2 Kings 15 22

2 Kings 15:22 kjv

And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 15:22 nkjv

So Menahem rested with his fathers. Then Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 15:22 niv

Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 15:22 esv

And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 15:22 nlt

When Menahem died, his son Pekahiah became the next king.

2 Kings 15 verses

2 Kings 15 22 Meaning

This verse serves as a conventional concluding formula for the account of King Menahem's reign in the book of 2 Kings. It signifies that the biblical narrative concerning Menahem is a selective summary, directing the reader to a more comprehensive historical source, referred to as "the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel," for additional details and "all that he did" not specifically recorded in this divine history. It validates the abridged biblical account by referring to official, accessible records of the time.

2 Kings 15 22 Context

2 Kings chapter 15 records the turbulent reigns of several kings of both Israel and Judah, depicting a period of profound instability and moral decay in the Northern Kingdom, Israel. The chapter highlights a succession of kings who reigned briefly, often seizing power through assassination (Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah). This instability coincides with the increasing threat of the Assyrian Empire. King Menahem's reign (vv. 17-22) is particularly noted for his brutal ascent to power, his act of paying heavy tribute to the Assyrian king Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III) to secure his throne, and the consequent oppression of the people. Verse 22 functions as the customary closing formula for Menahem's narrative, drawing a line under his reign and directing readers to the historical state annals for further details. This reflects the Deuteronomistic historian's selective focus on the reigns as a moral and theological narrative, rather than an exhaustive political history.

2 Kings 15 22 Word analysis

• And: The Hebrew conjunction waw (וְ) often serves as a simple connector, linking this concluding statement to the preceding narrative of Menahem's reign.
• the rest of the acts: The Hebrew phrase is ve'yeter divrei (וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי).
  • Yeter (יֶתֶר): Signifies "remainder," "rest," or "what is left over."
  • Divrei (דִּבְרֵי): Means "words," "matters," "affairs," or "acts/deeds."
  • This phrase collectively refers to the broader, non-theologically selected deeds or details of the king's reign not explicitly recorded in the biblical text. It implies that the biblical account is a summary, not a complete historical record.
• Menahem: The King of Israel (Northern Kingdom), who reigned for ten years (c. 752–742 BCE). He seized the throne through violence, assassinating Shallum. His reign is historically significant for being the first Israelite king recorded to have paid tribute to the Assyrian empire, specifically to Tiglath-Pileser III (called Pul in the Bible), in an attempt to solidify his rule and ward off Assyrian aggression (2 Kgs 15:19-20). His name likely means "comforter."
• and all that he did: Reinforces the comprehensive nature of the record found in "the book of the chronicles," suggesting it contains more information than presented in the book of Kings, covering all aspects of his kingship beyond the key events chosen for theological reflection.
• are they not written: This is a rhetorical question in Hebrew, posed as halo ketuvim heim (הֲלֹא כְתוּבִים הֵם). The particle halo (הֲלֹא) expects an affirmative answer, confirming that these details indeed exist in the referred source. It serves as an assertion of authenticity and availability of supplementary records, lending credibility to the biblical author's work.
• in the book of the chronicles: The Hebrew is 'al-sefer divrei hayyamim (עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים).
  • Sefer (סֵפֶר): A "book," "scroll," or "written record."
  • Divrei hayyamim (דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים): Literally "the words/accounts of the days," this phrase refers to official royal annals or court records. This is distinct from the biblical books of 1 & 2 Chronicles. These were likely state records, administrative logs, and historical accounts maintained by scribes in the royal courts of Israel and Judah. They would have detailed political, military, and administrative activities more exhaustively than the theological narrative in Kings.
• of the kings of Israel?: Specifies the distinct archive for the Northern Kingdom, highlighting its separate historical lineage from Judah. This implies the biblical author had access to various distinct state records.

• "And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did": This common phrase found at the end of many king's reigns in Kings emphasizes that the inspired narrative is not a complete historical biography but rather a theologically focused account. It acknowledges that there are many other events and deeds, secular and otherwise, that the biblical author chooses not to elaborate on within the text. The Bible is not a secular history textbook but a spiritual history.
• "are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?": This complete concluding formula confirms the historical reliability of the biblical account by referring to known, accessible external state records of the time. It assures the original readers that the summarized details are grounded in factual history, yet the rhetorical question also serves as a subtle directive to where more details might be found if desired. This indicates the editorial method of the Deuteronomistic Historian, selecting material based on covenant fidelity and divine judgment themes.

2 Kings 15 22 Bonus section

The regular use of the concluding formula like "the rest of the acts... are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel/Judah?" is a distinct characteristic of the Deuteronomistic History (Deut-2 Kgs). This pattern reveals the theological purpose and historical methodology of the compiler. It implies:

• Selection over Exhaustion: The biblical author's goal was not to produce a comprehensive historical account like a modern encyclopedia but to interpret history through a theological lens, highlighting covenant obedience or disobedience and divine intervention.
• Verifiability: The repeated reference to the "book of the chronicles" (which were official, secular annals distinct from the biblical Book of Chronicles) suggests that these historical records were publicly known and available to the original audience, thus lending factual credibility to the biblical narrative. Though these specific books are now lost to us, their citation demonstrates the ancient Near Eastern practice of court record-keeping.
• Focus on Divine Narrative: By referring readers to these external sources for full historical detail, the biblical text keeps its focus on the moral and spiritual significance of each reign—specifically how the king's actions aligned with or diverged from the Mosaic Covenant and affected God's relationship with Israel. For Menahem, the focus is his violence and reliance on Assyria over God.

2 Kings 15 22 Commentary

2 Kings 15:22 closes the brief account of Menahem's violent and Assyrian-tributary reign with a standard concluding formula common throughout the books of Kings. This verse functions primarily as a literary device that authenticates the historical claims within the biblical narrative by referring to external state annals—"the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel." The biblical authors, under divine inspiration, were highly selective in what they chose to include, prioritizing the theological narrative of covenant obedience, idolatry, and divine judgment. Thus, "the rest of the acts" (everything else he did) were left to these supplementary chronicles, which presumably contained detailed administrative, military, and economic data not directly relevant to the spiritual lessons conveyed by the inspired text. The rhetorical question, "are they not written?", emphatically affirms the existence and reliability of these records, underscoring the factual foundation of even the abridged, spiritually-focused biblical history. It also implies that while the inspired text gives essential insights into the divine perspective of history, much detail remains within historical record.