They contain the annals of the Jewish commonwealth from the accession of Solomon till the subjugation of the kingdom by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (apparently a period of about four hundred and fifty-three years). The books of Chronicles (q.v.) are more comprehensive in their contents than those of Kings. The latter synchronize with 1 Chr. 28-2 Chr. 36:21. While in the Chronicles greater prominence is given to the priestly or Levitical office, in the Kings greater prominence is given to the kingly.
The authorship of these books is uncertain. There are some portions of them and of Jeremiah that are almost identical, e.g., 2 Ki. 24:18-25 and Jer. 52, 39:1-10, 40:7-41:10. There are also many undesigned coincidences between Jeremiah and Kings (2 Ki. 21:1-23:37 and Jer. 7:15, 15:4, 19:3, etc.), and events recorded in Kings of which Jeremiah had personal knowledge. These facts countenance in some degree the tradition that Jeremiah was the author of the books of Kings. But the more probable supposition is that Ezra, after the Captivity, compiled them from documents written perhaps by David, Solomon, Nathan, Gad, and Iddo, and that he arranged them in the order in which they now exist.
In the threefold division of the Scriptures by the Jews, these books are ranked among the "Prophets." They are frequently quoted or alluded to by our Lord and his apostles (Mt. 6:29, 12:42; Lk. 4:25,26, 10:4; comp. 2 Ki. 4:29; Mk. 1:6; comp. 2 Ki. 1:8; Mt. 3:4, etc.).
The sources of the narrative are referred to
The date of its composition was some time between B.C. 561, the date of the last chapter (2 Ki. 25), when Jehoiachin was released from captivity by Evil-merodach, and B.C. 538, the date of the decree of deliverance by Cyrus.