The Reign Of Jeroboam II, King of Israel c. 782/81-753 BC. Co-regent from 793/2 BC (2 Kings 14:23-29).
Jeroboam II succeeded Jehoash of Israel at a time when Israel's fortunes were rising. The might of the powerful kingdom of Aram, with its satellites, to the north had been broken by the incursions of the kings of Assyria, who had, however, having destroyed the power of Aram, then necessarily turned elsewhere in order to deal with other threats on their northern borders coming from the growing power of Urartu. Thus Israel, having initially paid light tribute to Assyria under Jehoash, was left free to prosper and expand with little interference. And this it accordingly did. Indeed Jeroboam's might was such that he expanded the power and influence of Israel over the countries to the north as far as Lebo-Hamath, and to the south in Transjordan as far as the sea of Arabah (the Dead Sea?), while at the same time remaining on good terms with Judah. It was a period of expansionism. This meant that the trade routes (e.g. the King's Highway in Transjordan, the routes through the valley of Jezreel, the Negeb trade routes, and the port of Elath/Ezion-geber) which were so often a great bone of contention between rival kings in the area, were now mainly under the control of Israel and Judah, resulting in a subsequent rise in prosperity for both. But sadly, as so often, prosperity did not lead to spiritual advancement, and thus in Israel especially, moral bankruptcy set in. The Laws of Moses, with their stern requirement of social justice, were being ignored, and the wealthy were making themselves even more wealthy by grinding down the righteous and the poor. Amos vividly summed it up in the words, “they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes” (Amos 2:6). Thus to the prophetic author the reigns were not a success. Furthermore he could add from the spiritual angle, “you gave the Nazirites (those who were dedicated to YHWH) wine to drink, and commanded the prophets saying, ‘prophesy not'.” No wonder then that he glided over Israel's ‘achievements' at this time. It was because he recognised both their temporary nature and their resulting godlessness. In his view their attitudes were rather the result of their commitment to a form of syncretistic idolatry (especially so in the case of Israel, but also to a lesser extent in Judah) and the turning of their backs on YHWH's covenant. Yet in spite of this he stressed that, despite their unbelief, YHWH had not as yet fully rejected them and had therefore come to their aid in spite of their lack of deserving. It was their last chance as a nation. If only they had responded, how different things might have been. But they did not respond and the opportunity was allowed to slip away.
Analysis.
a In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned for forty one years (2 Kings 14:23).
b And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin (2 Kings 14:24).
c He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of YHWH, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher (2 Kings 14:25).
d For YHWH saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel (2 Kings 14:26).
c And YHWH did not say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash (2 Kings 14:27).
b Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? (2 Kings 14:28).
a And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned instead of him (2 Kings 14:29).
Note that in ‘a' Jeroboam began to reign and in the parallel his reign ceased. In ‘b' he did evil in the sight of YHWH and in the parallel his remaining acts can be found in the official annals of the kings of Israel. In ‘c' he was successful in his conquests in accordance with the words of the prophet of YHWH and in the parallel YHWH used him as a saviour of Israel. Centrally in ‘d' this was all because YHWH had seen the depths of their need.
‘In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and reigned for forty one years.'
Jeroboam II of Israel came to the throne in the fifteenth year of Amaziah, king of Judah, reigning in Samaria for forty one years. We must, however, differentiate between the two figures. For the fifteenth year of Amaziah was in fact when he became sole king, while the forty one years includes his co-regency with his father.
‘And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin.'
But in truth Jeroboam was no better than his fathers, for as they had done he did what was evil in the eyes of YHWH by continuing the syncretistic cult of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. In other words he made no effort to put away the golden calves and return Israel to the true worship of YHWH. So Israel's major problem was that their ‘Yahwism' was heavily tainted with idolatrous ideas and customs, with the result that they had the wrong view of Him and took little regard to the covenant with YHWH. Compare Amos 5:21-24. Instead of coming into the blessing of YHWH they were rejecting it.
‘He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of YHWH, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.'
