Q: #641. Why are the mothers of the kings of Judea mentioned, but not the mothers of the kings of Israel.
A: In the Old Testament, after the period of “judges,” “kings” were established. The first king appointed was Saul, and he ruled over all of the 12 tribes of Israel. After Saul’s death, the kingdom became temporarily divided, with Saul’s son Ishbosheth ruling 11 of the tribes for two years, while David ruled Judah. After Ishbosheth was assassinated, David became king over all 12 tribes. His son Solomon followed him as king, and also ruled over a unified kingdom of 12 tribes.
After Solomon’s reign ended, the kingdom divided into what became known as the Southern Kingdom (Judah and Benjamin: but simply called Judah) and the Northern Kingdom (the remaining 10 tribes: called Israel). This resulted in a string of 19 kings ruling over Israel and 19 kings (plus one queen) ruling over Judah.
Of these 19 kings ruling over Judah, the name of the king’s mother is mentioned when he begins his reign in all but 2 cases (Jehoram and Ahaz). However, the mother’s name is never mentioned with the kings of Israel when they begin their reign. (***Note: We do, however, know the mother’s name for 3 of the kings of Israel: Jeroboam’s mother Zeruah [1 Kin 11:26] and Ahaziah’s [1 Kin 22:51-52] and Jehoram’s [2 Kin 1:9] mother Jezebel.) It is worth noting that all of the kings of Israel were called evil, as well as 12 kings of Judah. Eight kings of Judah were called good: Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
Before going forward, I am going to share a chart listing each Judean king, and where his mother is mentioned:
| Kings Of Judah | Mother Of The King |
| Rehoboam | Naamah (1 Kin 14:21,31)(2 Chr 12:13) |
| Abijam | Maachah (1 Kin 15:1-2)(2 Chr 13:1-2) |
| Asa | Maachah (Asa’s Grandmother) (1 Kin 15:9-10,13)(2 Chr 15:16) |
| Jehoshaphat | Azubah (1 Kin 22:41-42)(2 Chr 20:31) |
| Jehoram | (No Mother Mentioned) (His wife is called “Queen” in 1 Kin 10:13) |
| Ahaziah | Athaliah (2 Kin 8:25-26, 11:1-3)(2 Chr 22:2) |
| Joash | Zibiah (2 Kin 12:1)(2 Chr 24:1) |
| Amaziah | Jehoaddan (2 Kin 14:1-2)(2 Chr 25:1) |
| Azariah | Jecholiah (2 Kin 15:1-2)(2 Chr 26:3) |
| Jotham | Jerusha (2 Kin 15:32-33)(2 Chr 27:1) |
| Ahaz | (No Mother Mentioned) |
| Hezekiah | Abijah (2 Kin 18:1-2)(2 Chr 29:1) |
| Manasseh | Hephzibah (2 Kin 21:1) |
| Amon | Meshullemeth (2 Kin 21:19) |
| Josiah | Jedidah (2 Kin 22:1) |
| Jehahaz | Hamutal (2 Kin 23:31) |
| Jehoiakim | Zebudah (2 Kin 23:36) |
| Jehoiachin | Nehushta (2 Kin 24:8) |
| Zedekiah | Hamutal (2 Kin 24:18)(Jer 52:1) |
Now, to the question of “why” they were mentioned! There are two prevailing theories.
The first theory is primarily centered on lineage. In (2 Sam 7:12-16)(1 Chr 17:11-14)(2 Chr 6:16)(Ps 89:3-4,29,34-37)(Ps 132:11-12), we see the Lord making a covenant with David (called the “Davidic Covenant”). This Covenant contained several promises, two of which apply here. #1. (2 Sam 7:13) “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” #2. (2 Sam 7:16) “…your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” These promises would lead to Jesus, the Messiah (Jer 23:5)(Isa 9:7)(Lk 1:32,69)(Mt 21:9 – the “Son of David”), who is now King forever (Heb 1:8)(Lk 1:32-33)(Jn 1:49)(Rev 17:14)(Rev 19:16).
This is why the first thing you read in the New Testament is the “royal” (“king”) lineage in (Mt 1:1-17), which shows a genealogical line of “kings” stretching from David to Jesus, to prove that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise given to David.
Tying this to our study, when the mother’s names were added for the 17 Judean kings, this was to give stronger genealogical proof in the future that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise to David, and His right to be called “King.”
