THE DAVIDIC KINGS OF JUDAH 930 – 30AD to Eternity
One ruling family = the House of David. First Davidic successor was Solomon, son of Bathsheba, c 970- 930BC. With the revolt of the 10 Northern tribes, two kingdoms were formed: the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. The Northing Kingdom had 9 ruling dynasties while the Southern Kingdom was ruled only be the descendants of King David.
But Yahweh would not destroy the House of David,
because of the covenant which he had made with David, promising to provide him
and his sons with a lamp for ever.
2 Chronicles 21:7
Do you not know that Yahweh, God of Israel, has given eternal sovereignty of Israel to David and his sons by an inviolable covenant?
2 Chronicles 13:5
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NAMES OF THE RULERS OF JUDAH (all descendants of David with the exception of the illegitimate rule of # 7) |
DATE OF REIGN | GOOD OR BAD RULE |
YEARS OF REIGN (according to modern counting) |
RELATION TO PREDECESSOR & QUEEN MOTHER (Gebirah)* | SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE FOR DAVIDIC KINGS AND QUEEN MOTHERS |
| 1. King Rehoboam | 930-913 BC | Bad | 17 |
son of Solomon; mother = Naamah the Ammonite |
1 Kings 11:42 – 14:31; 2 Chronicles 9:31-12:16 |
| 2. King Abijam (Abijah) | 913-911 BC | Bad | 3 | son of Rehoboam; mother: Maacah (Micaiah), descendant of Absalom son of David |
1 Kings 14:31 – 15:8; 2 Chronicles 13:1-23 |
| 3. King Asa | 911-870 BC | Good | 41 | son of Abijam; mother?, Gebirah = grandmother Maacah |
1 Kings 15:8-24; 2 Chronicles 13:23-16:14 |
| 4. King Jehoshaphat | 870-848 BC | Good | 25 | son of Asa; mother: Azubah |
1 Kings 15:24; 22:41-51; 2 Chronicles 17:1-21:1 |
| 5. King Jehoram | 848-841 BC | Bad | 8 | son of Jehoshaphat; mother: ? |
2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chronicles 21:1-20 |
| 6. King Ahaziah | 841- BC | Bad | 1 | son of Jehoram; mother: Athaliah daughter of Ahab, King of Northern Kingdom of Israel |
2 Kings 8:24-29; 9:14-26; 2 Chronicles 22:1-12 |
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7. Queen Mother Athaliah (descendant of the dynasty of Omni of Israel) |
841-835 BC | Bad | 6 | daughter of Ahab, King of Northern Kingdom of Israel |
2 Kings 8:26; 11:1-20; 2 Chronicles 21:6; 22:2, 22:9-23:21 |
| 8. Jehoash (Joash) | 835-796 BC | Good | 40 | grandson of Athaliah and son of Ahaziah; mother: Zibiah of Beersheba |
2 Kings 11:1 – 12:21; 2 Chronicles 22:10-23; 24:27 |
| 9. Amaziah | 796-781 BC | Good | 29 | son of Jehoash; mother: Jehoaddan of Jerusalem |
2 Kings 14:1-22; 2 Chronicles 24:27-25:28 |
| 10. Uzziah | 781-740 BC | Started good/later bad | 52 | son of Amaziah mother: Jecoliah of Jerusalem |
2 Kings 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23 |
| 11. Jotham (served as regent for several years until his father's death) | 740-736 BC | Good | 16 | son of Uzziah; mother: Jerushah daughter of Zadok |
2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chronicles 26:21-23 (regent); 26:23-27:9 (king) |
| 12. Ahaz | 736-716 BC | Bad | 16 | son of Jotham; mother: ? |
2 Kings 15:38 – 16:20; 2 Chronicles 27:9-28:27 |
| 13. Hezekiah | 716-687 BC | Good | 29 | son of Ahaz; mother: Abijah daughter of Zechariah |
2 Kings 16:20; 18:1- 20:21; 2 Chronicles 28:27-32:33 |
| 14. Manasseh | 697-642 BC | Bad | 55 | son of Hezekiah; mother: Hephzibah |
2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chronicles 32:33-33:20 |
| 15. Amon | 642-640 BC | Bad | 2 | son of Manasseh; mother: Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz of Jotbah |
2 Kings 21:18-26; 2 Chronicles 33:20-25 |
| 16. Josiah | 640-609 BC | Good | 31 | son of Amon; mother: Jedidiah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath |
2 Kings 21:26 – 23:30; 2 Chronicles 33:25-35:27 |
| 17. Jehoahaz | 609 BC | Bad | 3 months |
son of Josiah; mother: Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah |
2 Kings 23:30-34; 2 Chronicles 36:1-4 |
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18. Jehoiakim (name changed from Eliakim to Jehoiakim by Necho, Pharoh of Egypt; probably reflects vassal status) |
609-598 BC | Bad | 11 |
Son of Josiah; brother of Eliakim/Jehoahaz; mother: Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah |
2 Kings 23:34 – 24:6; 2 Chronicles 36:5-8 |
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19. Jehoiachin (also known as Coniah; called Jechoniah in N.T.) |
598-597 BC | Bad | 3 months | son of Jehoiakim; mother: Nehusta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem |
2 Kings 24:6-17 2 Chronicles 36:8-10 |
| 20. Zedekiah (name changed to Zedekiah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon probably reflects vassal status) | 597-586 BC | Bad | 11 |
son of Josiah; paternal uncle of Jehoiachin; mother: Hamital daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah (also the mother of King Jehoahaz) |
2 Kings 24:17 – 25:30 2 Chronicles 36:10-13; Jeremiah 52:1-3; 37-39; Ezekiel 17:13-16 |
| 21. Jesus of Nazareth, son of David, son of God | 30AD- eternity | Sinless | Eternity | Son of God, mother: Mary of Nazareth, descendant of King David: Queen (Gebirah) of the Heavenly Kingdom | Matthew 1:1-17, 20; Luke 1:26-38; 2:5; 3:23-38; Revelation 12:1-17 |
All dates are approximate and may vary according to various scholars
*Note: The Gebirah, the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Judah, was an official position held by the mother of the Davidic kings. She was the most important and influential woman in the royal court and the king's chief counselor. The Hebrew word, gebirah, is found fifteen times in the Old Testament and can be translated as "Queen Mother" or "Great Lady" [Genesis 16:4, 8, 9; 1 Kings 11:19 (used for the Egyptian Queen Mother); 15:13; 2 Kings 5:3; 10:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Psalm 123:2; Proverbs 30:23; Isaiah 24:2; 47:5, 7; Jeremiah 13:18; 29:2 ]. The institution of the Gebirah was evidently not practiced in the 9 dynasties of the Northern Kingdom.
Additional information on the institution of the Davidic Gebirah may be found in these resources:
Michal Hunt Copyright © Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved. 1991 – revised 2016