kings Kings is the name of two books of the Bible, recording the history of Israel from the accession of Solomon to the destruction of the Temple in 586 bc. In the Septuagint and Vulgate, these are called the third and fourth books of Kings, the two books of Samuel being called the first and second books of Kings.
kings have long arms a sovereign's power is often extensive. The saying is recorded from the mid 16th century, but the related ‘rulers' hands reach a long way’ is found in classical Greek, and the Roman poet Ovid (43 bc–ad c.17) in Heroides has, ‘know you not that kings have far-reaching hands?’

See also king, divine right of kings.

Kings, Books of. Two books belonging to the Former Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and to the historical books of the Christian Old Testament. In RC edns. of the Bible they are usually called 3 and 4 Kings, titles deriving from the Septuagint.