What is the meaning of 2 Kings 15:21? As for the rest of the acts of Menahem “Rest” signals that what we have in 2 Kings 15:17-20 is only a snapshot of Menahem’s ten-year reign. Scripture openly acknowledges there was more to the story—yet everything recorded is precisely what God wants us to know (cf. Deuteronomy 29:29). • 2 Kings 15:17-18 outlines his rise to power and the continued evil “in the sight of the LORD,” echoing earlier notices about Israel’s kings (1 Kings 16:19; 2 Kings 13:2). • Verse 19 shows his desperate alliance with Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria, a turning point that accelerated Israel’s decline (compare 2 Kings 17:3-6). • Like other royal summaries—“the rest of the acts of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:41)—this phrase assures readers that the biblical author is not omitting anything essential for faith and obedience. Along with all his accomplishments The word translated “accomplishments” reminds us that even ungodly rulers can build, negotiate, and organize. God’s Word records deeds without endorsing them (Proverbs 16:4). • Menahem’s main “accomplishment” was extracting fifty shekels of silver from every wealthy man to pay Assyria (2 Kings 15:20), buying a fragile peace at enormous moral cost. • His brutal start—“he struck down Tiphsah… ripping open all the pregnant women” (15:16)—reveals the kind of “accomplishments” power can produce when it is disconnected from God’s law (Hosea 10:14). • The pattern repeats throughout Kings: achievements divorced from covenant faithfulness never secure lasting blessing (cf. 1 Kings 22:39; 2 Kings 10:34). Are they not written This rhetorical question underscores reliability. The inspired writer points to an official royal record, inviting contemporaries to verify the account (Luke 1:1-4 offers a similar assurance). • By appealing to publicly accessible annals, the text shows no fear of scrutiny; truth welcomes examination (Proverbs 12:19). • The formula appears dozens of times (e.g., 1 Kings 14:19, 29; 2 Kings 15:36), reinforcing that biblical history is grounded in real events, not myth. In the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? The “Book” was a court archive, now lost, containing exhaustive political data. Its mention highlights two truths: • God preserves what the church needs—the canonical Scriptures—while many human records fade (Isaiah 40:8). • Earthly chronicles capture outward facts; God’s Word reveals the heart. Kings notes that Menahem “did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 15:18), a verdict absent from secular annals (1 Samuel 16:7). Other references to this source include 1 Kings 16:5, 14, 20 and 2 Kings 1:18. summary 2 Kings 15:21 affirms that the Bible’s concise portrait of Menahem is accurate, historically verifiable, and spiritually sufficient. While additional details once existed in royal archives, the Holy Spirit chose exactly what to preserve: a reminder that human achievements, apart from obedience to the Lord, lead only to judgment and decline. |
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