2 Kings 15

IN the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel Quest. How can this be true, seeing Amaziah, the Father of this Azariah, lived only till the 15th Year of Ieroboam's Reign, chap. 14. 2, 23? Ans. This might be either, First, Because Ieroboam was made King by, and Reigned with his Father eleven or twelve Years, and afterwards Reigned alone; and so there is a twofold beginning of his Kingdom; by the former this was his 27 Year, and by the later, his 15th Year. Or, Secondly, Because there was an inter-Reign for eleven or twelve Years in the Kingdom of Iudah; either, through the prevalency of that Faction which cut off Amaziah the Father, and kept the Son out of his Kingdom; or, because Azariah was very young when his Father was slain, and the people were not agreed to restore him to his right till his 16th Year, chap. 14. 21. 2 Chr. 26. 1. And yet these 11 or 12 Years of inter-Reign, in which he was excluded from the exercise of his Regal office, some think to be included in those 52 Years which are here ascribed to Azariah's Reign, ver. 2. which may well be doubted., began Azariah Called also Uzziah here, and v. 13, 30. son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign Solely and fully to exercise his Regal power..

Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years Besides the sixteen Years of his minority last mentioned. in Jerusalem, and his mothers name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done i. e. In the same manner, unsincerely, and but for a time.;

Save that Understand this, as howbeit, chap. 14. 4. the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.

¶ And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper The cause whereof see 2 Chron. 26. 16. unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house Separated from conversation with others by virtue of that Law, Lev. 13. 46. which being the Law of the King of kings, bound kings no less than subjects.: and Jotham the kings son was over the house, judging the people of the land i. e. He governed the Kings Court and whole Kingdom, in his name, and as his Vicegerent..

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?

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.

¶ In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah Of which see the Note on ver. 2., did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

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 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

And Shallum the son of Jabesh One of his chief Captains. conspired against him, and smote him before the people Openly and impudently: which he presumed to do; either, because he remembred that the promise of the Kingdom made to Iehu, was confined to the fourth Generation, chap. 10. 30. which he observed to be now expired: or, because he perceived that the people were generally disaffected to their King, and favourable to his attempt., and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.

¶ Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria.

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.

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.

¶ Then Menahem smote Tiphsah Either that Tiphsah mentioned 1 King. 4. 24. or another City of that name., and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah i. e. All the people dwelling between Tirzah and Tiphsah.: because they opened not to him Because they refused to open the Gates of their City to him, and to submit to him as Conqueror., therefore he smote it, and all the women therein that were with child, he ript up That by this example of severity he might affright all the rest of the people into obedience..

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.

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.

And Pul the king of Assyria Called by Heathen An... hors Pul-Belochus, who by the help of Arbaces the Mede, vanquished Sardanapalus the last Monarch of Assyria, and translated the Kingdom to Chaldaea, and was the first King of Babylon and Assyria; Arbaces being made King of the Medes and Persians. came against the land To wit, of Israel, as the context shows.; and Menahem gave i. e. Agreed or promised to give, as the next Verse explains it. Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him, to confirm the kingdom in his hand That he might assist him against all that did or should oppose him. By which it appears, that his cruelty to Tiphsah was so far from establishing him, as he expected, that it weakned and endangered him so far, that he was forced to call in a Foreign Prince to his aid..

And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man i. e. Of each of those wealthy Israelites. But as each of these were not equally Wealthy, so it is not probable that he taxed them equally. Others therefore render it, to or for each man, i. e. for every Assyrian Soldier: which Interpretation is favoured by the placing of the words in the Hebrew Text, which differs from that in our Translation. 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.

¶ 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?

And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

¶ 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.

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.

But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the kings house, with Argob, and Arieh Who might be either Pekah's Partners in this Treason: or, the Kings Courtiers or Officers, who were now slain with him., and with him fifty men of the Gileadites Who assisted him in the execution of his Treason.: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.

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.

¶ 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.

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.

In the days of Pekah king of Israel, came Tiglath-pileser Or, Tiglath-pilneser, 2 Chron. 28. 20. called in Heathen Authors Phulasar, or Phul-Assur, the Son of that Pul or Phul above, v. 9. king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah Of which see 1 King. 15. 20., and Janoah A City of Ephraim, Jos. 16. 6., and Kedesh, and Hazor Two Cities of Napthali, Jos. 12. 22. and 19. 36., and Gilead All the Land beyond Iordan, which was nigher to the Assyrian than the rest., and Galilee To wit, the upper Galilee, as may be gathered from the following words, all (or, even all) the land of Naphthali: which seem to be added by way of explication or restriction, to show what Galilee he meant, even the upper, in which Naphthali's lot fell. See the Notes on Isa. 9. 1., all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him Which he did more easily effect, because the people were enraged against Pekah, as the Man who by his murder of King Pekahiah the Son of Menahem, whom the Assyrian Monarch set up and favoured, and by his unnecessary War with Ahaz, had brought the Assyrian upon them, and caused the loss of one half of that Kingdom., and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah Quest. How could this be, when Iotham Reigned only 16 Years, below, v. 33? Ans. The meaning is, That he began his Reign in the twentieth Year after the beginning of Iotham's Reign; or, which is the same thing, in the fourth Year of Ahaz, Son of Iotham, as appears from chap. 16. 1. But the Sacred Writer, having not yet ma... e mention of Ahaz, thought it more proper to number Hoshea's Years by Iotham, of whom he had spoken, than by Ahaz. Besides, as Iotham did Reign divers Years in his Fathers life, so might Ahaz in Iotham's life, and Iotham might for divers reasons (which it is needless he... e to enquire) resign up the Administration of the Kingdom wholly into Ahaz his hands some Years before his death, and therefore might be said to Reign but 16 Years, though he lived longer..

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.

¶ In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign To wit, properly and alone: for he had Reigned before this, as his Fathers Deputy and Vice-Roy., and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mothers name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

¶ Howbeit, the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still in the high places: he built the higher gate of the house of the LORD Not of the Temple, properly so called; but of one of the Courts of the Temple, probably that which led to the Kings Palace, 2 Chron. 23. 20. called also the new gate, Jer. 26. 10. and 36. 10..

¶ 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?

(In those days i. e. Towards the end of Iotham's Reign. the LORD began to send i. e. Disposed their hearts to unite their Forces together, and to make preparation for a War against Iudah: which yet they did not execute till Ahaz his Reign. against Judah, Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah)

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.