Misinterpretations often arise from assuming the 'book of Shemaiah' and 'Iddo the seer' refer to lost canonical Scriptures essential for complete biblical truth, implying the Bible is incomplete without them; in reality, these were ancient historical annals cited as sources, with their content integrated into Chronicles, not presented as inspired equals to Scripture. Another error is treating the reference as endorsement of apocryphal or extra-biblical authority, overlooking that biblical authors routinely cite non-canonical records for verification without elevating their status.
II Chronicles 12:15
King James Version (1769)
15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
This verse concludes the account of King Rehoboam's reign by referring readers to detailed records in the prophetic writings of Shemaiah and the seer Iddo, which cover Rehoboam's acts from first to last, including genealogies, and notes the continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, emphasizing the historical documentation of Judah's turbulent period of disobedience, invasion, and division that serves to instruct future generations on the consequences of forsaking God's covenant.