2 Kings 15

Listen to 2 Kings 15

Azariah Reigns in Judah

1 1In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, 2Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 He was 3sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
4 4Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.
5 5And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper[a] to the day of his death, 6and he lived in a separate house.[b] And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing 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 7in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Zechariah Reigns in Israel

8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months.
9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 8which he made Israel to sin.
10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and 9struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place.
11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
12 (This was 10the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, "Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." And so it came to pass.)

Shallum Reigns in Israel

13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of 11Uzziah[c] king of Judah, and he reigned one month in 12Samaria.
14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from 13Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place.
15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, 14and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant.

Menahem Reigns in Israel

17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria.
18 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
19 15Pul[d] the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave 16Pul a thousand talents[e] of silver, that he might help him 17to confirm his hold on the royal power.
20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels[f] of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.
21 Now the rest of the deeds 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 place.

Pekahiah Reigns in Israel

23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years.
24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 18which he made Israel to sin.
25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place.
26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Pekah Reigns in Israel

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years.
28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 19which he made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, 20Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured 21Ijon, 22Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, 23Kedesh, 24Hazor, Gilead, and 25Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria.
30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, 26in 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 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
33 He was 27twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.
34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, 28according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35 29Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built 30the upper gate of the house of the LORD.
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 the LORD began to send 31Rezin the king of Syria and 32Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.
38 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 place.

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.

Cross References 32

  • 1. [2 Kings 14:17]
  • 2. [ver. 13, 30, 32, 34; 2 Chronicles 26:1]
  • 3. 2 Chronicles 26:3, 4
  • 4. See 2 Kings 12:3
  • 5. For ver. 5-7, see 2 Chronicles 26:21-23
  • 6. See Leviticus 13:46
  • 7. [2 Chronicles 26:23]
  • 8. See 1 Kings 14:16
  • 9. [Amos 7:9]
  • 10. 2 Kings 10:30
  • 11. [ver. 1]
  • 12. 1 Kings 16:24
  • 13. 1 Kings 14:17
  • 14. See 2 Kings 8:12
  • 15. 1 Chronicles 5:26
  • 16. 1 Chronicles 5:26
  • 17. [2 Kings 14:5]
  • 18. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 19. See 1 Kings 14:16
  • 20. 2 Kings 16:7; [1 Chronicles 5:6, 26; 2 Chronicles 28:20]
  • 21. 1 Kings 15:20
  • 22. 2 Samuel 20:14, 15
  • 23. Joshua 19:37
  • 24. Joshua 11:1; Judges 4:2; 1 Kings 9:15
  • 25. Isaiah 9:1
  • 26. [2 Kings 17:1]
  • 27. For ver. 33, 34, see 2 Chronicles 27:1, 2
  • 28. ver. 3; [2 Chronicles 27:6]
  • 29. See 2 Kings 12:3
  • 30. 2 Chronicles 23:20; 2 Chronicles 27:3
  • 31. 2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1
  • 32. 2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  • [b]. The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  • [c]. Another name for Azariah
  • [d]. Another name for Tiglath-pileser III (compare verse 29)
  • [e]. A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  • [f]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

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

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.