***Note: Several of the Judean kings listed above are not found in Matthew’s genealogy (Mt 1:1-17). Matthew chose to list 42 generations, grouped in 3 periods: 14 from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile, 14 from the exile to Jesus (see: Mt 1:17). Therefore, Matthew gives us a traceable genealogy, but not a complete one.
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The second theory directly ties the listing of mothers to Mary. Many Catholics support this view. In this view, it is believed that each of the named mothers of the Judean kings was a “queen.” Several verses are used to support this position.
Because of the practice of polygamy amongst the Judean kings, it would be difficult to choose “one wife” to be queen (as was the way with most cultures). However, since there was “always” only one “mother of the king,” this led to the mother being chosen. Several verses are used to prove that mothers were queen.
#1. The term “queen mother” is used in several verses in relation to kings of Judah:
(Jer 13:18)(Jer 29:2) – Speaking of Nehushta, the mother of King Jehoiachin. (Jer 13:18) also says she had a “crown.”
(1 Kin 15:13)(2 Chr 15:16) – Speaking of Asa’s grandmother Maachah, whom Asa removed from being queen for her idolatry.
***Note; As mentioned above, “Queen Mother” is also used in (2 Kin 10:13) for Jezebel, but she was the “wife” of King Jehoram of Judah. The Hebrew word “gbiyrah” (Strong’s) is used in each of these verses. It is sometimes translated as “great lady.”
#2. In (2 Kin 2:19), we see that King Solomon “had a throne set up for the king’s mother (his mother Bathsheba); so she sat at his right hand.”
#3. We know from Scripture that several kings were “very” young when they assumed the throne: (Joash – 7 yrs old)(Josiah – 8)(Manasseh – 12)(Azariah – 16)(Jehoiachin – 18). While not “clearly” shown in Scripture, it is believed by many (i.e. MacArthur / Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentaries – Jer 30:18) that until their sons were ready to assume the throne, the mother held the power of the king.
Keeping this in mind, those who hold this theory believe that this picture carried all the way to Jesus. The “first theory” above ties to this. As the “kingly” lineage pointed to Jesus as “King,” it is believed that the “queenly” lineage (through the “mothers”) pointed to Mary. In other words, as the mother was to the (Judean) king as queen, so Mary was to King Jesus as Queen.
There is no denying that there is Biblical evidence for Judean kings having mothers as queens. There is some logic in saying that this evidence pointed to the significance Mary in some way as the “mother” of Jesus. However, there are HUGE problems with the unbiblical extremes that some, primarily within the Catholic Church, have carried this view to.
For example, many use the term “Queen of Heaven” to describe Mary (“Mother of God” is another term used). As such, many things belonging to “God alone” are assigned to Mary. Chief amongst those is prayer, which the Bible says is to be made “only” to God (Mt 6:6,9-13)(Rom 8:15)(Phil 4:6), but they offer to Mary. One of the chief prayers offered to Mary is for “intercession,” while the Bible says “only” Jesus (1 Tim 2:5)(Rom 8:34)(Heb 7:25) and the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:26-27) can make “intercession.” (Prayer is also offered by many of these same people to “saints” who have died, which is called the sin of “necromancy” in the Bible: Deut 18:11, Isa 8:19.)(***Note: If Mary could hear the prayers of people all around the world praying to her at the same time, it would give her “omnipresence,” which belongs to God alone.)
I have covered several other ways the Catholic Church has elevated Mary to “God-like” levels elsewhere on this site (see: here, and here), so we will not dwell on this here.
***Note: Some believe that Scriptures found in (Ps 45:9) and (Rev 12:1) point Mary being the “Queen of Heaven,” but these Scriptures are speaking of “the Church,” not Mary.
A lesser given theory as to why the king’s mothers were listed is simply to give credit to the “good mothership” of the kings of Judah. I think this is theory is pretty easily discredited by the fact that only 8 of the Judean kings were called “good” (keeping in mind that bad people don’t always have bad mothers). It is worth noting that King David called his mother a “maidservant” of the Lord in (Ps 86:16)(Ps 116:16). In (1 Sam 22:3-4), we see him protecting his mother and father.
Which ever view one holds, there is no doubt “significance” to the mothers of the kings of Judah being mentioned, and the mothers of the kings of Israel not being mentioned. This “significance” is tied to Jesus as our “King,” who descended from the tribe of Judah (Heb 7:14)(the “Lion of Judah” Rev 5:5).