Commentators agree that Jeroboam's primary failure was a lack of faith. Despite receiving a divine promise for his kingdom, he chose human political strategy out of fear. Matthew Henry calls this a "practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency," which he identifies as the root of all departures from God. Jeroboam's fear of losing his kingdom and his life led him to distrust God's providence and take sinful matters into his own hands.