KINGS OF JUDAH 930 to 587/6 BC

[from the era of the divided monarchy to the Babylonian conquest]

One ruling family = the House of David.  First Davidic successor was Solomon, son of Bathsheba, c 970- 930BC

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 31:5

RULERS
OF
JUDAH
DATE
OF
REIGN
GOOD
OR
BAD
YEARS
OF
REIGN
RELATION TO
PREDECESSOR
& QUEEN MOTHER
(Gebirah)*
CIRCUMSTANCE
OF
DEATH
SCRIPTURAL
REFERENCE
1.  Rehoboam 930-913 B 17 Son of Solomon
Mother: Naamah the Ammonite
died 1 Kings 11:42-14:31;
2 Chronicles 9:31-12:16
2.  Abijam (Abijah) 913-911 B  3 Son of Rehoboam
Mother: Maacah (Micaiah), descendant of Absalom, Son of David
died 1 Kings 14:31-15:8;
2 Chronicles 13:1-23
3. Asa 911-870 G 41 Son of  Abijam
Mother: ?,Gebirah:
grandmother Maacah
died 1 Kings 15:8-24;
2 Chronicles 13:23-16:14
4. Jehoshaphat 870-848 G 25 Son of Asa
Mother: Azubah
died 1 Kings 15:24; 22:41-51;
2 Chronicles 17:1-21:1
5.  Jehoram 848-841 B  8 Son of Jehoshaphat
Mother: ?
died in great pain of an incurable disease 2 Kings 8:16-24;
2 Chronicles  21:1-20
6.  Ahaziah 841 B 1 Son of Jehoram
Mother: Athaliah Daughter of Jezebel and Ahab, King of Northern Kingdom of Israel
assassinated by Jehu king of Israel who also killed Jezebel & all royal House of Ahab of Israel 2 Kings 8:24-29; 9:14-26;
2 Chronicles 22:1
7. Athaliah
(Queen mother ruled)
841-835 B 7 Mother of Ahaziah murders royal family of Judah murdered by army who supported Jehoash the surviving Davidic heir. 2 Kings 11:1-20;
2 Chronicles 22:1-15
8. Jehoash (Joash) 835-796 G 40 Grandson of Athaliah and Son of Ahaziah
Mother: Zibiah (Beersheba)
assassinated by servants 2 Kings 11:1– 12:21;
2 Chronicles 22:10-23, 24:27
9. Amaziah 796-781 G 29 Son of Jehoash
Mother: Jehoaddan (Jerusalem)
assassinated 2 Kings 14:1-22;
2 Chronicles 26:1-23

10. Uzziah (debilitating disease = son, Jotham ruled for his father)

781-740 G 52 Son of Amaziah
Mother: Jecoliah (Jerusalem)
Struck by Yahweh with a skin disease for attempting to usurp the power of the priesthood 2 Kings 15:1-7;
2 Chronicles 26:1-23
11. Jotham 740-736 G 16 Son of Uzziah
Mother: Jerushah Daughter of Zadok
died 2 Kings 15:32-38;
2 Chronicles 26:23-27:9
12. Ahaz 736-716 B 16 Son of Jotham
Mother: ?
died 2 Kings 15:38– 16:20;
2 Chronicles 27:9-28:27
13. Hezekiah 716-687 G 29 Son of Ahaz
Mother: Abijah Daughter of Zechariah
died 2 Kings 16:20; 18:1- 20:21;
2 Chronicles 28:27-32:33
14. Manasseh 697-642 B 55 Son of Hezekiah
Mother: Hephzibah
died 2 Kings 21:1-18;
2 Chronicles 32:33-33:20
15. Amon 642-640 B 2 Son of Manasseh
Mother: Meshullemeth Daughter of Haruz (Jotbah)
assassinated by servants 2 Kings 21:18-26;

2 Chronicles 33:20-25  

16. Josiah 640-609 G 31 Son of Amon
Mother: Jedidiah Daughter of Adaiah (Bozkath)
killed in battle of Megiddo by the archers of Pharaoh Necho of Egypt 2 Kings 21:26– 23:30;
2 Chronicles 33:25-35:27
17. Eliakim/Jehoahaz (name changed from Eliakim to Jehoahaz by Necho, Pharaoh of Egypt; probably reflects vassal status) 609 B 3 months Son of Josiah
Mother: Hamutal Daughter of Jeremiah (Libnah)
Vassal of Egyptian Pharaoh Necho; later exiled to Egypt where he died 2 Kings 23:30-34;
2 Chronicles 36:1-4
18. Jehoiakim 609-598 B 11 Brother of Eliakim/Jehoahaz
Mother: Zebidah Daughter of Pedaiah (Rumah)
vassal of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; died during revolt against Babylon 2 Kings 23:34– 24:6;
2 Chronicles 36:5-8
19.  Jehoiachin
598-597 B 3 months Son of Jehoiakim
Mother: Nehusta Daughter of Elnathan
(Jerusalem)
deposed by Babylonian king; exiled to Babylon 2 Kings 24:6-17
2 Chronicles 36:8-10
20.  Mattaniah / Zedekiah (name changed to Zedekiah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon probably reflects vassal status)
597-586 B 11 paternal Uncle of Jehoiachin
Mother: Hamital Daughter of Jeremiah (Libnah) Sister of Zebidah,  mother of King Eliakim/ Jehoahaz
deposed by Babylonian king; exiled to Babylon 2 Kings 24:17– 25:30
2 Chronicles 36:10-13;
Jeremiah  52:1-3; 37-39;
Ezekiel 17:13-16

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 ].  In Sacred Scripture the mother of the Davidic king is listed along with her son in the books of 1 & 2 Kings  and 1 & 2 Chronicles when he assumes the throne.  The only queen mothers not listed are those of King Jehoram, who married  wicked Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel of Israel  [2 Kings  8:17-18],  King Ahaz [2 Kings  16:2-3], and King Asa [1 Kings  15:10].  In the case of Jehoram and Ahaz, their mothers may have died prior to their sons assuming the throne of David, and in the case of Asa, his grandmother is named as the Gebirah, his mother having died or perhaps his grandmother, the former Gebirah, did not relinquish her power and authority upon the succession of her grandson.  Scripture indicates that the Gebirah assumed a throne along side her son [see 1 Kings 2:19] and exercised her role as counselor [2 Chronicles 22:3] and intercessor to the king [1 Kings 2:13-21.  In times of conquest both the kind and his mother represented royal power [2 Kings 24:12].  The Gebirah was clearly the most important woman in the Kingdom of Judah; a king had many wives, but only one mother.  The Gebirah of the eternal Davidic Kingdom of Jesus Christ is Mary of Nazareth.  She appears in this role in Revelation 12:1.  The institution of the Gebirah was not practiced in the Northern Kingdom.

Additional information on the institution of the Davidic Gebirah may be found in these resources:

  1. Birth of the Messiah, Father Raymond Brown, New York: Doubleday, 1993.
  2. Ancient Israel, Father R. De Vaux, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.
  3. Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary's Queenship, Edward Sri, Steubenville, Ohio: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2005.

Michal Hunt, Copyright © 1991, revised 2004, 2007 (on the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary) Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.