But outwardly Jeroboam's reign was successful, and this was because YHWH was with him in spite of his undeserving, something evidenced by the fact that He sent His prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher (a town in Zebulun - Joshua 19:13) to prophesy his success. As a result YHWH's word which was going forth from His mouth was being effective, and accomplishing what He pleased (Isaiah 55:10-13). That was why Jeroboam was able to expand the northern border of Israel to Lebo-Hamath (the entrance or going in of Hamath). Compare 1 Kings 8:65. The city of Lebo-Hamath, witnessed to in inscriptions, was probably modern Lebweh, north-north-east of Baalbek, at the watershed of the Beqa' Valley, and on the road to Hamath. As a result he absorbed Aram and Damascus by making them his vassals (compare 2 Kings 14:28), and even parts of Hamath itself (see 2 Kings 14:28). And he expanded his southern border in Transjordan as far as the Sea of Arabah (yam ‘arabim), possibly the ‘brook of the willows' in Isaiah 15:7 (nahal ha ‘arabim). If so it would have incorporated Moab and have given Israel complete control of the King's Highway. Alternatively the Sea of Arabah could be the Dead Sea, which was in the Arabah.
This same Jonah would later be sent by YHWH to Nineveh, probably in the days of Ashur-dan III, when, as a result of a combination of his preaching and his unusual appearance caused by his incarceration for a time in the stomach of a large fish (which would have made him look decidedly unearthly), the consciences of the people were so stirred that they cried to God for mercy (see the Book of Jonah).
‘For YHWH saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.'
YHWH provided Jeroboam with this success out of compassion, because He had seen the bitterness of the affliction of Israel, including the fact that things had got totally out of control and that they had no one to help them in their parlous situation. In mind here are the words of Deuteronomy 32:36, ‘YHWH will act as judge over His people, and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is none remaining, shut up or left at large (RSV ‘bond or free').'
‘For there was none shut up nor left at large.' Along with Deuteronomy 32:36 compare 2 Kings 9:18; 1 Kings 14:10; 1 Kings 21:21. In the latter cases the phrase appears to refer to those still under tutors, and those who had grown beyond the need for their control. It may therefore here signify that things had got so bad that all the normal controls had gone. But reference to Deuteronomy 32:36 may suggest that it means that it would be as though there was neither bond nor free because all would in the same parlous situation.
‘And YHWH did not say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.'
And this was because at this stage YHWH had not said that He would blot the name of Israel from under Heaven. Such a thought is taken from Deuteronomy 29:20 where YHWH threatened to blot out from under Heaven the name of the one who thought that he could walk in the stubbornness of his heart without any repercussions. Thus YHWH did not see them as having passed the point of no return which was why He had arranged for them a saviour in the person of Jeroboam the son of Joash. First the Assyrians had been their saviour (2 Kings 13:4-5), and then Jehoash (2 Kings 13:17-19; 2 Kings 13:23; 2 Kings 13:25) and now Jeroboam. It was YHWH's last plea to His people.
‘Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Yaudi, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?'
For further details of Jeroboam's activities and might we are referred to the chronicles of the kings of Israel, with a reminder that these included the ‘recovery' of Damascus, and the recovery of ‘that part of Hamath which had belonged to Yaudi'. In other words it describes how he made them once again vassal states as they had been under David. Yaudi is mentioned in an Aramaic text from Sam‘al as being a state to the north west of Aram over which it had gained control, something possibly confirmed by the mention of an Azriau of Yaudi in an Assyrian inscription. (Some see ‘Azriau of Yaudi' as referring to Azariah of Judah, but the names of the allies apparently mentioned in what remains of the annal do not favour that idea, and there are indications that the dating of the annal indicates a later time).
‘And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned instead of him.'
And Jeroboam died peacefully and slept with his fathers, ‘even with the kings of Israel'. Unusually there is no mention of where he was buried, which may help explain the phrase ‘even with the kings of Israel' which in 2 Kings 13:14 indicated being buried in Samaria. This may have been because as YHWH's saviour the author did not want to describe Jeroboam as ‘buried in Samaria', which serve to suggest that he saw such a fate as being in total contrast to the privilege of being ‘buried in Jerusalem'. It indicated being buried in pagan ground.