JEROBOAM II. — King of Israel (787-747 B.C.), son of Joash, of the dynasty of Jehu (q.v.), is perhaps the most illustrious of the kings of Israel after the schism. In his forty years of reign he restored the country to its greatest power and territorial extent, so much so that it recalled in some way the happy days of David and Solomon. His political and military activity is described soberly in 2 Kings 14:23-29, but the few data are important.
He waged victorious battles against Damascus, reconquered Hamath (on the northern border of Palestine) and “restored the borders of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah (Dead Sea)” (2 Kings 14:25), as the prophet Jonah son of Amittai had already foretold.
J. found Israel in a state of extreme decline and misery, and the Lord used him precisely to lift up his people (2 Kings 14:26-27). The internal prosperity of Israel under J. is attested by Amos 4-6, where mention is also made (1:1) of an earthquake that occurred in the time of this king. Favorable external conditions facilitated the rebuilding work of J. To the south, the Kingdom of Judah, after the defeat of King Amaziah by Joash, father of J., was in a state of absolute inferiority and dependence; to the north, Syria, weakened by continuous wars with the Assyrians, no longer inspired fear, and even Assyria was going through a period of crisis, engaged as it was with Babylon. But the power and prosperity attained by Israel under this king declined rapidly. Beneath the apparent splendor there lay a growing corruption of morals: the same J. is blamed in Holy Scripture for his conduct; and the punishment repeatedly threatened by the prophets, especially by the prophet Amos of that era (cf. 3:11 ff.; 5:6, 27; 6:8 ff.), did not long delay in coming: twenty-two years after the death of J., the Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist. J. was succeeded by his son Zachariah, who was killed by Shallum after six months of reign: thus the dynasty of Jehu was extinguished in blood, as Amos had foretold (7:9).