Who Wrote 1 Kings?
Quick Summary
The book of 1 Kings does not name its author and is best understood as an anonymous historical and theological work. While later tradition associated Kings with prophetic figures, most modern scholars agree that 1 Kings was compiled and shaped by editors working within the Deuteronomistic tradition. The book interprets Israel’s monarchy through the lens of covenant faithfulness, evaluating kings by their loyalty to the Lord rather than by political success.
Introduction
First Kings carries Israel’s story from the end of David’s reign through the height and collapse of Solomon’s kingdom and into the divided monarchy. The book is expansive in scope yet precise in judgment. It narrates political achievement, religious compromise, prophetic confrontation, and national fracture with remarkable restraint.
Because 1 Kings covers multiple generations and kingdoms, authorship questions are especially complex. The book does not read like a royal chronicle written to glorify rulers. Instead, it presents a theological evaluation of leadership. Understanding who wrote 1 Kings clarifies why the narrative repeatedly measures kings against covenant standards rather than imperial ambition.
Traditional Views of Authorship
Later Jewish tradition sometimes associated the books of Kings with the prophet Jeremiah. This view likely arose from thematic connections between Kings and prophetic warnings found in Jeremiah, especially regarding idolatry, injustice, and impending judgment.
However, the book of 1 Kings does not identify Jeremiah or any other prophet as its author. While prophets play central roles within the narrative, traditional attributions are best understood as theological associations rather than historical claims about authorship.
What the Text of 1 Kings Reveals
First Kings is written in the third person and frequently refers to earlier sources, such as royal annals and court records. These references suggest that the author or editors worked with existing materials rather than composing the narrative from scratch.
The book consistently evaluates kings using a moral and theological framework. Rulers are judged according to their faithfulness to covenant worship, particularly their stance toward idolatry and the Jerusalem temple. Political success does not guarantee approval, and failure often follows religious compromise.
The narrative structure itself reflects interpretation. Events are arranged to highlight cause and consequence, revealing a theological reading of history rather than neutral reporting.
1 Kings and the Deuteronomistic History
Most modern scholars understand 1 Kings as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which includes Deuteronomy through 2 Kings. These books share language, themes, and theological assumptions rooted in Deuteronomy, especially the conviction that covenant faithfulness determines Israel’s stability.
Within this framework, 1 Kings explains the division of the kingdom and the decline of Israel as the result of unfaithfulness rather than political inevitability. The narrative treats history as a moral arena shaped by obedience and disobedience.
John J. Collins notes that the Deuteronomistic editors used historical material to construct a theological argument. First Kings functions as a sustained reflection on leadership and responsibility rather than a simple chronicle of events.
Sources and Composition
Scholars generally agree that 1 Kings draws on multiple sources, including royal records, prophetic traditions, and temple-related material. These sources were gathered and shaped by editors who arranged them into a coherent theological narrative.
Steven L. McKenzie, a leading scholar on Kings, emphasizes that the book reflects editorial work aimed at interpreting Israel’s history in light of covenant theology. He argues that the consistent evaluative framework across Kings points to intentional composition rather than accidental compilation.
The editors of 1 Kings were less concerned with preserving every historical detail than with presenting a meaningful account of why Israel’s monarchy failed to secure lasting faithfulness.
When Was 1 Kings Written?
While 1 Kings preserves early traditions, many scholars suggest that its final form emerged during the exile. This setting helps explain the book’s reflective tone and its concern with explaining national disaster.
Looking back on the rise and fall of kings would have allowed Israel to wrestle with the causes of exile and the meaning of covenant identity. First Kings reads as a work shaped by memory, loss, and theological reckoning.
Why Authorship Matters
Understanding who wrote 1 Kings shapes how the book is read. The narrative is not royal propaganda nor detached history. It is theological interpretation, offering a sustained critique of power divorced from faithfulness.
This becomes especially clear when 1 Kings is read alongside Chronicles. Whereas Samuel–Kings presents David and Solomon with full moral complexity, including failure, violence, and compromise, Chronicles retells much of the same period through selective storytelling. Chronicles emphasizes worship, temple building, and covenant continuity, while omitting episodes that would distract from those theological aims.
This distinction often troubles modern readers who assume that divine inspiration requires exhaustive or neutral reporting. In Scripture, however, inspiration operates through theological purpose. God’s inspiration does not flatten perspective or override editorial judgment. Instead, it works through faithful interpretation of history for specific communities and moments in time.
First Kings addresses the question of failure and responsibility. Chronicles addresses the question of identity and hope after exile. Both are inspired, not because they say everything, but because each says what its community needed to hear about God, covenant, and faithfulness.
Recognizing this helps readers see that intentional shaping and divine inspiration are not opposites. They belong together. The authority of 1 Kings lies in its theological honesty about power and accountability rather than in identifying a single named author.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Solomon write the book of 1 Kings?
No. Although Solomon is a central figure, the book was written about him, not by him.
Is 1 Kings history or theology?
First Kings preserves historical memory shaped by theological interpretation. Its primary aim is theological reflection.
Why are prophets so prominent in 1 Kings?
Prophets function as covenant enforcers, reminding kings that power is accountable to God.
Does authorship affect the authority of 1 Kings?
For most Jewish and Christian readers, authority comes from the book’s place in Scripture and its theological witness, not from certainty about authorship.
Sources and Further Reading
Collins, John J. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 3rd ed. Fortress Press, 2018, pp. 204–218.
McKenzie, Steven L. 1 Kings. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries. Abingdon Press, 2004, pp. 1–30.
