Deeper Commentary
2Ki 15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began
Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign-
Azariah is called Uzziah in 2 Chron. 26. The margin of the earlier
versions of the AV states: "This is the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s
partnership in the kingdom with his father, who made him consort at his
going to the Syrian wars. It is the sixteenth year of Jeroboam’s monarchy”.
Lightfoot tries to reconcile with 2 Kings 14:16,17 by claiming that “At the
death of Amaziah, his son and heir Uzziah was but four years old, for he was
about sixteen in Jeroboam’s twenty-seventh year; therefore, the throne must
have been empty eleven years, and the government administered by protectors
while Uzziah was in his minority”. These explanations rather founder when
compared with 2 Chron. 26:1; 2 Kings 14:20,21. Probably the better
resolution is to just accept that the numerals טו 15 and כז 27 have been
confused by copying error. The difference between them is not that great,
just a few tiny stems on letters.
"Uzziah", 'strength of Jehovah', has a very similar meaning to the name
of his father Amaziah, 'power of Jehovah'. Yet Amaziah had not lived up to
that (see on 2 Chron. 25:15. He may have named his son similarly in a hope
that he would succeed where he failed.
2Ki 15:2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned
fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem-
This means that he was born about the time that his father Amaziah
turned away from Yahweh (2 Chron. 25:25-27). His spirituality may
therefore have been due to his mother, 'Yah will enable'.
2Ki 15:3 He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to
all that his father Amaziah had done-
God's judgment of Amaziah was that he did what was right, but
his heart was not consistently with God. So the meaning of this may be
that Uzziah likewise did what was right, he did something which
were right, as Amaziah did. But there is no comment at this point about
the all important judgment of God about his state of heart. And I
suggested on 2 Chron. 26:2 that be began by simply living out parental expectation.
See on 2 Chron. 26:16.
2Ki 15:4 However the high places were not taken away: the people still
sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places-
"Taken away" is the same word as 'depart from' in :9. The way of
Jeroboam was not departed from, and so the high places were not departed
from. The suggestion is that they were associated with the calf worship.
2Ki 15:5 Yahweh struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day
of his death, and lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son was
over the household, judging the people of the land-
There is far more background in the record in 2 Chron. 26. This living
in a separate house indicates obedience to God's law. For Naaman was a leper and yet
had an active place in Syrian society, and Uzziah and Judah might have
adopted their attitude to leprosy. The fact Uzziah didn't seek to get
around this could perhaps indicate that he accepted his judgment and may
have repented. But see on 2 Chron. 26:23.
2Ki 15:6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, aren’t
they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?-
This may not be the same book of Chronicles which we have in our
Bibles.
2Ki 15:7 Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his
fathers in the city of David. Jotham his son reigned in his place-
2 Chron. 26:23 is more detailed: "So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his
fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings; for they said,
He is a leper".
They were hyper sensitive to the Mosaic legislation about leprosy (see on
:5), and yet Isaiah says that Judah at that time were spiritually so
leprous, and they didn't even realize it. They focused upon external
obedience to the law when it concerned others, but failed to see that they
in essence were just as bad as those whom they were carefully separate
from. And this again is an abiding lesson for us. We note that sleeping
with fathers doesn't have to mean being buried next to them.
2Ki 15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the
son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months-
Some wicked kings reigned just six months, others decades. We cannot
immediately explain this, although it seems some showed signs of
repentance whereas others didn't, and God patiently worked with them- even
if in the end He didn't persuade them of repentance.
2Ki 15:9 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as his fathers
had done: he didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
with which he made Israel to sin-
See on :4. Israel had been commanded to "not depart" from the way of
Yahweh's commandments (Dt. 28:14; Josh. 1:7), but the frequent lament of
the historical records is that they did not depart from the sins of
Jeroboam. The Bible, especially in Proverbs, constantly reduces human
moral choice to that between two ways of life and being. We constantly
wish to argue that "it's not so simple" because there are grey areas. But
the 'grey area' argument is what leads us so often into sin, into
following the "way" of sin.
2Ki 15:10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck him
before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his place-
Amos was a prophet contemporary with this situation and he had
prophesied in Am. 7:9 that God "will rise against the house of Jeroboam
with the sword". Hence the murder was committed "before the people", in
some kind of public execution.
