Queens in the Bible

2023-12-10

A List of Queens in the Bible

Here are those specifically called queens in the Bible.

The Queen of Sheba. This queen came from a far country to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9; Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31.
Tahpenes. She was queen of Egypt, which in this case meant she was the wife of Pharaoh. 1 Kings 10:19.
Maachah. When Asa became king of Judah, Maacah his mother (or more likely, grandmother) was the queen. She was removed because she did abominable worship to pagan gods. 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16.
The queen of Israel. The relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah went to salute the children of the king (Jehoram) and the children of the queen.
The queen of Persia. Artaxerxes king of Persia had the queen sitting by him. Nehemiah 2:6.
Vashti. This is the queen that disappointed king Ahasuerus, whom he replaced with Esther.
Esther. The Hebrew woman who succeeded Vashti as king and delivered the Jews from Haman’s treachery.
The bride in the wedding psalm. Psalm 45:9.
The queens in Solomon’s court. Solomon married many foreign wives, likely a part of foreign treaties. Song of Solomon 6:8, 9.
Gentile queens. Gentile nations often had queens. Isaiah 49:23.
The queen of heaven. A pagan deity. Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19.
Queen of Judah in Jeremiah 13:18.
Queen of Judah with Jeconiah. Jeremiah 29:2. She was sent into exile with the king and other officials. 2 Kings 24:15; Jeremiah 29:2.
Queen of Babylon with Belshazzar. She gave advice to Belshazzar concerning Daniel who could interpret visions. Possibly the king’s mother, since she had knowledge of previous times the king did not. Daniel 5:10-12.
Candace, queen of Ethiopia. One of her officials was in Jerusalem for a feast when he became a Christian. Acts 8:27.
Mystery Babylon calls herself a queen. Revelation 18:7.

The King’s Mother as a Title in Judah

The mothers of the kings of Judah are mentioned in most cases.

Of Solomon: Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 12:24; 1 Kings 1:11; 2:13.
Of Rehoboam: Naamah, an Ammonitess. 1 Kings 14:21, 31; 2 Chronicles 12:13.
Of Abijam: Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 1 Kings 15:2. Also listed as Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. 2 Chronicles 13:2.
Of Asa: Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom 1 Kings 15:10, whom Asa removed because of idolatry. 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16.
Of Jehoshaphat: Azubah the daughter of Shilhi 1 Kings 22:42; 2 Chronicles 20:31.
Of Ahaziah: Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. 2 Kings 8:26; 2 Chronicles 22:2.
Of Jehoash: Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Kings 12:1. 2 Chronicles 24:1.
Of Amaziah: Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 14:2; 2 Chronicles 25:1.
Of Azariah: Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 15:2.
Of Jotham: Jerusha/Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. 2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1.
Of Hezekiah: Abi/Abijah, the daughter of Zachariah
Of Manasseh: Hephzibah. 2 Kings 21:1.
Of Amon: Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 2 Kings 21:19.
Of Josiah: Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. 2 Kings 22:1.
Of Jehoahaz: Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 Kings 23:31.
Of Jehoiakim: Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 2 Kings 23:36.
Of Jehoiachin: Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 24:8.
Of Zedekiah: Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 Kings 24:18; Jeremiah 52:1.

Notably, the mother of David is one of the kings’ mothers that is missing by name.

Why mention the mothers? Given the evidence, it appears the king’s mother received the title of queen and had the position of a royal advisor (Maachah was the king’s mother, 1 Kings 15:10, and also considered queen 1 Kings 15:13). It is mere conjecture, but perhaps Solomon was the one who started a tradition of having his mother as a queen and an advisor. The evidence is not so clear in the northern kingdom after the schism.

There are a few examples of stories involving the kings’ mothers. Solomon rejected his mother’s advice concerning Adonijah. Asa removed his mother as queen because of idolatry. The only other possible story we see a mother being in the position of queen is in Jehoiachin’s case, and she was exiled together with her son. Let us look at these specific examples.

Solomon and Bathsheba

Consider the story in 1 Kings 2:13-25. Previously, the half-brother of Solomon, Adonijah, who had presumptuously taken the throne against his father David’s wishes, was spared his life. “And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die” (1 Kings 1:52).

Bathsheba was Solomon’s mother. She sat at the right hand of King Solomon on her own throne. The word for seat and the word for throne in 1 Kings 2:19 are the same word. She seems to serve as a counselor to Solomon.

Adonijah later went to King Solomon’s mother to get Abishag for a wife. This woman was never technically a wife or concubine of David, but it was originally supposed that she would serve David in that fashion in his old age. Understand that sons taking their father’s concubines was taboo, and suggested spite toward their fathers. Reuben and Absalom would be examples of this. There was also the command: “And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:11).

Adonijah said he came peaceably, yet insisted that the kingdom was his, though it had “become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD” (1 Kings 2:15). This is an audacious claim to say that the kingdom was supposed to be his, but God took it away from him.

Why approach Solomon’s mother and not Solomon? “...for he will not say thee nay” (1 Kings 2:17). He thought that by going to the queen, he could circumvent and influence the king.

Bathsheba approached her son and he bowed to her, and said, “I will not say thee nay” (1 Kings 2:20). But when he heard the petition, he did say no, and Benaiah was sent to kill Adonijah, knowing that this was a ploy of revenge and insurrection that involved more than just Adonijah (cf. 1 Kings 2:22).

Asa and Maachah

Not so much is known about this queen, but we read, “And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron” (1 Kings 15:13). From this, we see that the king rules the kingdom, not the queen, and he did not want bad advice to influence his righteous reign.

Some things we can infer from Maachah: We see that Asa and his father have the same mother. Now this is either some very strange and deranged family tree, or the king’s mother is a title, and this “mother” is really Asa’s grandmother. This Maachah was Rehoboam’s favorite wife (1 Kings 11:21), and likely was revered throughout the kingdom for this reason. Perhaps Asa’s mother died young and could not fulfill the role as the queen’s mother, so the grandmother took the role. This is a lot of assumption here, but these things make a lot of sense given the data.

Jehoiachin and Nehushta

Given the above hypothesis, Nehushta mother of Jehoiachin is the queen listed here: “After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 29:2). And again, “And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon” (2 Kings 24:15). She was carried off as a royal official.

Athaliah

Why and how did Athaliah seize the throne after her son’s death? Considering the context of the king’s mother being a royal official, she used whatever authority she had to usurp the kingdom.

The Queens of Judah Summary

From the above, we conclude the following to some certainty. The mother of the king was probably an official royal title. Of the examples provided above, they are all negative examples. Bathsheba went to the king with bad advice. Maachah worshipped false gods and was thrown out of her position. Nehushta was exiled with her wicked son and entourage. Athaliah liked her role as king’s mother/queen and decided to seize control of Judah at an opportune time.

This position of queen does not seem to be a very desirable one. The position of queen seems like it was a way for people to influence the king, and mainly for the worse. The strong king would see through any personal connection with their mother and do right despite any negative advice they had.

The Queen of Heaven

Elsewhere, we discussed the pagan deity known as the Queen of Heaven. Maybe this concept of the king’s mother or queen was extrapolated into the spiritual realm? Maybe they thought the way to influence the King of Heaven was to appease a Queen of Heaven through offerings, prayers, and rituals? Maybe this was a way they could influence God for their own benefit? The people in Jeremiah’s day clearly had no interest in the King; they wanted to serve the Queen.