Misinterpretations often treat the 'book of Jehu' or 'book of the kings of Israel' as missing canonical scriptures that must be recovered to complete the Bible, ignoring their role as cited ancient historiographical works similar to other non-canonical sources referenced throughout Chronicles. Others erroneously view this as endorsing Jehu's prophetic authority over Jehoshaphat's entire life without context, or speculate it conceals scandalous details suppressed by later editors, rather than recognizing it as a conventional pointer to exhaustive royal archives that complemented the theological focus of the Chronicler's history.
II Chronicles 20:34
King James Version (1769)
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
This verse serves as a standard Chronicler's formula concluding the account of King Jehoshaphat's reign, directing readers to supplementary historical sources—the annals attributed to the prophet Jehu son of Hanani and the official records of Israel's kings—for a fuller record of his deeds from beginning to end. It emphasizes the completeness of the biblical narrative by acknowledging extra-biblical documentation, affirming the reliability of the historical tradition and Jehoshaphat's legacy as a godly king who sought the Lord amid victories and reforms.