In Scripture a king is anyone invested with ruling authority — from the many local kings of Canaan the book of Joshua lists as defeated (Joshua 12) to the kings of Israel and Judah. Israel at first had no human king, understanding the LORD himself as their king; when they demanded one “like the nations,” Saul, then David and Solomon, began the monarchy (1 Samuel 8).
The Davidic covenant promised David an enduring throne, and the prophets looked for a coming anointed king to sit on it. In Jewish hope that king is the Messiah; the New Testament presents Jesus as that king and proclaims the kingdom of God — God’s own reign — breaking into the world.
Explore King and related terms in the full glossary → a.fortt.com/glossary-app
How this is made · A Fortt Media project, created & edited by Jon Fortt. Grounded in a curated Scripture database and carefully drafted and audited with the help of AI — described plainly, and written to assume no particular denomination or doctrine. Read the full approach → · Report a correction →
