Bible Strands
2 Kings 15:24
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records the spiritual condition of Pekahiah, who ascended the throne of Israel in Samaria after the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah and ruled for two years. The verse functions as a formal evaluation of his reign immediately following his accession.
The words — The phrase בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה (be-'ei-nei Yahweh) literally means "in the eyes of Yahweh," setting divine observation as the measuring stick for his actions. The verb סָר (Sar) translates to "he turned aside," denoting a deliberate refusal to abandon the religious practices he inherited.
The thread — This exact formula of royal condemnation appears in 2 Kings 15:9 and 2 Kings 15:18, where other northern kings are judged for failing to depart from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat caused Israel to commit. The repetition establishes a literary pattern for evaluating Israel's monarchy against a consistent standard of covenant faithfulness.
Why it lands — The text presents a factual record of institutional continuity without moral reform, showing that political succession does not automatically produce spiritual change. It requires the reader to assess leadership by its alignment with a fixed standard rather than by its duration or stability.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 15:9 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
- 2 Kings 15:18 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.