In the biblical narrative, the authority of kings often extended to the administration of justice, including the infliction of punishments. This authority was seen as divinely sanctioned, with kings acting as God's appointed rulers over His people. The exercise of this power is evident throughout the Old Testament, where kings issued decrees and judgments that included various forms of punishment.

1. Saul and the Amalekites: King Saul was commanded by God, through the prophet Samuel, to completely destroy the Amalekites as a form of divine judgment (1 Samuel 15:3). However, Saul's failure to fully carry out this command led to his own rejection as king. This incident highlights the expectation that kings would execute God's justice faithfully.

2. David and the Amalekite Messenger: In 2 Samuel 1:15, King David ordered the execution of an Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul, Israel's anointed king. David's decision underscores the seriousness with which the sanctity of God's anointed was regarded, and the king's role in upholding this principle.

3. Solomon's Wisdom and Justice: King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, exercised his judicial authority in various cases. One notable instance is the judgment involving two women claiming to be the mother of a child (1 Kings 3:16-28). Solomon's wise ruling not only resolved the dispute but also demonstrated the king's role in discerning truth and administering justice.

4. Ahab and Naboth's Vineyard: King Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel, orchestrated the unjust execution of Naboth to seize his vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16). This abuse of royal power was condemned by the prophet Elijah, illustrating the potential for kings to misuse their authority and the prophetic role in calling them to account.

5. Jehu's Purge: Jehu, anointed as king of Israel, was tasked with executing judgment on the house of Ahab. In 2 Kings 9-10, Jehu carried out a series of executions, including the killing of Jezebel and the descendants of Ahab, as part of God's judgment against idolatry and apostasy.

6. Nebuchadnezzar and the Fiery Furnace: In the Book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden statue (Daniel 3:19-23). This account demonstrates the absolute power wielded by kings in ancient times, as well as the faithfulness of God's servants in the face of such authority.

7. Darius and the Lions' Den: Similarly, King Darius was manipulated into issuing a decree that led to Daniel being cast into the lions' den for praying to God (Daniel 6:16-17). The king's regret and subsequent deliverance of Daniel highlight the tension between royal decrees and divine protection.

Throughout these accounts, the role of kings in administering punishment reflects both the potential for righteous judgment and the danger of corruption and abuse of power. The biblical narrative consistently emphasizes the need for kings to align their rule with God's justice and righteousness, serving as instruments of His will on earth.2 Samuel 1:13-16
And David said to the young man that told him, From where are you? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 2:23-46
Then king Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Chapter xx.
... not what blindness) against the corporeal punishments which are ... struck, means all
injuries that are inflicted by the ... asked in loan, as if they were destined to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter xx.htm

Whether the Judicial Precepts were Suitably Framed as to the ...
... easily cured of habitual sin except by severe punishments. ... of thief of other things
it inflicted punishment by ... idolatry: wherefore if any man were exiled from ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the judicial precepts were 3.htm

Whether Vengeance Should be Taken on those who have Sinned ...
... Such are many of the punishments inflicted by God in this ... of the people?" Hence the
people of Israel were punished for ... Dei i, 9). Thirdly, in order to mark the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether vengeance should be taken.htm

On the Righteousness and Efficacy of the Providence of God ...
... the sale of their brother, they were unconcerned about ... God; the other, which is usually
inflicted in this ... The punishments which relate to the body, are various ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 9 on the righteousness.htm

The Disputes of the Faithful to be Settled by the Decisions of the ...
... the Same Punishment is Not to Be Inflicted for Every ... Accordingly the punishments
were different: as death either by ... was the Lord, and we were the collectors ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec vi the disputes of the.htm

Psalm LXXVIII.
... thereto, on evil men that punishments are inflicted ... offences, He most evidently
inflicted punishment upon ... doth admonish them, when they were troubled because ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxviii.htm

It is Indeed Better as no one ever could Deny that Men Should...
... of hell, to say nothing of temporal punishments or imperial ... If that punishment had
not been inflicted, he would not ... the gospel than all they who were called by ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 6 21 it.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... Sodom and her daughters, and they shall be restored as they were before,"not ... But,
on the other hand, far more severe punishments are inflicted upon those ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

The Nuns of the Primitive Church
... on the lives of mankind, severer punishments were adopted, which ... she had ample right
to copy, were the wives ... the exact nature of the penance inflicted was we ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/vi the nuns of the.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... The supernatural consequences of the apostasy from the Lord, were the
severe punishments which He inflicted upon the people. ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

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