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2 Kings 15

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Azariah (Uzziah) Reigns in Judah 1–7

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 Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
3
And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ​
4
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. ​
5
And Jehovah smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land. ​
6
Now 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
And 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.

Zachariah of Israel Assassinated 8–12

8
In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. ​
9
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
10
And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. ​
11
Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12
This was the word of Jehovah which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel. And so it came to pass. ​

Shallum's Brief Reign 13–16

13
Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned the space of a month in Samaria. ​
14
And 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
Now 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 borders 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. ​

Menahem Pays Tribute to Assyria 17–22

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 Jehovah: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
19
There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; 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
Now 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.

Pekahiah Rules Israel 23–26

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 Jehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
25
And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the castle of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites: and he slew him, and reigned in his stead. ​
26
Now 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.

Pekah's Reign and Assyrian Invasion 27–31

27
In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah 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 Jehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. ​
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 Jotham the son of Uzziah. ​
31
Now 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.

Jotham Reigns in Judah 32–38

32
In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham 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 eyes of Jehovah; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. ​
35
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah. ​
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 Jehovah began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. ​
38
And Jotham 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.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Kings 15

Verse 1

Azariah son of Amaziah — The same king is called Uzziah (Uzziyah) in vv.13, 30, 32 and 34, and Azariah (Azaryah) in vv.1, 6–8, 17, 23 and 27. He reigns 'two and fifty years in Jerusalem' (v.2), and Isaiah dates his vision 'in the year that king Uzziah died' (Isa 6:1). The date is the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam of Israel.

Verse 3

according to all that his father Amaziah had done — 2 Chr 26:4–5 gives the same verdict and its ground: 'he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.' As in 14:3, the measure is the father's example, and v.5 shows how the reign closed.

Verse 4

the high places were not removed — The law asked for one place: 'Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest' (Deut 12:13), but 'in the place which the LORD shall choose' (Deut 12:14). 'Save that' (raq) sets this against the verdict of v.3: the king did right, and the people still sacrificed on the high places.

Verse 5

the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper — 2 Chr 26:16–21 gives the occasion: Uzziah 'went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense', and the leprosy 'rose up in his forehead' before the priests. A leper was to 'dwell alone; without the camp' (Lev 13:46). 'Several house' (chofshit) occurs only here and in 2 Chr 26:21. Jotham judged the people in his place.

Verse 8

Zachariah the son of Jeroboam — Jeroboam's son (14:29) reigns 'six months'. The word to Jehu allowed four generations (10:30), and in Jeroboam's days Hosea had heard, 'I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu' (Hos 1:4). V.10 shows how Zachariah's reign ended, and v.12 states the fulfilment.

Verse 10

Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him — 'Conspired' is qashar, the root of Jehu's own conspiracy (9:14); it returns in vv.15, 25 and 30 of this chapter. Hosea speaks for the LORD of these years: 'They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not' (Hos 8:4).

Verse 12

Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation — The word is 10:30, given to Jehu 'because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes'. Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam and Zachariah are the four (13:1, 13:10, 14:23, 15:8). 'And so it came to pass' marks the promise as kept, though Jehu 'took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD' (10:31).

Verse 13

a full month — Shallum's month falls in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah, the year in which Menahem began (v.17). Menahem 'went up from Tirzah' and smote him in Samaria (v.14). A reign of a month stands beside Zimri's 'seven days in Tirzah' (1 Kgs 16:15).

Verse 16

all the women therein that were with child he ripped up — This is the act Elisha wept over when he told Hazael what he would do to Israel: 'rip up their women with child' (8:12). Here an Israelite king does it to a city of Israel because it 'opened not to him'. Hos 13:16 says the same of Samaria.

Verse 17

Menahem the son of Gadi — He took the throne by killing Shallum (v.14), reigned ten years in Samaria, and was followed by his son Pekahiah (v.22). V.18 gives the verdict: 'he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat'. The Assyrian king comes in his reign (v.19).

Verse 19

Pul the king of Assyria — Assyria is named here for the first time in 1 and 2 Kings. 1 Chr 5:26 says 'the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria'. Menahem pays a thousand talents of silver that Pul's 'hand might be with him'. Hosea names the same recourse: 'then went Ephraim to the Assyrian' (Hos 5:13).

Verse 20

fifty shekels of silver — The sanctuary reckoning puts the half-shekels of 603,550 men at 'an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels' (Ex 38:25–26), so a talent is 3,000 shekels. A thousand talents is three million shekels, which fifty shekels a man raises from sixty thousand 'mighty men of wealth'.

Verse 23

Pekahiah the son of Menahem — He reigned 'two years', the length of Nadab's reign (1 Kgs 15:25), and like Nadab he fell to a conspirator, in Nadab's case Baasha (1 Kgs 15:27) and in his own Pekah (v.25). V.24 gives the same verdict as his father's.

Verse 25

a captain of his, conspired against him — 'Captain' is shalish. Zimri, 'captain of half his chariots', had also turned on his king (1 Kgs 16:9), and he too went into 'the palace of the king's house' (1 Kgs 16:18), the same word (armon) used here. Isaiah later names Pekah only as 'Remaliah's son' (Isa 7:9).

Verse 27

Pekah the son of Remaliah — Pekah is the king Isaiah calls only by his father's name: 'the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son' (Isa 7:9). In Ahaz's days he and Rezin 'went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it' (Isa 7:1). He reigns 'twenty years', ending as v.30 relates.

Verse 29

Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah… all the land of Naphtali — Ijon, Abel-beth-maachah and Naphtali are the places Benhadad struck in Asa's day (1 Kgs 15:20). Now they are taken and 'carried them captive to Assyria'. Isaiah speaks of the LORD afflicting 'the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali… in Galilee of the nations' (Isa 9:1), and Matthew applies it to Christ at Capernaum (Matt 4:13–16).

Verse 30

Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy — 'Conspiracy' is qesher, the last of the chapter's four. Hoshea is the final king of Israel: 17:1 gives him nine years, and 17:6 records that in his ninth year 'the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria'.

Verse 32

Jotham the son of Uzziah — He is said to 'begin to reign' in the second year of Pekah, though v.5 already has him 'over the house, judging the people of the land'. 15:33 gives his age as five and twenty and his reign as sixteen years, and his mother as 'Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok'.

Verse 34

according to all that his father Uzziah had done — 2 Chr 27:2 gives the same verdict with an exception: 'howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD', which was Uzziah's transgression (2 Chr 26:16). 2 Chr 27:6 gives the ground of his strength: 'Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.'

Verse 35

He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD — The high places still stood, and 2 Chr 27:2 adds, 'the people did yet corruptly'. The gate is also in the Chronicles account: 'He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much' (2 Chr 27:3).

Verse 37

the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin — 'Began' is chalal, the verb of 10:32, 'the LORD began to cut Israel short'. The same LORD who had used Syria against Israel now sends Syria and Israel together against Judah. Isa 7:1 and 2 Kgs 16:5 tell the attack in Ahaz's days, and Isa 7:1 adds 'but could not prevail against it'.