Melachim Bais 15:19

19 And Pul Melech Ashur (Assyria) came against HaAretz and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of kesef, that his yad might be with him [supporting Menahem} to make the Mamlakhah chazakah in his yad.

Melachim Bais 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.

---

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.

Melachim Bais 15:19 In-Context

17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azaryah Melech Yehudah began Menahem Ben Gadi to reign as melech over Yisroel, and reigned ten shanim in Shomron.

18 And he did that which was rah in the eyes of Hashem; he departed not all his yamim from the chattot Yarov‘am Ben Nevat, who caused Yisroel to commit sin.

19 And Pul Melech Ashur (Assyria) came against HaAretz and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of kesef, that his yad might be with him [supporting Menahem} to make the Mamlakhah chazakah in his yad.

20 And Menahem exacted the kesef from Yisroel, even of all the wealthy Gibborim, of each man fifty shekels of kesef, to give to Melech Ashur. So Melech Ashur withdrew and stayed not there in HaAretz.

21 And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the Sefer Divrei HaYamim L’Malkhei Yisroel?