Kings of Israel and Judah: Who the 43 Kings were and their Characteristics

Israel had 43 kings over the course of 340 years of monarchy. From the first king, Saul, to Zedekiah, the last king before the exile in Babylon, the nation of Israel experienced alternating periods of peace and crisis during their reigns.

the time of the judges, who ruled the Israelites from the days of Moses and Joshua, the people asked to have a king, because they wanted to be like the neighboring nations. With Saul, the era of the kings of Israel began, marking the start of the united Kingdom of Israel. However, after Solomon, the son of David, the kingdom was divided into two: the Kingdom of Israel (north), with the 10 tribes, and the Kingdom of Judah (south), composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Below is a list of the good and bad kings mentioned in the Bible.

Kings of Israel and Judah in chronological order

4 kings of the United Kingdom of Israel

• Saul (1050–1010 B.C., 40 years)
• Ish-bosheth (1010–1003 B.C., 7 years) – Son of Saul, ruled part of Israel while David ruled Judah
• David (1010–970 B.C., 40 years)
• Solomon (970–930 B.C., 40 years)

19 Kings of the Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom)

• Jeroboam I (930–909 B.C., 22 years)
• Nadab (909–908 B.C., 2 years)
• Baasha (908–886 B.C., 24 years)
• Elah (886–885 B.C., 2 years)
• Zimri (885 B.C., 7 days)
• Omri (885–874 B.C., 12 years)
• Ahab (874–853 B.C., 22 years)
• Ahaziah (853–852 B.C., 2 years)
• Joram (852–841 B.C., 12 years)
• Jehu (841–814 B.C., 28 years)
• Jehoahaz (814–798 B.C., 17 years)
• Jehoash (798–782 B.C., 16 years)
• Jeroboam II (782–753 B.C., 41 years)
• Zechariah (753 B.C., 6 months)
• Shallum (752 B.C., 1 month)
• Menahem (752–742 B.C., 10 years)
• Pekahiah (742–740 B.C., 2 years)
• Pekah (740–732 B.C., 20 years)
• Hoshea (732–722 B.C., 9 years) – Last king of Israel before the Assyrian conquest.

20 Kings of the Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom)

• Rehoboam (930–913 B.C., 17 years)
• Abijah (Abijam) (913–911 B.C., 3 years)
• Asa (911–870 B.C., 41 years)
• Jehoshaphat (870–848 B.C., 25 years)
• Joram (848–841 B.C., 8 years)
• Ahaziah (841 B.C., 1 year)
• Athaliah (usurping queen) (841–835 B.C., 6 years)
• Joash (835–796 B.C., 40 years)
• Amaziah (796–767 B.C., 29 years)
• Uzziah (Azariah) (767–740 B.C., 52 years)
• Jotham (740–732 B.C., 16 years)
• Ahaz (732–716 B.C., 16 years)
• Hezekiah (716–687 B.C., 29 years)
• Manasseh (687–643 B.C., 55 years)
• Amon (643–641 B.C., 2 years)
• Josiah (641–609 B.C., 31 years)
• Jehoahaz (609 B.C., 3 months)
• Jehoiakim (Eliakim) (609–598 B.C., 11 years)
• Jehoiachin (598–597 B.C., 3 months)
• Zedekiah (597–586 B.C., 11 years) – Last king of Judah before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile.

United Kingdom of Israel: The Kings and Their Characteristics

Saul

He was the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel. He pursued David out of envy and reigned for 40 years, but was removed from the throne for disobeying God (1 Samuel 8–9).

Learn more about Saul (The First King of Israel).

David

From the tribe of Judah, David was the most famous king of Israel. He reigned for 40 years and was considered a man after God’s own heart. Jesus Christ was a descendant of David’s dynasty, fulfilling God’s covenant promise that his throne would be established forever (1 Samuel 16–30, 2 Samuel through 1 Kings 1).

Read more about David.

Solomon

Son of David, famous for his wisdom. He built the temple in Jerusalem and was the author of several biblical proverbs and psalms, but turned away from God in the later years of his life. He reigned for 40 years (1 Kings 1–11).

Learn more about Solomon.

Kings of the Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom): The Kings and Their Characteristics

Ish-bosheth

Son of Saul, he reigned for 7 years over Israel during the same period when David had been proclaimed king over Judah. After Ish-bosheth’s death, David reigned over all Israel (2 Samuel 1–3).

Jeroboam I

The first king of the Northern Kingdom, he led the rebellion against Rehoboam and introduced idolatry in Israel. He built the city of Shechem in Ephraim and reigned for 22 years in Israel (1 Kings 12–14).

