocracy. How insecure, indeed, was the tenure of the kingly power, how restricted it was in its authority, appears clear from the comparative facility with which the crown was transferred from Saul to David; and the part which the prophet Samuel took in effecting that transference points out the quarter where lay the power which limited, if it did not primarily, at least, control the royal authority. We must not, however, expect to find any definite and permanent distribution of power, any legal determination of the royal prerogatives as discriminated from the divine authority; circumstances, as they prompted certain deeds, restricted or enlarged the sphere of the monarch's action. Thus, in , sq., we find Saul, in an emergency, assuming, without consultation or deliberation, the power of demanding something like a levy en masse, and of proclaiming instant war. With the king lay the administration of justice in the last resort (; , sq.). He also possessed the power of life and death (2 Samuel 14). To provide for and superintend the public worship was at once his duty and his highest honor (1 Kings 8;;; ). One reason why the people requested a king was, that they might have a recognized leader in war . The Mosaic law offered a powerful hindrance to royal despotism . The people also, by means of their elders, formed an express compact, by which they stipulated for their rights , and were from time to time appealed to, generally in cases of 'great pith and moment' . Nor did the people fail to interpose their will, where they thought it necessary, in opposition to that of the monarch . The part which [[Nathan]] took against [[David]] shows how effective, as well as bold, was the check exerted by the prophets; indeed, most of the prophetic history is the history of the noblest opposition ever made to the vices alike of royalty, priesthood, and people. When needful, the prophet hesitated not to demand an audience of the king, nor was he dazzled or deterred by royal power and pomp (;; ). As, however, the monarch held the sword, the instrument of death was sometimes made to prevail over every restraining influence . </p> <p> After the transfer of the crown from Saul to David, the royal power was annexed to the house of the latter, passing from father to son, with preference to the eldest born, though he might be a minor. [[Jehoash]] was seven years old when he began to reign . This rule was not, however, rigidly observed, for instances are not wanting in which nomination of a younger son gave him a preferable title to the crown : the people, too, and even foreign powers, at a later period, interrupted the regular transmission of royal authority . The ceremony of anointing, which was observed at least in the case of Saul, David, and [[Solomon]] (;;;;;;; ), and in which the prophet or high-priest who performed the rite acted as the representative of the theocracy and the expounder of the will of heaven, must have given to the spiritual power very considerable influence. Indeed, the ceremony seems to have been essential to constitute a legitimate monarch ; and thus the authorities of the Jewish church held in their hands, and had subject to their will, a most important power, which they could use either for their own purposes or the common good. We have seen in the case of Saul that personal and even external qualities had their influence in procuring ready obedience to a sovereign; and further evidence to the same effect may be found in; such qualities would naturally excite the enthusiasm of the people, who appear to have manifested their approval by acclamations (;;;; ). Jubilant music formed a part of the popular rejoicings thank-offerings were made the new sovereign rode in solemn procession on the royal mule of his predecessor , and took possession of the royal harem—an act which seems to have been scarcely less essential than other observances which appear to us to wear a higher character (;; ). A numerous harem, indeed, was among the most highly estimated of the royal luxuries (;; ). It was under the supervision and control of eunuchs, and passed from one monarch to another as a part of the crown-property . The law , foreseeing evils such as that by which Solomon, in his later years, was turned away from his fidelity to God, had strictly forbidden many wives; but Eastern passions and usages were too strong for a mere written prohibition, and a corrupted religion became a pander to royal lust, interpreting the divine command as sanctioning eighteen as the minimum of wives and concubines. In the original distribution of the land no share, of course, was reserved for a merely possible monarch; yet the kings were not without several sources of income. In the earlier periods of the monarchy the simple manners which prevailed would render copious revenues unnecessary; and a throne which was the result of a spontaneous demand on the part of the people, would easily find support in free-will offerings, especially in a part of the world where the great are never approached without a present. There seems also reason to conclude that the amount of the contributions made by the people for the sustenance of the monarch depended, in a measure, on the degree of popularity which, in any particular case, he enjoyed, or the degree of service which he obviously rendered to the state (;;;; , sq.). That presents of small value and humble nature were not despised or thought unfit for the acceptance of royalty, may be learned from that which [[Jesse]] sent to Saul , 'an ass, with bread and a bottle of wine, and a kid.' The indirect detail 'of the substance which was King David's,' found in , sq. (comp.; , sq.), shows at how early a period the [[Israelitish]] throne was in possession of very large property, both personal and real. The royal treasury was replenished by confiscation, as in the case of [[Naboth]] (; comp. , sq.; ). Nor were taxes unknown. Samuel had predicted , 'He will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards,' etc.; and so in other passages we find that levies both of men and money were made for the monarch's purposes; and, in cases of special need, these exactions were large and rigorously levied , as when [[Jehoiakim]] 'taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation.' So long, however, as the native vigor of a young monarchy made victory easy and frequent, large revenues came to the king from the spoils of war (, sq.). [[Commerce]] also then supplied abundant resources . </p> <p> According to Oriental custom, much ceremony and outward show of respect were observed. Those who were intended to be received with special honor were placed on the king's right hand . The most profound homage was paid to the monarch, which was required not merely by common usage, but by the voice of religious wisdom —a requirement which was not unnatural in regard to an office that was accounted of divine origin, and to have a sort of vice-divine authority. Those who presented themselves before the royal presence fell with their face towards the ground till their forehead touched it (;; ), thus worshipping or doing obeisance to the monarch, a ceremony from which even the royal spouse was not exempted . A kiss was among the established tokens of reverence , as were also hyperbolical wishes of good . Serious offences against the king were punished with death . </p> <p> Deriving their power originally from the wishes of the people, and being one of the same race, the [[Hebrew]] kings were naturally less despotic than other Oriental sovereigns, mingled more with their subjects, and were by no means difficult of access (;;;;; ). After death the monarchs were interred in the royal cemetery in Jerusalem: 'So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David' (;; ). But bad kings were excluded 'from the sepulchers of the kings of Israel' . In 1 Kings 4 will be found an enumeration of the high officers of state under the reign of Solomon (see also;;;;;;;;; ). The misdeeds of the Jewish crown, and the boldness with which they were reproved, may be seen exemplified in Jeremiah 22 : 'Thus saith the Lord, [[Execute]] judgment and righteousness, and do no wrong; do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood. But if ye will not hear these words, this house shall become a desolation,' etc. </p>

<ref name="term_17989"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/baker-s-evangelical-dictionary-of-biblical-theology/king King from Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology]</ref>

<ref name="term_48044"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/hawker-s-poor-man-s-concordance-and-dictionary/king King from Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary]</ref>

<ref name="term_52291"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/hastings-dictionary-of-the-bible/king King from Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible]</ref>

<ref name="term_56368"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/hastings-dictionary-of-the-new-testament/king King from Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament]</ref>

<ref name="term_73537"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/smith-s-bible-dictionary/king King from Smith's Bible Dictionary]</ref>

<ref name="term_78199"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/vine-s-expository-dictionary-of-nt-words/king King from Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words]</ref>

<ref name="term_136205"> [https://bibleportal.com/dictionary/webster-s-dictionary/king King from Webster's Dictionary]</ref>

<ref name="term_16032"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/kitto-s-popular-cyclopedia-of-biblial-literature/king King from Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature]</ref>