2Ki 15:11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written
in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel-
Not necessarily the same book of Chronicles which we have in our
Bibles. See on :21.
2Ki 15:12 This was the word of Yahweh which He spoke to Jehu, saying, Your
sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. So it came
to pass-
We must read in an ellipsis; "this was the [fulfilment of] the word of
Yahweh". His word is so sure of fulfilment that His word is the fulfilment
of it. We are to grasp this perspective by living as if the word of
promise has been fulfilled in essence.
2Ki 15:13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth
year of Azariah king of Judah; and he reigned for a month in Samaria-
Amos describes the situation at this time as being of very deep moral
failure.
2Ki 15:14 Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to
Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him,
and reigned in his place-
Tirzah may have been the home town of Menahem. Or it could be that he
was at Tirzah on the way to a campaign in Tiphsah (:16); Menahem appears
to have been the commander of the army.
2Ki 15:15 Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he
made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings
of Israel-
Not the same book of Chronicles which we have in our Bibles; see on
:21.
2Ki 15:16 Then Menahem struck Tiphsah, and all who were therein, and its
borders, from Tirzah, because they didn’t open to him. Therefore he struck
it; and all the women therein who were with child he ripped up-
Tiphsah was on the Euphrates (1 Kings 4:24). But this was very far
away, and maybe the reference is to some other town; the name means
"passage" or "ford". Perhaps Zachariah had sought to continue on his
father’s policy of restoring Israel's border, and had gathered an army to
do this which was at the royal city of Tirzah, with Menahem as general.
But before they marched "from [i.e. starting from] Tirzah", they heard
that Shallum had murdered Zachariah and taken the throne. Menahem
therefore marched from Tirzah to Samaria, destroyed Shallum, returning to
his military base as Tirzah, and then continued the eastern campaign.
Slaying the pregnant women was surely not in accord with the spirit of the Mosaic laws of engagement. And yet he conducted his campaign under the excuse he was zealously restoring Israel's borders in accordance with the covenant.
2Ki 15:17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah,
Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel for ten years in
Samaria-
"Gadi" means "fortune" and is a term associated with idolatry. He
doesn't have even God's name in his name nor did his son Menahem, and Amos
describes the spiritual situation in Israel as utterly dire at this time.
2Ki 15:18 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He didn’t
depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which
he made Israel to sin-
For "depart", see on :9.
2Ki 15:19 There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem
gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm
the kingdom in his hand-
Menahem clearly didn't have a strong hold on power within Israel nor
amongst the surrounding nations, and sought strength from Pul rather than
God. "Pul" does not appear in the Assyrian Canon, but Babylonian documents
seem claim Pul (Pulu) was the Babylonian name for Tiglath-pileser, who
reigned under that name in Babylon during his last two years. It was the
same power which was to desolate Israel; and yet they invited them to come
into their land, in their faithfulness.
The 1000 talents was maybe a punishment for taking Tiphsah.
2Ki 15:20 Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of
wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria.
So the king of Assyria turned back, and didn’t stay there in the land.-
Fifty shekels was a heavy tax, and to get 1000 talents, it would have
had to be taken from 60,000 people. This confirms the impression we get
from the prophecies of Amos at this time; that there was wealth in Israel,
although in the hands of the ruling elite. And it was this wealth which
led to their apostacy.
2Ki 15:21 Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, aren’t
they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?-
Not the same book of Chronicles which we have in our Bibles, which
says nothing about Menahem.
2Ki 15:22 Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in
his place-
The description of death as sleeping with fathers is clear evidence
that death is seen as a sleep, unconsciousness, and not as the start of an
immortal soul going to heaven or 'hell'. Good and bad, David and Solomon,
are gathered together in death. The division between them will only
therefore come at the resurrection of the dead, and the granting of
immortality at the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus.
2Ki 15:23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of
Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria for two years-
We note the contrast in the general lengths of reign; the kings of
Judah reigned far longer on average that those of Israel. Although Menahem
was far from God, he inserted the name Yah in his son's name. Typically
Israel sinned not by totally rejecting Yahweh, but as we are tempted to,
mixing His religion with our own idolatry and agendas.
