JEROBOAM II. - King of Israel (784-744 B.C.), son of Jehoash, of the dynasty of Jehu (v.), is perhaps the most illustrious of the kings of Israel after the schism. In his 40 years of reign he restored the country to its greatest power and territorial extent, so as to recall in some way the happy times of David and Solomon. His political and military activity is described soberly in II 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 border of Israel from the pass of Hamath as far as the sea of the Arabah (Dead Sea)" (II Kings 14:25), as the prophet Jonah son of Amittai had already foretold.
J. found Israel in a condition of extreme decline and misery, and the Lord made use of him precisely to raise up his people again (II Kings 14:26-27). The internal prosperity of Israel under J. is attested by Amos 4-6, where there is also mention (1:1) of an earthquake that occurred in the times of
JEROBOAM II - «IESU REDEMPTOR OMNIUM-QUEM LUCIS»
this king. Favorable external conditions facilitated the rebuilding work of J. In the south the Kingdom of Judah, after the defeat of King Amaziah by Joash, father of J., was in a condition of absolute inferiority and dependence; in the north Syria, weakened by continuous wars with the Assyrians, no longer inspired fear, and Assyria too was passing 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 lay a growing corruption of morals: J. himself is censured in Sacred Scripture for his conduct; and the punishment repeatedly threatened by the prophets, especially by the prophet of that era, Amos (cf. 3:11 ff.; 5:6, 27; 6:8 ff.) was not long in coming: 22 years after the death of J. the Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist. J. was succeeded by his son Zechariah, who was killed by Shallum after 6 months of reign: thus the dynasty of Jehu was extinguished in blood, as Amos had predicted (7:9).
Bibliography2 works
Gaetano Stano