1 Kings 14:19-20

1 Kings 14:19-20

[19] And the rest  of the acts  of Jeroboam,  how he warred,  and how he reigned,  behold, they are written  in the book  of the chronicles  of the kings  of Israel.  [20] And the days  which Jeroboam  reigned  were two  and twenty  years:  and he slept  with his fathers,  and Nadab  his son  reigned  in his stead.

What does 1 Kings 14:19-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The writer wrote that the reigns of18 of Israel"s20 kings stood recorded in "The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel" (all except those of Tibni and Hoshea). This document is different from the canonical books of1,2Chronicles and is not extant.
Jeroboam was a strong leader. He separated Israel from Judah and reigned a long time. Nevertheless his lack of commitment to Yahweh resulted in him and Israel experiencing discipline from the Lord. During his reign, Israel lost control of the area around Damascus that subsequently became an independent Aramean state. Ironically it was this area that produced enemies of Israel for many years. The Philistines also recovered some of their territory and became stronger (cf. 1 Kings 15:27). Moreover Israel appears to have lost control over Moab about this time. [1] Judah, Israel, and Edom invaded Moab right after King Ahab of Israel died ( 2 Kings 3:21-27). King Abijah of Judah also defeated Jeroboam in battle ( 2 Chronicles 13:13-20). All of these losses are evidences of God"s punishment for apostasy.