The Anchor Yale Bible: II Kings (AYB)
Overview
II Kings is the chronicle of the raging conflicts that tore the united kingdom of Israel apart, creating the rival nations of Israel to the north and Judah to the south. It tells of the time of the great prophecies of Elijah and Elisha, and of the legendary conquerors of not only the Jews, but the whole of the Middle East—Sennacherib, Hazael, Tiglath-pileser III, Nebuchadnezzar, and Shalmaneser.
The book of II Kings was written with a dual purpose. It provided a chronological history of the divided kingdoms of Israel, from the time of division, through the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and the final exile of the Jews into Babylonia. It also served as a reminder to all Israelite monarchs that their loyalty to the God of Israel, as worshipped in Jerusalem, determined the course of history. In his telling of the story, the book’s author emphasized to his contemporaries and future generations that in order to avert the calamities that befell the Chosen People (their conquest by non-believers, the destruction of Jerusalem, and their ignominious exile), they would have to avoid a repetition of the misdeeds of the past. If they remained loyal to their God, their God would remain loyal to them.
Complete with maps, charts, photographs, and extra-biblical documentation, II Kings presents an important and illuminating new translation which explores a tumultuous epoch of change that forever affected theological and world history.
Logos Bible Software gives you the tools you need to use this volume effectively and efficiently. With your digital library, you can search for verses, find Scripture references and citations instantly, and perform word studies. Along with your English translations, all Scripture passages are linked to Greek and Hebrew texts. What’s more, hovering over a Scripture reference will instantly display your verse! The advanced tools in your digital library free you to dig deeper into one of the most important contributions to biblical scholarship in the past century!
- Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
- Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
- Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
- Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature
- The Reign of Ahaziah (Israel) (I Kings 22:52–54; 2 Kings 1:1)
- Elijah and Ahaziah (1:2–18)
- Elijah’s Ascent to Heaven; Succession of Elisha (2:1–18)
- The Elisha Cycle
- History of the Divided Monarchy Resumed
- The Kingdom of Judah until the Exile
Top Highlights
“Likewise, the crucial lines in a Ugaritic prayer for a city under siege referring to the consecration of a ‘first-born’ (?) are of disputed interpretation.” (Page 47)
“Since Sennacherib himself participated in the campaign to the West in 701 b.c.e., it was only natural that he be accompanied by his personal attendants. The reason why the Rab-shakeh, and not one of the officers higher in rank, addressed the Judeans should be sought in the Rab-shakeh’s fluency in the language of Judah. He might even have been of Israelite extraction, from a noble family exiled to Assyria (as suggested by H. Tadmor, EncMiqr 7.323–25).” (Page 230)
“The title ʾăšer ʿal habbayit, lit. ‘who is in charge of the house’—i.e., the ‘royal steward,’ is known from the reign of Solomon onward (1 Kgs 4:6) in both Judah and Israel (16:9; 18:3; 2 Kgs 15:5). A Hebrew seal of the seventh century b.c.e. bears the inscription [l]ydw ʾšr [ʿ]l hbyt, ‘Belonging to Iddo, the Royal Steward.’ See N. Avigad, Festschrift Rëuben R. Hecht (Jerusalem: Koren, 1979), 119–20.” (Page 230)
“Manasseh’s idolatry, rather than being a foreign import, should be interpreted as the revival of certain autochthonous, Canaanite, and/or Israelite practices, against which prophets spoke out regularly.” (Page 272)
“The men of the city said to Elisha, ‘The city’s location is a good one, as my lord can see, but the water is bad and the land miscarries.’ 20 He said, ‘Bring me a new flask, and put salt in it’; and they brought (it) to him. 21 Then he went out to the water source and threw the salt into it, and said, ‘Thus says yhwh, ‘I have healed these waters. Death and miscarriage shall issue from there no longer.’ ’ 22 So the water has remained healeda until this day, in accordance with Elisha’s word which he spoke.” (Page 36)
- Title: II Kings
- Authors: Mordechai Cogan and Hayim Tadmor
- Series: Anchor Yale Bible (AYB)
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- Publication Date: 2008
- Pages: 408
Mordechai Cogan received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. He is a professor in the department of history of the Jewish People at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
About Hayim Tadmor
Hayim Tadmor is a professor of Assyriology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.