2 Kings 15 9

2 Kings 15:9 kjv

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

2 Kings 15:9 nkjv

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

2 Kings 15:9 niv

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

2 Kings 15:9 esv

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

2 Kings 15:9 nlt

Zechariah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, as his ancestors had done. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

2 Kings 15 verses

2 Kings 15 9 Meaning

2 Kings 15:9 describes King Zechariah's reign, stating that he persistently engaged in actions displeasing to the Lord, following the pattern of unrighteousness established by his royal predecessors. Specifically, he did not abandon the foundational sins of idolatry and illegitimate worship practices initiated by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which had led the entire nation of Israel into spiritual rebellion against God.

2 Kings 15 9 Context

2 Kings 15:9 describes Zechariah, the fourteenth king of Israel and the fourth and final king of Jehu's dynasty in the Northern Kingdom. His reign of merely six months highlights the extreme political instability and moral decline that plagued Israel during this period, marked by a rapid succession of coups and assassinations. This verse functions as the Deuteronomistic author's assessment of Zechariah, consistently applying the theological framework where a king's righteousness is judged by his fidelity to the covenant with Yahweh, particularly regarding the avoidance of idolatry. The reference to "sins of Jeroboam" anchors Zechariah's wickedness in the foundational spiritual apostasy initiated by Jeroboam I, who set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan as rival worship centers to Jerusalem, thus establishing a systemic, national sin of idolatry that persisted through nearly every subsequent king of Israel. This narrative implicitly contrasts Israel's spiritual decline with the call to exclusive worship of Yahweh, which was fundamental to their covenant identity, serving as a polemic against the pervasive syncretism and polytheism of the ancient Near East.

2 Kings 15 9 Word analysis

• And he did what was evil (wayya'as hara')
  • "he did" (וַיַּעַשׂ - wayya'as): Conveys decisive action, a settled pattern of behavior.
  • "evil" (הָרַע - hara'): Refers to moral and ethical wrongdoing, actions contrary to God's will and law, consistently used in the Deuteronomistic history to evaluate a king's unfaithfulness.
  • Significance: This immediate pronouncement sets the king's spiritual standing; he failed in his primary duty to uphold God's law.
• in the sight of the Lord (b'eynei Adonai)
  • "in the sight of": Emphasizes divine observation and judgment, meaning God is the ultimate judge.
  • "the Lord" (יְהוָה - YHWH or Adonai when vocalized): Refers to the covenant God of Israel, stressing that their sin was not against a generic deity.
  • Significance: Highlights God's omnipresence and righteous standard; this is a theological assessment.
• as his fathers had done. (ka'asher 'asu 'avotav)
  • "his fathers": Refers to his predecessors on the throne of Israel, particularly within the Jehu dynasty.
  • Significance: Zechariah was not an anomaly but part of a continuous, ingrained pattern of disobedience, indicating a lack of reform or turning to God and perpetuating a negative dynastic legacy.
• He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (Lo sar mēḥaṭṭō't Yārābʿām ben-Nēvāṭ)
  • "He did not turn aside" (לֹא סָר - lo sar): Signifies a continued adherence, a failure to deviate or depart from a path.
  • "sins" (חַטֹּאות - chaṭṭō't): Plural, indicating multiple aspects or accumulated effects of Jeroboam's initial transgression.
  • "Jeroboam the son of Nebat": The archetype of Israelite sin; this explicit mention ties Zechariah's reign directly to the initial schism and establishment of idolatry.
  • Significance: This identifies the specific, root cause of Israel's spiritual decline: the institutionalized idolatry that became the national curse.
• which he had made Israel to sin. (asher heḥĕṭîʾ et-Yiśra'el)
  • "made Israel to sin" (הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל - heḥĕṭîʾ et-Yiśra'el): This is a causative verb, highlighting Jeroboam's active role in leading the nation into idolatry.
  • Significance: Leaders' actions have profound impact; Jeroboam's policies of idolatry structurally compelled the people away from Yahweh, contributing to the kingdom's ultimate downfall.
• "And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done": This stock phrase signifies the continuity of unrighteousness within the Israelite monarchy. It suggests a tragic generational cycle of spiritual apostasy, confirming the Deuteronomistic theological assessment that nearly all kings of Israel were found wanting before Yahweh. This phrase communicates divine displeasure and accountability.
• "He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he had made Israel to sin": This precise specification reveals the core issue behind "doing evil." It was the perpetuation of the very first, institutionalized idolatry that undermined the covenant relationship with Yahweh from the start of the Northern Kingdom. This legacy of sin not only led individuals astray but actively implicated the entire nation, sealing its fate under divine judgment.

2 Kings 15 9 Bonus section

Zechariah’s reign, though brief, marked the end of the only named dynasty in Israel's history after the division, highlighting the utter instability and rapid decline in the years leading up to the Assyrian exile. His death fulfilled the specific prophecy given to Jehu in 2 Kings 10:30, which promised that Jehu's sons would sit on the throne to the fourth generation. Zechariah was that fourth generation, and his assassination signaled God's withdrawal of even this limited conditional blessing on Jehu’s incomplete obedience. This further illustrates the principle that God keeps His word, both in blessing for obedience and judgment for sustained disobedience. The persistent adherence to Jeroboam's sin demonstrates a deeper problem than individual wickedness; it points to a national, systemic idolatry embedded within the very structure of the Northern Kingdom, distinguishing its consistent unfaithfulness from Judah's more mixed record.

2 Kings 15 9 Commentary

2 Kings 15:9 concisely delivers a damning verdict on King Zechariah, encapsulating the pervasive spiritual sickness of the Northern Kingdom. His brief six-month reign simply continued the tragic legacy of unfaithfulness set by the first Israelite king, Jeroboam I. Despite Jehu, Zechariah's great-grandfather, being anointed by God to cleanse Israel of Baal worship, his dynasty never addressed the more fundamental, politically motivated idolatry of the golden calves. This continuous adherence to "the sins of Jeroboam"—a direct violation of the First and Second Commandments by offering alternative worship to Yahweh at unauthorized sites with forbidden images—became the inherent flaw in the Israelite kingdom. Zechariah's failure to "turn aside" indicates a deep-seated institutionalized apostasy; he made no effort to reform or lead his people back to true covenant loyalty. This consistent rejection of God's ways by Zechariah and his predecessors not only invited God's judgment upon the monarchy but ultimately paved the way for Israel's demise, fulfilling the prophecy concerning the brevity and conditional nature of Jehu's dynasty and showcasing God's righteous assessment of leadership. The verse highlights the powerful, destructive impact of inherited and institutionalized sin, underscoring that without true repentance and a complete turning to God, judgment is inevitable.

• Like a company where past leaders established unethical practices that continue because new leaders fail to implement necessary, courageous reforms.
• A spiritual legacy, good or bad, often extends beyond an individual; true change requires intentionally breaking from generational patterns of sin or error.