Misinterpretations often arise when readers view this reference to lost chronicles as evidence of biblical incompleteness or deliberate omission of key facts, suggesting unreliability, whereas it reflects ancient historiographical practice of summarizing reigns and citing sources; others mistakenly assume these chronicles are still extant or canonical, potentially seeking nonexistent contradictions, or downplay the passage's role in bracketing Pekah's wicked rule under God's judgment as described earlier in the chapter.
II Kings 15:31
King James Version (1769)
31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
This verse serves as a standard concluding formula for the reign of King Pekah of Israel, directing readers to the official book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel for a complete record of his acts, emphasizing the biblical narrative's selective focus on events with theological significance amid a broader historical context of Assyrian threats and internal strife, while affirming the existence of detailed royal annals that preserved Israel's monarchical history.