King
A king is a ruler who holds royal authority over a people or nation. In Scripture, the term can refer to human rulers and supremely to God’s appointed kingship, especially fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
At a Glance
A king is a ruler who holds royal authority over a people or nation. In Scripture, the term can refer to human rulers and supremely to God’s appointed kingship, especially fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Description
In biblical usage, a king is a royal ruler with authority to govern, judge, defend, and lead a people. The Old Testament records many human kings, especially in Israel and Judah, and evaluates them morally by their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to the Lord. At the same time, Scripture presents God as the ultimate sovereign King over creation and over His covenant people. The biblical hope for an ideal king centers on God’s promise to David, which finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, whose kingdom is righteous, enduring, and universal in scope. Because the term refers both to ordinary political rulers and to major theological themes of divine rule and messianic promise, the definition should stay broad and avoid reducing it to only one biblical use.