Definition

Proper noun 1. A book of the Old Testament: "I Kings" is the name of a book in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. It is the first of two books (I Kings and II Kings) that provide a historical account of the kings of the united and later divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, following the reign of King David.

Usage Notes

• "I Kings" is always capitalized as it is a proper noun, the title of a specific book.
• It is commonly written with the Roman numeral "I" but can also be written as "1 Kings".
• It is used to refer to the book itself, its content, or passages taken from it.

Examples

• As a title:
  • The story of Solomon's wisdom is found in I Kings.
  • We are studying I Kings chapter 3 in our scripture class.
• Referring to content:
  • The prophet Elijah is a major figure in I Kings.
  • Her thesis analyzed the political narratives within I Kings.

Advanced Usage

• "the book of I Kings": A more formal or explicit way to refer to it.
  • The division of the kingdom is recorded in the book of I Kings.

Variants and Related Words

• 1 Kings: An alternative written form using the Arabic numeral.
• First Kings: The written form using the word "First".
• II Kings (2 Kings): The direct sequel, the second book in the series.
• Kings: Often used to refer to the combined content of both I Kings and II Kings as a single unit.
  • The Book of Kings covers a long period of monarchic history.

Synonyms

• The First Book of the Kings (a fuller, traditional title).

Noun

1. the first of two Old Testament books telling the histories of the kings of Judah and Israel