2Ki 15:24 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He didn’t
depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made
Israel to sin-
For "depart", see on :9.
2Ki 15:25 Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him
and struck him in Samaria, in the castle of the king’s house, with Argob
and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites. He killed him,
and reigned in his place-
The men of Gilead were those whom a few years ago Menahem had sought
to restore to Israel through his campaign at Tiphsah on the Euphrates (see
on :16). But the people were disloyal and ever seeking for petty advantage
and settling old scores, so they helped to murder his son. "With Argob and
Arieh" suggests they were with him at the time and not part of the
conspiracy against him. Perhaps they were his deputies, but we note
neither of them have the name of God in their names.
2Ki 15:26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, they
are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel-
Not the same book of Chronicles which we have in our Bibles, see on
:21.
2Ki 15:27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son
of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria for twenty years-
Isaiah mentions Pekah as ‘the son of Remaliah’ only, without mention
of his name, perhaps because his life was a denial of his name, 'Yah is
watching'.
2Ki 15:28 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He didn’t
depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made
Israel to sin-
For "depart", see on :9.
2Ki 15:29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath Pileser king of
Assyria, and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead,
Galilee all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria-
Yet despite this loss of his northern borderlands, he planned on
restoring the size of his territory by attacking Judah, as explained in
Is. 7-9.
2Ki 15:30 Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son
of Remaliah, and struck him, and killed him, and reigned in his place, in
the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah-
The end of Israel is associated with conspiracies and brother
murdering brother. This is why division and aggression between brethren is
associated with condemnation, and by behaving like this, we herald not
only the destruction of our own community of believers but are living out
our own condemnation (see on Gal. 5:15).
2 Kings 15:30 says that Hoshea began to reign in the twentieth year of
Jotham; but Jotham only reigned 16 years (2 Kings 15:33). But 2 Kings 17:1
says that Hoshea became king of Israel in the 12th year of Ahaz. There are
various possibilities here. One is that if 2 Kings 15:30 "in the twentieth
year of Jotham" means "in the twentieth year from the accession of Jotham"
i.e. in the fourth year of Ahaz, as Jotham reigned sixteen years (2 Kings
15:33). There may have been some overlap in the reigns, whereby two kings
rule at the same time, an "interregnum". Although we must then somehow
factor in 2 Kings 15:30. Another possibility is that although Hoshea
killed Pekah in the fourth year of Ahaz (2 Kings 15:30), he didn't fully
become king until eight years later. Eight years of anarchy between the
death of Pekah and establishment of Hoshea as king would not be
unimaginable, given the terribly divided state of Israel at the time.
2Ki 15:31 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-
Not the same book of Chronicles which we have in our Bibles, see on
:21.
2Ki 15:32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel
began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign-
Verse 33
He died at 41, which is a number which repeats at least three other
times in the history of the kings (1 Kings 14:21; 15:10; 2 Kings 14:23).
We can only ponder whether this is all some kind of Divinely arranged
program, the exact function of which we cannot understand although we
perceive it as existent.
2Ki 15:33 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jerusha the
daughter of Zadok-
2Ki 15:34 He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh; he did
according to all that his father Uzziah had done-
So often kings who were not very faithful or spiritual are described
with a rubric like: "He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord:
he did according to all that his father... had done".
This may not mean that he totally did what was right in God's sight. He did what was right only insofar as his father had done. And this is why over time, the spirituality of the kings of Judah decreased.
2Ki 15:35 However the high places were not taken away: the people still
sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate
of the house of Yahweh-
This was the gate which led from the king's palace to the temple. The
fact the king rebuilt it would reflect his desire for access to the temple
and a wish to show solidarity with the temple.
2Ki 15:36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, aren’t
they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?-
Bearing in mind the note on :21, it is so that 2 Chron. 27 records in
great detail Jotham's mighty works.
2Ki 15:37 In those days Yahweh began to send against Judah Rezin the king
of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah-
God had condemned and forbidden any fighting between His people. But
He sent Pekah of Israel against Judah. He confirms division and conflict
between brethren if that is what they wish, just as He confirms the unity
of the Spirit through His Spirit.
2Ki 15:38 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-
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