Nadab

Son of Jeroboam, he reigned 2 years over Israel. He did what was evil before God, just like his father. He was assassinated in a conspiracy led by Baasha, while attempting to attack the Philistine city of Gibbethon (1 Kings 15:25–28).

Baasha

Son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, Baasha conspired against Nadab while he was attacking the Philistines. He killed the king and all members of Jeroboam I’s family. Baasha reigned for 24 years in Tirzah and also did what was evil before God (1 Kings 15:25–34).

Elah

Son of Baasha, he reigned for 2 years. He was assassinated in the city of Tirzah while at the house of one of his stewards, drinking and getting drunk. He was also an evil king (1 Kings 16:8–10).

Zimri

He conspired against Elah and killed all the men of his family, leaving no descendant of Baasha to succeed him on the throne. Zimri reigned only 7 days in Tirzah. When the people heard of the conspiracy, they proclaimed Omri king and besieged Zimri, who set fire to the palace and died inside it (1 Kings 16:8–20).

Omri

A commander of the army, he was proclaimed king by the people after Zimri’s conspiracy. After Zimri’s death, Omri prevailed over another rival. He built the city of Samaria and established it as the capital of the Northern Kingdom. He was an evil king, an idolater, and acted worse than his predecessors. He died after reigning for 12 years.

Ahab

Son of Omri, married to the wicked queen Jezebel, he was known for promoting the worship of Baal. His reign was disastrous, marked by idolatry and conflict with the prophet Elijah. Ahab died in a battle against Syria, and his family was destroyed just as prophecy had foretold (1 Kings 16–22).

Discover more about Jezebel.

Ahaziah

Son of Ahab, he reigned for 2 years in Israel and committed the same sins as his parents, worshiping Baal and practicing idolatry against God. He died after falling from an upper room in Samaria, just as Elijah had prophesied. He left no heir (2 Kings 1).

Joram

Brother of Ahaziah (son of Ahab), he reigned 12 years over Israel. He continued with the idolatry introduced by Jeroboam and his father, though he tried to eliminate some practices of Baal worship. He suffered rebellions from Moab and Syria.

Jehu

He was a captain of the army when he was anointed king by a disciple of Elisha. He killed Jezebel and Joram, and wiped out the entire dynasty of Ahab. He also ordered the execution of Baal’s ministers and followers through a clever ambush. His reign lasted 28 years (2 Kings 9–10).

Jehoahaz

Son of Jehu, he reigned 17 years in Samaria. He was a wicked king, following in the evil ways of Jeroboam. He suffered great oppression from Syria. Jehoahaz cried out to God for help, and the Lord heard him. Still, both the people and the king remained far from God (2 Kings 13:1–9).

Joash (Jehoash)

Son of Jehoahaz, Joash was also a wicked king. He reigned 16 years in Samaria and went to war against Amaziah, king of Judah. Joash visited the prophet Elisha when the prophet was ill, and it was then that God’s help against Syria was foretold (2 Kings 13).

Jeroboam II

Son of Joash, he reigned 41 years in Israel, and continued to do evil in the sight of God, like his ancestors. He restored some of Israel’s borders and reconquered certain cities of Judah (2 Kings 14:23–29).

Zechariah

Son of Jeroboam II, Zechariah reigned only 6 months in Israel. He was also a wicked king, and died when attacked in a conspiracy that usurped his throne (2 Kings 15:8–12).

Shallum

Son of Jabesh, he conspired against Zechariah, attacked him publicly, and killed him before the people. Shallum reigned only 1 month in Israel before he too fell victim to a conspiracy. Menahem attacked, killed him, and seized the throne (2 Kings 15:10–15).

Menahem

He murdered Shallum and acted with extreme cruelty, attacking the city of Tiphsah and ripping open pregnant women. He reigned 10 years in Samaria, Israel, bribing the king of Assyria to remain in power (2 Kings 15:16–22).

Pekahiah

Son of Menahem, he reigned for 2 years, until he was assassinated by his own captain. He also did evil in the sight of God (2 Kings 15:22–26).

Pekah

Son of Remaliah, Pekah reigned 20 years over Israel. He conspired against King Pekahiah and took the throne. During his reign, the king of Assyria conquered several cities and deported the people to Assyria. Pekah was assassinated in a conspiracy led by Hoshea (2 Kings 15:27–31).

Hoshea

Son of Elah, Hoshea was the last king of Israel. He came to the throne after assassinating King Pekah in a conspiracy. During his reign, Israel was under the influence of Assyria, but Hoshea sought to free himself by forming an alliance with Egypt. This provoked the anger of the king of Assyria, who invaded Israel, besieged Samaria for 3 years, and deported the people. Hoshea reigned for 9 years until the deportation, marking the end of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17:1–23).

