1In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. 2He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 3And he did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, 4except that the high places were not removed; the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. 5And Jehovah struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land. 6Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah. 7So Azariah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. And Jotham his son reigned in his place. 8In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 10And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck and killed him in front of the people, and reigned in his place. 11Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. 12This was the Word of Jehovah which He had spoken to Jehu, saying, Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. And so it was. 13Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a month of days in Samaria. 14For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him; and reigned in his place. 15Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the treason he had conspired, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16Menahem struck Tiphsah, all who were there, and its territory from Tirzah; because they did not open to him, therefore he struck it. All the pregnant women he ripped open. 17In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. 18And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 19And Pul king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his hand. 20And Menahem brought out the money from Israel, from all the mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land. 21Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. 22So Menahem rested with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. 23In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 24And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25Then Pekah the son of Remaliah, an officer of his, conspired against him and struck him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, along with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of Gilead. He killed him and reigned in his place. 26Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. 27In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. 28And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. 30Then Hoshea the son of Elah conspired treason against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck and killed him; and he reigned in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31Now 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. 32In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34And he did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35However the high places were not removed; the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of Jehovah. 36Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah. 37In those days Jehovah began to send Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38So Jotham rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. And Ahaz his son reigned in his place.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 AZARIAH'S REIGN OVER JUDAH. (
2Kgs 15:1-7)
In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam--It is thought that the throne of Judah continued vacant eleven or twelve years, between the death of Amaziah and the inauguration of his son Azariah. Being a child only four years old when his father was murdered, a regency was appointed during Azariah's minority.
began Azariah . . . to reign--The character of his reign is described by the brief formula employed by the inspired historian, in recording the religious policy of the later kings. But his reign was a very active as well as eventful one, and is fully related (2Ch. 26:1-23). Elated by the possession of great power, and presumptuously arrogating to himself, as did the heathen kings, the functions both of the real and sacerdotal offices, he was punished with leprosy, which, as the offense was capital (
Num 8:7), was equivalent to death, for this disease excluded him from all society. While Jotham, his son, as his viceroy, administered the affairs of the kingdom--being about fifteen years of age (compare
2Kgs 15:33) --he had to dwell in a place apart by himself (see on
2Kgs 7:3). After a long reign he died, and was buried in the royal burying-field, though not in the royal cemetery of "the city of David" (
2Chr 26:23).
8 ZECHARIAH'S REIGN OVER ISRAEL. (
2Kgs 15:8-16)
In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel--There was an interregnum from some unknown cause between the reign of Jeroboam and the accession of his son, which lasted, according to some, for ten or twelve years, according to others, for twenty-two years, or more. This prince pursued the religious policy of the calf-worship, and his reign was short, being abruptly terminated by the hand of violence. In his fate was fulfilled the prophecy addressed to Jehu (
2Kgs 10:30; also
Hos 1:4), that his family would possess the throne of Israel for four generations; and accordingly Jehoahaz, Joash, Jehoram, and Zechariah were his successors--but there his dynasty terminated; and perhaps it was the public knowledge of this prediction that prompted the murderous design of Shallum.
13 Shallum . . . reigned a full month--He was opposed and slain by Menahem, who, according to JOSEPHUS, was commander of the forces, which, on the report of the king's murder, were besieging Tirzah, a town twelve miles east of Samaria, and formerly a seat of the kings of Israel. Raising the siege, he marched directly against the usurper, slew him, and reigned in his stead.
16 Menahem . . . smote Tiphsah--Thapsacus, on the Euphrates, the border city of Solomon's kingdom (
1Kgs 4:24). The inhabitants refusing to open their gates to him, Menahem took it by storm. Then having spoiled it, he committed the most barbarous excesses, without regard either to age or sex.
17 MENAHEM'S REIGN. (
2Kgs 15:17-21)
reigned ten years in Samaria--His government was conducted on the religious policy of his predecessors.
19 Pul the king of Assyria--This is the first Assyrian king after Nimrod who is mentioned in biblical history. His name has been recently identified with that of Phalluka on the monuments of Nineveh, and that of Menahem discovered also.
came against the land--Elsewhere it is said "Ephraim [Israel] went to the Assyrian" [
Hos 5:13]. The two statements may be reconciled thus: "Pul, of his own motion, induced, perhaps, by the expedition of Menahem against Thapsacus, advanced against the kingdom of Israel; then Menahem sent him a thousand talents in order not only to divert him from his plans of conquest, but at the same time to purchase his friendship and aid for the establishment of his own precarious sovereignty. So Menahem did not properly invite the Assyrian into the land, but only changed the enemy when marching against the country, by this tribute, into a confederate for the security of his usurped dominion. This the prophet Hosea, less concerned about the historical fact than the disposition betrayed therein, might very well censure as a going of Ephraim to the Assyrians (
Hos 5:13;
Hos 7:1;
Hos 8:9), and a covenant-making with Asshur" (
2Kgs 12:1) [KEIL].
a thousand talents of silver--Equal to Ł262,200. This tribute, which Menahem raised by a tax on the grandees of Israel, bribed Pul to return to his own country (see on
1Chr 5:26).
23 PEKAHIAH'S REIGN. (
2Kgs 15:22-24)
Pekahiah . . . son of Menahem began to reign--On comparing the date given with Azariah's reign, it seems that several months had intervened between the death of Menahem and the accession of Pekahiah, probably owing to a contest about the throne.
25 with Argob and Arieh, &c.--Many commentators view these as the captain's accomplices. But it is more probable that they were influential friends of the king, who were murdered along with him.
29 PEKAH'S REIGN. (
2Kgs 15:27-31)
in the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser--This monarch, who succeeded Pul on the throne of Assyria, is the only one of all the kings who does not give his genealogy, and is therefore supposed to have been an usurper. His annals have been discovered in the Nimroud mound, describing this expedition into Syria. The places taken are here mentioned as they occurred and were conquered in the progress of an invasion.
30 Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy . . . and slew him--He did not, however, obtain possession of the kingdom till about nine or ten years after the perpetration of this crime [HALES].
in the twentieth year of Jotham--Jotham's reign lasted only sixteen years, but the meaning is that the reign of Hoshea began in the twentieth after the beginning of Jotham's reign. The sacred historian, having not yet introduced the name of Ahaz, reckoned the date by Jotham, whom he had already mentioned (see
2Chr 27:8).
33 JOTHAM'S REIGN OVER JUDAH. (
2Kgs 15:32-38)
Five and twenty years was he when he began to reign--that is, alone--for he had ruled as his father's viceroy [
2Kgs 15:5].
35 the higher gate of the house of the Lord--not the temple itself, but one of its courts; probably that which led into the palace (
2Chr 23:20).
37 the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, &c.--This is the first intimation of the hostile feelings of the kings of Israel and Syria, to Judah, which led them to form an alliance and make joint preparations for war. [See on
2Chr 27:5.] However, war was not actually waged till the reign of Ahaz.
