2 Kings 14:15 Meaning and Explanation
“Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The text closes with a formula directing readers to a fuller account of Jehoash's military achievements, including his battle with Amaziah.
The Context of 2 Kings 14:15
The Deuteronomistic history regularly uses this formula to point to the 'Chronicles of the Kings of Israel,' now lost.
What Does 2 Kings 14:15 Mean?
'Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?' It is a closing line that haunts us a little. We are given just enough of the story to see its shape—pride, warning, refusal, defeat, capture, plunder. But there are other acts, other victories, other details, all recorded elsewhere, now lost to us. Jehoash was a capable warrior; his reign had substance. Yet what survives is this one conflict, this one moment of mercy-with-mockery, this one humbling of a foolish southern king.
The formula reminds us that Scripture is selective. It tells us what we need to know to understand God's purposes, not everything that happened. This story of Amaziah and Jehoash teaches us about pride and judgment, about the cost of refusing counsel, about how swiftly a king can fall. That is enough. The other chronicles we will not read; but these lessons will sustain us.
Where 2 Kings 14:15 Echoes in Scripture
This formula appears at the close of almost every northern king's reign; it signals the existence of an ancient source now lost to us, called the 'Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.'
How to Apply 2 Kings 14:15 Today
What we remember shapes what we become. Scripture records the cautionary tale of Amaziah's pride, not to shame him, but to teach us. What lessons from your own failures does God want you to hold onto and pass on?