2 Kings 15:17-22

Menahem Reigns in Israel

17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.

18 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

19 Then Pul ^[a] king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver ^[b] in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom.

20 Menahem exacted this money from each of the wealthy men of Israel—fifty shekels of silver ^[c] from each man—to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and did not remain in the land.

21 As for the rest of the acts of Menahem, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

22 And Menahem rested with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place.

2 Kings 15:17-22 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Pul is another name for Tiglath-pileser; see verse 29.
• [b]. 1,000 talents is approximately 37.7 tons or 34.2 metric tons of silver.
• [c]. 50 shekels is approximately 1.26 pounds or 569.8 grams of silver.