Crowns have been made hereditary in certain families, and an order of succession has been set up, to prevent disputes from arising on the death of kings. That is to say, the disadvantages of regency have been put in place of those of election, apparent tranquillity has been preferred to wise administration, and men have chosen rather to risk having children, monstrosities, or imbeciles as rulers to having disputes over the choice of good kings. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
To kill and be king – is that all? Excalibur 1981 starring Helen Mirren & Nigel Terry & Gabriel Byrne & Liam Neeson & Nicholas Clay & Cherie Lunghi & Paul Geoffrey & Nicol Williamson & Corin Redgrave & Patrick Stewart & Keith Buckley & Clive Swift & Gabriel Byrne et al, director John Boorman, father of devil child
The state of monarchy is the supremest thing upon earth; for kings are not only God’s lieutenants upon earth, and sit upon God’s throne, but even by God himself they are called gods. James I, speech to parliament 21st March 1610
The king is truly parens patriae, the politique father of his people. ibid.
Who hath made thee a prince and a judge over us? Exodus 2:14
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. I Samuel 8:4-9
And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. I Samuel 8:18
God save the king. I Samuel 10:24
So king Solomon was king over all Israel. I Kings 4:1
And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king. II Kings 11:12
Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign. II Kings 11:21
And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. II Kings 14:21
And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land. II Kings 15:5
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. II Kings 22:1
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. II Chronicles 34:1&2
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. II Chronicles 36:9
Put not your trust in princes. Psalms 146:3
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. Proverbs 16:10&13-15
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:2&8
A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. Proverbs 20:26
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: Proverbs 25:2&3&5&6
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. Isaiah 32:1
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Ecclesiastes 10:16&17&20
But a sore trial shall come upon the mighty.
Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, that ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away.
But the multitude of the wise is the welfare of the world: and a wise king is the upholding of the people. Wisdom 6:8&9&24
But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.
Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king. Book of Mormon: Mosiah 23:7&8
And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads. Book of Mormon: Mosiah 29:30
I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa and the imam of Muslims, and my international status does not allow me to descend to a lower level. Muammar al-Gaddafi
Four centuries ago the law itself would be put on the rack. At one end was the king’s law and at the other the common law. Which system would win and which would snap? For over a decade parliament’s doors were locked. The king ruled alone and supreme. The Strange Case of the Law II: The Story of English Justice: The Pursuit of Liberty, BBC 2012
The king must die so that the country can live. Maximilien Robespierre
We’re kings! Kings of the fucking world! Peaky Blinders s2e6, BBC 2014