2 Kings 15

1 In Jeroboam's twenty-seventh year as king of Israel, Amaziah's son Azariah began to rule as king of Judah.
2 He was 16 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.
3 He did what the LORD considered right, as his father Amaziah had done.
4 But the illegal places of worship were still not torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites.
5 The LORD inflicted the king with a skin disease that lasted until the day the king died. So the king lived in a separate house. The king's son Jotham was in charge of the palace and governed the country.
6 Isn't everything else about Azariah--everything he did--written in the official records of the kings of Judah?
7 Azariah lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.
8 In Azariah's thirty-eighth year as king of Judah, Jeroboam's son Zechariah was king of Israel in Samaria for six months.
9 He did what the LORD considered evil, as his ancestors had done. He didn't turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat's son) led Israel to commit.
10 Shallum, son of Jabesh, plotted against Zechariah, attacked him at Kabal Am, killed him, and succeeded him as king.
11 Everything else about Zechariah is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
12 It happened exactly as the LORD had told Jehu: "Four generations of your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel."
13 Shallum, son of Jabesh, became king in Azariah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Shallum ruled for an entire month in Samaria.
14 Then Menahem, son of Gadi, came from Tirzah to Samaria, attacked Shallum (son of Jabesh), killed him, and succeeded him as king.
15 Everything else about Shallum--all about his conspiracy--is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
16 Then Menahem attacked Tiphsah, everyone there, and its territory. Because the city didn't open its gates for him, he attacked it and ripped open all its pregnant women.
17 In Azariah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah, Menahem, son of Gadi, began to rule as king of Israel. He ruled for 10 years in Samaria.
18 He did what the LORD considered evil. During his entire life he never turned away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat's son) led Israel to commit.
19 King Pul of Assyria came to [attack] the country. So Menahem gave Pul 75,000 pounds of silver to gain his support and help strengthen his hold on the kingdom.
20 Menahem raised the money from all the wealthy men in Israel. Each gave 20 ounces of silver for the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria left the country.
21 Isn't everything else about Menahem--everything he did--written in the official records of the kings of Israel?
22 Menahem lay down in death with his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah succeeded him as king.
23 In Azariah's fiftieth year as king of Judah, Menahem's son Pekahiah began to rule. Pekahiah was king of Israel in Samaria for two years.
24 He did what the LORD considered evil. He didn't turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat's son) led Israel to commit.
25 His officer Pekah, son of Remaliah, plotted against him. With 50 men from Gilead, Pekah attacked Pekahiah, Argob, and Arieh in the fortress of the royal palace in Samaria. Pekah killed him and succeeded him as king.
26 Everything else about Pekahiah--everything he did--is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
27 In Azariah's fifty-second year as king of Judah, Pekah, son of Remaliah, began to rule Israel in Samaria. He ruled for 20 years.
28 He did what the LORD considered evil. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat's son) led Israel to commit.
29 In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and the entire territory of Naphtali. He also took the people away to Assyria as captives.
30 Hoshea, son of Elah, plotted against Pekah, son of Remaliah. Hoshea attacked him and killed him. Hoshea began to rule as king in his place in the twentieth year that Jotham, son of Azariah, was king of Judah.
31 Everything else about Pekah--everything he did--is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
32 In the second year that King Pekah, son of Remaliah, ruled Israel, Jotham, son of Azariah, began to rule as king of Judah.
33 He was 25 years old when he began to rule. He ruled for 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok.
34 He did what the LORD considered right, as his father Azariah had done.
35 But the illegal places of worship were not torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites. Jotham built the Upper Gate of the LORD's temple.
36 Isn't everything else about Jotham--everything he did--written in the official records of the kings of Judah?
37 In those days the LORD began to use King Rezin of Aram and Pekah, son of Remaliah, to attack Judah.
38 Jotham lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

Reign of Azariah, or Uzziah, king of Judah. (1-7) The latter kings of Israel. (8-31) Jotham, king of Judah. (32-38)

Verses 1-7 Uzziah did for the most part that which was right. It was happy for the kingdom that a good reign was a long one.

Verses 8-31 This history shows Israel in confusion. Though Judah was not without troubles, yet that kingdom was happy, compared with the state of Israel. The imperfections of true believers are very different from the allowed wickedness of ungodly men. Such is human nature, such are our hearts, if left to themselves, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. We have reason to be thankful for restraints, for being kept out of temptation, and should beg of God to renew a right spirit within us.

Verses 32-38 Jotham showed great respect to the temple. If magistrates cannot do all they would, for the suppressing of vice and profaneness, let them do the more to support and advance piety and virtue.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 15

This chapter begins with the reign of Azariah king of Judah, 2Ki 15:1-7, and then gives a short account of the several kings of Israel, to the last of them; of Zachariah, 2Ki 15:8-12, of Shallum, 2Ki 15:13,14,15 of Menahem, 2Ki 15:16-22 of Pekahiah, 2Ki 15:23-26, of Pekah, succeeded by Hoshea, the last of them, 2Ki 15:27-31, and is included with the reign of Jotham king of Judah, 2Ki 15:32-38.

2 Kings 15 Commentaries

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