Kings of the Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom): The Kings and Their Characteristics

Rehoboam

Son of Solomon, he faced a rebellion and the division of the kingdom because he did not listen to the counsel of the elders nor attend to the people. He was the first king of Judah after the division (1 Kings 12, 14; 2 Chronicles 10–12).

Abijah (Abijam)

The second king of Judah, he was the son of Rehoboam and grandson of Solomon. He reigned for 3 years, faced conflicts with Jeroboam, king of Israel, and won a great battle. Abijah followed the example of his father, maintaining religious practices that displeased God (1 Kings 15:1–8; 2 Chronicles 13).

Asa

Asa was the son of Abijah and Maacah, daughter of Absalom. He reigned for 41 years in Judah. Asa did what was right before God and promoted various religious reforms, removing idols. He faced threats from King Baasha of Israel and made an alliance with the king of Assyria for help (1 Kings 15:9–24; 2 Chronicles 14–16).

Jehoshaphat

Son of Asa, Jehoshaphat reigned for 25 years in Jerusalem. He allied himself with the king of Israel and promoted some religious reforms. He also pleased the Lord, like his father Asa (1 Kings 22:41–50; 2 Chronicles 17–20).

Joram (Jehoram)

Son of Jehoshaphat, Joram reigned 8 years in Judah. During his reign, Joram displeased God. He acted cruelly, killed his brothers, married Athaliah (daughter of Ahab and Jezebel), and followed the idolatrous ways of Israel. Joram suffered a painful disease as divine judgment and died dishonorably, without being honored by the people (2 Kings 8:16–24; 2 Chronicles 21).

Ahaziah

Son of Joram and Athaliah, Ahaziah was the sixth king of Judah. He reigned briefly for 1 year in Jerusalem. Ahaziah followed the wicked ways of Ahab’s house, supporting idolatry and allying himself with Joram, king of Israel, in a war against Syria.

Ahaziah was wounded in battle and, while recovering, was killed by Jehu, who had been anointed by God to wipe out Ahab’s dynasty (2 Kings 8:25–29; 9:27–29; 2 Chronicles 22:1–9).

Athaliah (usurping queen)

She was the only queen who ruled Judah, and she did so for six years. In reality, Athaliah acted as regent of Judah, since she was not from the line of David. She was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and seized the throne after the death of her son, Ahaziah. She ordered the killing of her own grandsons, attempting to wipe out the royal line of David to secure her power. However, Joash, one of the grandsons, was hidden and saved by Jehosheba. Athaliah was deposed and executed after a coup led by the priest Jehoiada, who restored Joash to the throne (2 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 22:10–23:15).

Joash (Jehoash)

He began to reign at just 7 years old and reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem. As a baby, he had to be hidden from his grandmother Athaliah, who had killed all the descendants of her son Ahaziah. Jehosheba, Joash’s aunt, saved him by hiding him in the temple of the Lord for 6 years.

The priest Jehoiada had great influence during his reign, promoting religious reforms and the restoration of the temple. However, after Jehoiada’s death, Joash strayed and adopted idolatry. He was mortally wounded in a conspiracy of his servants (2 Kings 11–12; 2 Chronicles 22:10–24:27).

Amaziah

Son of Joash, he reigned 29 years in Judah. He led Judah to victory against the Edomites but then brought back the idols of Edom, turning away from God. Later, he provoked the kingdom of Israel to battle, but was defeated by the Northern Kingdom, and Jerusalem was plundered. Amaziah was assassinated in a conspiracy (2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25).

Uzziah (Azariah)

Son of Amaziah, Uzziah reigned over Judah for 52 years, and did what was right before God. He was an effective king, strengthening the kingdom militarily and promoting agriculture, bringing prosperity. However, Uzziah grew arrogant and entered the temple to burn incense, a duty reserved only for the priests.

Because of this sin, he was struck with leprosy and lived in isolation for the rest of his life, while his son Jotham governed in his place (2 Kings 15:1–7; 2 Chronicles 26).

Jotham

Son of Uzziah (Azariah) and Jerusha, Jotham reigned 16 years in Judah. He built cities, fought and defeated the Ammonites, who paid him tribute. He grew powerful because he walked in the presence of God (2 Kings 15:32–38; 2 Chronicles 27).

Ahaz

Son of Jotham, he reigned 16 years in Judah. His leadership was marked by idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. Ahaz promoted the worship of foreign gods, even sacrificing his own son. During his reign, Judah faced threats from Israel and Syria, leading him to seek help from Assyria. This resulted in political and religious dependence on that foreign power (2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28; Isaiah 7–8).

