Kings II 15:19

19 And the king said to Ethi, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return, and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and thou has come forth as a sojourner out of thy place.

Kings II 15:19 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 15:19

And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land
The land of Israel, he invaded it; a Jewish chronologer ^F21 calls him Pulbelicho; and he is generally thought to be the same with Belochus or Belesis, governor of Babylon, who, with Arbaces the Mede, slew Sardanapalus, said to be the last of the Assyrian kings, and translated the empire to the Chaldeans; he ruling over Babylon and Nineveh, and Arbaces over the Medes and Persians; but Pul was not a Babylonian, but an Assyrian ^F23, and the first king of the Assyrians, at least, the Scriptures speak of: we read no more of him; but one Metasthenes, a Persian historian, feigned and published by Annius, and so named by him instead of Megasthenes, calls him Phulbelochus, and says ^F24 he reigned forty eight years:

and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver;
and a talent of silver, according to Brerewood ^F25 was three hundred and seventy five pounds; but Bishop Cumberland ^F26 calculates it at three hundred and fifty three pounds eleven shillings and ten pence half penny; 1,000 of them made a large sum of money, according to the former 375,000 pounds; and this he gave to him, not only to desist from the invasion of his land, but

that his hand might be with him;
and not against him:

and to confirm the kingdom in his hand;
which being got by usurpation, and supported by cruelty, was but tottering.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 David Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 5. 2.
F23 See the Universal History, vol. 4. B. 1. ch. 8. sect. 5.
F24 De Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2.
F25 De Ponder & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.
F26 Scripture Weights and Measures, c. 4. p. 120.

Kings II 15:19 In-Context

17 And the king and all his servants went out on foot; and abode in a distant house.

18 And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might, and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his side: and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.

19 And the king said to Ethi, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return, and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and thou has come forth as a sojourner out of thy place.

20 Whereas thou camest yesterday, shall I to-day cause thee to travel with us, and shalt thou change thy place? thou didst come forth yesterday, and to-day shall I set thee in motion to go along with us? I indeed will go whithersoever I may go: return then, and cause thy brethren to return with thee, and may the Lord deal mercifully and truly with thee.

21 And Ethi answered the king and said, the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, in the place wheresoever my lord shall be, whether it be for death or life, there shall thy servant be.