2 Kings 15

2 Kings 15:1

Q. King Azariah (Uzziah) of Judah, Cont’d (15:1-7)In general Azariah was a good king. Part of his failure was his permitting the high places to continue in Judah. When he insisted on intruding into the priest’s office by offering incense in the temple, despite the protests of the priests, he was struck with leprosy and had to dwell in an isolated house to the day of his death (cf. 2Ch_26:16-21). The ministry of Amos ended at this period.

2 Kings 15:8

R. King Zechariah of Israel (15:8-12)Zechariah the son of Jeroboam II reigned over Israel for six months (753752 B.C.). Like his predecessors, Zechariah walked in the steps of Jeroboam I, worshiping the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. After a brief reign of six months, he was assassinated by Shallum. The RSV, following the LXX, says he was killed at Ibleam, a town in the Jezreel Valley close to where Ahaziah had been killed by Jehu (2Ki_9:27). His death marked the end of the Jehu dynasty, Zechariah being the fourth generation which God had promised Jehu would sit on the throne of Israel (v. 12; cf. 2Ki_10:30).

2 Kings 15:13

S. King Shallum of Israel (15:13-15)Shallum the son of Jabesh was king of Israel for one month (752 B.C.). Little is recorded about this king. His was the only reign in the sixth dynasty of the ten tribes. Shallum had gained the throne by assassination and now lost it the same way one month later. He was assassinated by Menahem.

2 Kings 15:16

T. King Menahem of Israel (15:16-22)Menahem the son of Gadi was king of Israel for ten years (752742/41 B.C.). Menahem proceeded to sack Tiphsahnot the city of Tiphsah on the Euphrates but the one near Tirzah. When the city refused to surrender, he cruelly massacred the people, including the pregnant women. At this time the Syrian kingdom had declined, and Assyria had become Israel’s chief enemy. During the reign of Menahem, Pul, the king of Assyria, invaded Israel. Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to appease him and to enlist Pul’s support in confirming Menahem’s uncertain power. The king of Israel raised this money by taxing all the wealthy men fifty shekels of silver apiece (v. 20). The price of a slave in Assyria at this time was fifty shekels of silver. Menahem was voluntarily submitting to the yoke of Assyria because he felt it was to his personal advantage to do so. Pul is generally considered to be the same as Tiglath-Pileser III (v. 29).

2 Kings 15:23

U. King Pekahiah of Israel (15:23-26)Pekahiah the son of Menahem was king of Israel for two years (742/41740/39 B.C.). All that we know of this king is that his reign was brief and evil and that he was slain by Pekah and fifty Gileadites in Samaria. His reign ended the seventh dynasty of Israel. He was the only one of Israel’s latter kings who did not take the crown by force, but it wasn’t long before it was forcibly taken from him by one of his officials.

2 Kings 15:27

V. King Pekah of Israel (15:27-31)Pekah the son of Remaliah was king of Israel for twenty years (752732/31 B.C.). Pekah was captain to Pekahiah, whom he killed. From other Scriptures we learn that he invaded Judah and then enlisted Syrian aid against Judah. But Ahaz, king of Judah, called Assyria to aid him. The king of Assyria first killed Rezin, king of Syria, and then attacked Israel. He conquered the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan and the territory of Galilee, carrying the inhabitants into captivity. This was the first phase of the Assyrian captivity. Pekah’s power as captain overlapped with Menahem’s (ten years) and Pekahiah’s (two years). Supported by Assyria, Hoshea seized the throne of Israel by conspiring against Pekah and killing him. This ended Israel’s eighth dynasty.

2 Kings 15:32

W. King Jotham of Judah (15:32-38)Jotham the son of Uzziah was king of Judah for a total of twenty years, including four years of co-regency with Uzziah (750732/31 B.C.; cf. 2 Chron. 27). The first part of Jotham’s reign was spent in a coregency with his father Uzziah, the last part with Ahaz. His official reign lasted sixteen years. Jotham was one of the better kings of Judah, even though he did not abolish the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD and sponsored other construction projects in the land. Just before his death, Rezin and Pekah began their joint attack against Judah. The prophet Micah began his ministry during the reign of Jotham. 2Ch_27:6 includes the following editorial comment praising Jotham: “So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.” This is in stark contrast to the kings of Israel, who ordered their ways after Jeroboam. Josephus also makes mention of Jotham’s godliness.