Hezekiah

Son of Ahaz, he reigned 29 years in Judah. He was a good king and did what was right before the Lord. He trusted in God and led significant religious reforms, restoring worship, promoting offerings, and celebrating Passover. He sought God in the face of Sennacherib’s threats and, with the help of the prophet Isaiah, prevailed (2 Kings 18–20; 2 Chronicles 29–32).

Manasseh

He began to reign at the age of 12 and reigned 55 years in Judah. Manasseh was a wicked king, promoting large-scale idolatry with pagan practices such as Baal worship, idols, and child sacrifice. All this led the people into sin, and his disobedience brought severe consequences for Judah.

But after being taken captive to Babylon, Manasseh repented and sought God, who heard him and restored him. He tried to repair the damage, though the negative impact of his reign endured (2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chronicles 33:1–20).

Amon

Son of Manasseh, he reigned 2 years in Judah. He did evil like his father, but did not repent or turn to God. He spread idolatry and committed many offenses. He was killed in a conspiracy by his own officials (2 Kings 21:19–26; 2 Chronicles 33:21–25).

Josiah

Son of Amon, he began to reign at only 8 years old and reigned 31 years in Judah. Josiah renewed the covenant upon discovering the Book of the Law in the Temple. He turned to the Lord with all his heart and promoted great religious reforms, celebrated Passover, and destroyed idols in the kingdom.

Josiah died in the valley of Megiddo when he went to battle against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt. All Judah mourned his death, and the prophet Jeremiah composed a lament in his honor (2 Kings 22–23; 2 Chronicles 34–35).

Jehoahaz

Son of Josiah, he reigned only 3 months in Judah. Jehoahaz did not do what was right in the sight of God. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt deposed him and took him captive to Egypt, where he died. After his removal, his brother Jehoiakim took the throne (2 Kings 23:31–34; 2 Chronicles 36:1–4).

Jehoiakim (Eliakim)

Brother of Jehoahaz, he reigned 11 years in Judah. He was appointed king by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt after his brother was deposed. Jehoiakim was an evil king who did not follow the Lord. He burned the book of the prophet Jeremiah, despising the Word of God. He became a vassal of Egypt, obligated to pay tribute.

During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invaded Judah, and Jehoiakim served him for three years. But then he changed his mind and rebelled. Eventually, he was bound in chains by the Babylonians (2 Kings 23:31-37; Jeremiah 36; 2 Chronicles 36:5-8).

Jehoiachin

Son of Jehoiakim, he was the second-to-last king of Judah, reigning for only 3 months. During his short reign, Jerusalem was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jehoiachin was taken captive along with members of the nobility and many treasures from the temple, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile (2 Kings 24:8-16; 2 Chronicles 36:9-10).

Zedekiah

The last king of Judah, he witnessed the fall of Jerusalem. Appointed by Nebuchadnezzar after Jehoiachin’s deportation to Babylon, he was the son of Josiah and the uncle of Jehoiachin. He reigned 11 years in Jerusalem but rebelled against the king of Babylon.

The Babylonians marched against Jerusalem and besieged it for 2 years until they broke down the wall and invaded. The city was destroyed, the temple plundered, and Zedekiah was captured. The king saw his sons killed before his eyes, and then he was blinded and taken to Babylon (2 Kings 24:17–25:7; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21).

The Division of the Kingdom of Israel

The division of the monarchy in Israel took place after the death of King Solomon due to long-standing tensions, heavy taxation, and forced labor. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, succeeded to the throne, but he rejected the people’s requests to ease their burdens, which caused discontent and rebellion.

Ten northern tribes, led by Jeroboam, rebelled and formed the Kingdom of Israel (north), while the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained under Rehoboam in the Kingdom of Judah (south). This division is described in 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10.

The Government of Israel After the Exile

After the Babylonian exile, Israel’s government underwent significant changes. The Jews returned under the rule of the Persian Empire, which allowed the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem and granted a degree of religious and civil autonomy.

Leadership was exercised by Jewish governors, such as Zerubbabel, and religious figures like Ezra and Nehemiah, who helped restore the Jewish law and the worship of the Lord. Leadership was now carried out by a combination of religious and civil authorities, instead of kings as before the exile.

Between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, the Maccabees, a priestly family, ruled Israel after fighting for independence. However, they were not descendants of David, and their rule was short-lived.

In the time of Jesus Christ, Israel was ruled by Herod, a non-Jewish king installed by the Roman Empire. His successors ruled as vassals of Rome.

Even so, God did not forget His promise to David. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and descendant of David, came as Savior, fulfilling the prophecy of being the Eternal King (Luke 1:32-33).

See also:

• Biblical Characters: Their History, Characteristics, and Importance
• Bible Stories