· Translation: KJV

2 Kings 15:18He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn't depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

The setting

Samaria, Israel, ~738 BC. Court historian writes the same tragic formula used for every northern king. Modern-day West Bank, Palestine.

The emotion here: weary disappointment at another failed king

The original word

ra' (רע) — evil, wickedness, moral corruption that brings harm

Why it matters

Jeroboam's 'sin' was creating golden calves at Dan and Bethel to prevent people from worshiping in Jerusalem

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Kings 15:18

This isn't random evil — it's the specific political decision to create alternative worship sites

Common misconceptionPeople think this means Menahem worshiped idols personally, but it refers to maintaining the political-religious system that divided Israel from Judah.

Bible Genome reading

2 Kings 15:18 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotiongrieving
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability40%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance40%
Standalone50%
Themes:spiritual failurecontinuing sin

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Kings 15

2 Kings 15:18 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include spiritual failure, continuing sin. Notable phrases: evil in the sight of Yahweh; sins of Jeroboam.

Your reflection

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