Who was the greatest king?
Question:
Good day, brother Jeffrey!
About Hezekiah, we read in II Kings 18:5-6:
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.
But then about Josiah, a couple of chapters later in II Kings 23:25:
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did — with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
How can the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah both be the greatest, especially when it is said that neither before nor after him was there a king like him? Is this a contradiction?
Answer:
It depends on what you are measuring. Hezekiah was the greatest king who demonstrated trust in God. Josiah was the greatest king who demonstrated zeal for God. Solomon was unique among the kings for the love God showed to him (Nehemiah 13:26).
