2 Kings 14:29

14:23-29 God raised up the prophet Jonah, and by him declared the purposes of his favour to Israel. It is a sign that God has not cast off his people, if he continues faithful ministers among them. Two reasons are given why God blessed them with those victories: 1. Because the distress was very great, which made them objects of his compassion. 2. Because the decree was not yet gone forth for their destruction. Many prophets there had been in Israel, but none left prophecies in writing till this age, and their prophecies are part of the Bible. Hosea began to prophesy in the reign of this Jeroboam. At the same time Amos prophesied; soon after Micah, then Isaiah, in the days of Ahaz and Hezekiah. Thus God, in the darkest and most degenerate ages of the church, raised up some to be burning and shining lights in it; to their own age, by their preaching and living, and a few by their writings, to reflect light upon us in the last times.

2 Kings 14:29 . And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, &c. — It was in the reign of this Jeroboam, that Hosea (who continued very long a prophet) began to prophesy, and he was the first that wrote his prophecies. At the same time Amos prophesied, and wrote his prophecy, and soon after Micah, and then Isaiah, in the days of Ahaz and Hezekiah. Thus God never left himself without witness: but, in the darkest ages of the church, raised up some to be burning and shining lights to their own age by their preaching and living; and a few by their writings to reflect light upon us, on whom the ends of the world are come.

He recovered Damascus - Jeroboam probably gained certain advantages over Benhadad, which induced the latter to make his submission and consent to such terms as those extorted by Ahab 1 Kings 20:34 . Hamath was probably among the actual conquests of Jeroboam. It was brought so low in his reign, as to have become almost a by-word for calamity (compare Amos 6:2). Which belonged to Judah, for Israel - i. e. these cities were recovered to Judah, i. e. to the people of God generally, through or by means of being added to Israel, i. e. to the northern kingdom. A few further facts in the history of Jeroboam II are recorded by the prophet Amos (compare Amos 7:10, etc.).

And the Lord said not - Though the Israelites were brought thus low, yet the fiat did not as yet go forth for their destruction. God did not send a prophet to say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but on the contrary sent two to announce that they should be delivered from their present enemies, and obtain triumphs over them (see 2 Kings 14:25 ; 2 Kings 13:17-19 ). That he would blot out ... - This is a Mosaic phrase, found only here and in Deuteronomy 2 Kings Deuteronomy 9:14; Deuteronomy 29:20.

2Ki 14:23-29. Jeroboam's Wicked Reign over Israel. 23. Jeroboam, the son of Joash king of Israel—This was Jeroboam II who, on regaining the lost territory, raised the kingdom to great political power (2Ki 14:25), but adhered to the favorite religious policy of the Israelitish sovereigns (2Ki 14:24). While God granted him so great a measure of national prosperity and eminence, the reason is expressly stated (2Ki 14:26, 27) to be that the purposes of the divine covenant forbade as yet the overthrow of the kingdom of the ten tribes (see 2Ki 13:23).

Verse 29. - And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, oven with the kings of Israel - his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had been actually among the kings of Israel; but all the kings, his predecessors, were probably reckoned among his ancestors - and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead (see the comment on 2 Kings 15:8). By Zachariah's accession the promise given to Jehu ( 2 Kings 10:30 ), that his "children to the fourth generation should sit on the throne of Israel," was literally fulfilled. No other royal house occupied the Israelitish throne for more than three generations. 2 Kings 14:29

As Jeroboam reigned forty-one years, his death occurred in the twenty-seventh year of Uzziah. If, then, his son did not begin to reign till the thirty-eight year of Uzziah, as is stated in 2 Kings 15:8 , he cannot have come to the throne immediately after his father's death (see at 2 Kings 15:8 ).