Old Testament Commentary - 2 Kings 15

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
                  CHAPTER 15                Divers kings reign in Israel and in Judah—Their wickedness, wars, conspiracies, and evils set forth—Much of Israel is carried captive to Assyria by Tiglath-pileser.
  1 IN the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
  2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
  3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
  4 Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
  5 ¶ And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a aleper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a bseveral house. And cJotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
  6 And 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?
  7 So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
  8 ¶ In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
  9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of aJeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
  10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and asmote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
  11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
  12 This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto aJehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the bthrone of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
  13 ¶ Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of aUzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
  14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
  15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
  16 ¶ Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
  17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
  18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
  19 And Pul the king of aAssyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
  20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
  21 ¶ And 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?
  22 And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
  23 ¶ In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
  24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
  25 But aPekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
  26 And 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.
  27 ¶ In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah aPekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
  28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
  29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came aTiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and btook Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and ccarried them captive to dAssyria.
  30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of aJotham the son of Uzziah.
  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.
  32 ¶ In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began aJotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
  33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
  34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziaha had done.
 34a Uzziah Considering that the record of 'Kings' was so compiled from various sources by the Jewish preparers of the text, we must understand that Uzziah was the same as Azariah the king of Judah of whom this chapter begins to speak of. Azariah was a leper and though his reign is counted to have lasted 52 years, it was to be his son Jotham who did rule over the king's house and judge the people both during the reign of his father, Azariah/Uzziah, and then during his own official reign as king.
  35 ¶ Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher agate of the house of the LORD.
  36 ¶ Now 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?
  37 In those days the LORD began to send against Judah aRezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
  38 And aJotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.