This and the following Book are called by the holy fathers the third
and fourth book of Kings; but by the Hebrews, the first and second.
They contain the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Juda, from the
beginning of the reign of Solomon, to the captivity. As to the writer
of these books, it seems most probable they were not written by one
man; nor at one time; but as there was all along a succession of
prophets in Israel, who recorded, by divine inspiration, the most
remarkable things that happened in their days, these books seem to have
been written by these prophets. See 2 Paralip. alias 2 Chron. 9.29;
12.15; 13.22; 20.34; 26.22; 32.32.