2 Kings 15 18

2 Kings 15:18 kjv

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

2 Kings 15:18 nkjv

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.

2 Kings 15:18 niv

He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

2 Kings 15:18 esv

And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.

2 Kings 15:18 nlt

But Menahem did what was evil in the LORD's sight. During his entire reign, he refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

2 Kings 15 verses

2 Kings 15 18 Meaning

2 Kings 15:18 states that Menahem, king of Israel, consistently engaged in wickedness as judged by God. His entire reign was characterized by a refusal to turn away from the idolatrous practices introduced by Jeroboam I, who had established the worship of golden calves, leading the entire nation of Israel into sin. This verse acts as a divine assessment of his character and actions, underscoring the spiritual apostasy that defined the Northern Kingdom.

2 Kings 15 18 Context

Verse 18 follows Menahem's accession to the throne in 2 Kings 15:17, after seizing power through violence (v. 14). This verse presents the Deuteronomistic historian's standard theological assessment of Northern Kingdom kings. It frames their reigns as continuously disobedient to Yahweh's covenant commands. The period of Menahem, and indeed most of the Northern Kingdom's later kings, was marked by severe instability, frequent coups, internal moral decay, and increasing vulnerability to foreign powers like Assyria. The reiteration of "the sins of Jeroboam" throughout 2 Kings consistently points to the root cause of Israel's apostasy, validating the subsequent judgment and eventual exile.

2 Kings 15 18 Word analysis

• For he did that which was evil:

  • "he": Refers to Menahem, who began his reign as described in the preceding verse.
  • "did": Actions, not just thoughts or intentions, are being judged.
  • "evil" (רַע, ra'): Denotes something morally wrong, wicked, displeasing to God. It encompasses both injustice against man and disobedience to God.
  • "in the sight of the LORD" (בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה, b'eyney YHWH): This common phrase emphasizes divine judgment. It means God directly observed and disapproved of his actions, not merely that others perceived him as evil. God is the ultimate judge, and His perspective matters most.

• he departed not all his days:

  • "departed not" (לֹא־סָר, lo'-sar): Signifies a complete lack of turning away or repentance. His wickedness was continuous and unwavering throughout his entire reign.
  • "all his days": Emphasizes the unyielding nature of his rebellion and the absence of any period of reform or adherence to God's commands. It underlines a persistent, lifelong pattern of sin for which he remained unrepentant.

• from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat:

  • "sins" (חַטֹּאות, chaṭṭō'ṯ): Plural, referring to the idolatrous system initiated by Jeroboam I. Primarily the golden calves set up in Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs 12:28-30), which were seen as competing with the worship prescribed for Jerusalem.
  • "Jeroboam the son of Nebat": The archetypal evil king of the Northern Kingdom, consistently held responsible for introducing the institutionalized idolatry that led Israel astray. His name serves as a benchmark for apostasy in the Deuteronomistic history.

• who made Israel to sin:

  • "made Israel to sin" (אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל, asher hecheṭi' 'et-Yiśrā'ēl): Jeroboam was not only sinful himself but also a corrupting influence, leading an entire nation into persistent spiritual disobedience and idolatry. This highlights the severe responsibility of leadership. His sin became corporate sin for the nation.

Words-group analysis:

• "did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD": This phrase is a common, almost liturgical, assessment applied to most kings of Israel (and many of Judah) in the Books of Kings. It reflects the Deuteronomistic Historian's theological criterion for evaluating monarchs: their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God's covenant commands, especially regarding exclusive worship of YHWH. It underlines God's moral governance over history.
• "departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat": This indicates a pervasive, systemic sin deeply rooted in the Northern Kingdom's very foundation. No king effectively dismantled Jeroboam's idolatrous structure, making the kingdom's persistent sinfulness inevitable and its ultimate downfall just. It suggests a tragic pattern of unyielding apostasy passed down through successive reigns.
• "who made Israel to sin": This emphasizes the enduring negative legacy and catastrophic spiritual impact of Jeroboam's leadership. His initial transgression was not an isolated act but a systemic corruption that established a false worship system, ensuring a continuous trajectory of disobedience for generations to come.

2 Kings 15 18 Bonus section

The recurring phrase "the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin" is a powerful narrative device employed by the Deuteronomistic Historian. It serves to:

• Highlight institutionalized apostasy: It wasn't just individual sin, but a national system of false worship deeply entrenched since the kingdom's inception.
• Theological justification: It provides the divine rationale for the eventual fall of the Northern Kingdom, consistently tracing its demise back to its founding error and subsequent refusal to repent.
• Leadership responsibility: It underscores the profound and long-lasting impact a leader's actions can have, shaping the spiritual trajectory of an entire people for generations. Jeroboam's influence cursed Israel, not just his immediate subjects.
• Critique of syncretism: The golden calves often incorporated elements of Yahwistic worship, representing a distorted, syncretistic form of religion that was an abomination to God. Menahem's adherence to this illustrates the ongoing spiritual blindness.
• The reign of Menahem (2 Kgs 15:17-22) is particularly noted for its brutal actions, such as the savagery in Tiphsah (2 Kgs 15:16). While not directly mentioned in verse 18, such atrocities fall under the broad description of "evil in the sight of the LORD," showing the tangible results of a kingdom distanced from God's righteous standards. His forced tribute to Assyria also foreshadowed Israel's complete subservience and ultimate fall.

2 Kings 15 18 Commentary

2 Kings 15:18 offers a succinct and damning assessment of King Menahem. It's a formulaic judgment that functions as a theological pronouncement, consistently applied to Israelite kings who failed to uphold the covenant with Yahweh. Menahem, like his predecessors and successors in the Northern Kingdom, chose to perpetuate the idolatry established by Jeroboam I. This wasn't merely a lapse; it was a foundational spiritual betrayal, setting up golden calves as rival centers of worship to the Jerusalem Temple. Menahem's evil was not only observed by the Lord but was also a stubborn, unrepented refusal to abandon this national sin. This continuous disobedience highlights a persistent theme throughout the Books of Kings: Israel's deep-seated rejection of true Yahwism, a rebellion that inexorably led to divine judgment and ultimately, national destruction. The repetition of Jeroboam's name serves as a constant reminder of the origin and nature of Israel's spiritual decline.