2 Kings 15

Azaria cleaveth to the Lord, vers.1. &c. Is punished with leprosy, and dieth, 5. Zacharia becometh King over Israel, 8. is slain by Sallum, 10. He reigneth, and is slain by Manehen, 13. Manehens reign, 16. He is confirmed in his knowledge by Pul, 19. dieth, and Pekahia becometh King in his stead, 23. Is slainby Pekah, who succedeth in his room, 25. In whose time a part of the Israelites is carried away captive to Assyria by Tiglath Pileser, 29. Hosea slayeth Pekah, and succedeth in his room, 30. Jotham reigneth over Juda, 32. After him reigneth Achaz, 38.

1. In the seven and twentieth year of Jerobeam [Namely, the second of that name, the son of Joas, above chapter 14.23.] King of Israel, Azaria [otherwise called Uzzia, below ver.13,30. 2 Chron.26.1.] the son Amazia King of Juda became King. [to wit, to reign alone in full power as King. Otherwise he had been also formerly in some government for some certain years, or at least was esteemed as King: see above chap.14.on vers.21.]

2. he was sixteen years old when he became King, [see 2 Chron.26 13.] and he reigned two and fifty years at Jerusalem: [see 2 Chron.26.1,3.] and his Mothers name was Jecholia of Jerusalem. [see 2 Chron.26. vers.19,20.21.]

3. And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD; [To wit, as long as the Prophet Zacharias lived, 2 Chron.26.5.] according to all that Amazia his Father had done.

4. Onely the high places were not taken away: the People offered still, and burnt incense on the high places.

5. And the LORD plagued the King, (so) that he became a Leper unto the day of his death, [The cause hereof was that in high presumption he usurped upon the office of the Priests, entering into Temple, to burn incense, Chron.26.16.] and he dwelt in a servant house: [Heb. an house of liberty; that is, in a house that was free and separated from other houses, and stood alone by it self, according to the prescript of the law, which God had given concerning the Lepers, Levit.13.46.] but Jotham the Kings son was over the house, [to wit, the Kings house that is, he was the Steward, and had the supream command over all the Kings house and court] judging the people of the land. [i.e. governing the whole Land, and having the oversight over the administration of justice, and the observation of all good laws. Compare 2 Chron.15.5.]

6. Now the rest of the acts of Azaria, and all that he did; are they not written in the books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Juda?

7. And Azaria fell asleep with his fathers, and they buried him by his Fathers, [i.e. Indeed in the field, or plat of ground, appointed for the burial of the Kings, but at some distance from their Sepulchre, because of his Leprosy, 2 Chron.26.23.] in the city of David: and Jotham his son became King in his Stead.

8. In the eight and thirtieth year of Azaria the King of Juda, did Zacharia the son of Jerobeam reign over Israel, at Samaria, six months.

9. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according as his Fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jerobeam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

10. And Sallum [One of the Princes, or Rulers] the son of Jabes made a conspiracy against him, and smote him before the people, [that is, publicly: whence it appeareth, that Sallum act displeased not the people, and that Zacharia was hated by the Commonalty] and put him to death, and he became King in his stead.

11. Now the rest of the acts of Zacharia; behold, that is written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

12. This was the word of the LORD, which he had spoken to Jehu, saying; Unto thee shall sons of the fourth generation, sit on the throne of Israel; [See above chap.10.30. and the annotate. thereon] and so it came to pass.

13. Sallum the son of Jabes became King in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzzia [Matt.1.9. called Ozias. Oth. above chap.14. ver.21,29. and in this chap.vers.1,6,7,8. Azaria] King of Juda: and he reigned a full month [Heb. a month of days, that is, a month of time, a full, and whole month, having all its days. So Gen.29.14, see the annotate.] at Samaria.

14. For Menahen, the son of Gad, marched up from Tirza, [See 1 Kings 14.on v.17.] and came to Samaria, and smote Sallum, the son Jabes, at Samaria, and slew him, and became King in his stead.

15. Now the rest of the acts Sallum, and his conspiracy, which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

16. Then Menahen smote Tiphsa, [See of this city, 1 Kings 4.on ver.24.] with all that were therein, also the border thereof, from Thirza: because they had not opened (for him), [to wit, the gates of the city, when he was on his marched, to fall upon Sallum] therefore he smote (them): he rip up all their woman with child.

17. In the nine and thirtieth year of Azaria the King of Juda, Menahen the son of Gad, became King over Israel, (and reigned) [Of this insertion, see above chap.13.on v.1. So below v.23, and 27.] ten years at Samaria.

18. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jerobeam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

19. (Then) Pull [Called in Historys (according to the opinion of some) Phalbelochus] King of Assyria, came against the Land; and Menahen gave unto Pull a thousand talents silver, [see of the weight of a talent, Exod.25.on v.39.] that his hand might be with him, to confirm the Kingdom in his land. [i.e. to buy peace of the Assyrians with this sum of money, and to secure himself in his Kingdom.]

20. Now Menahen raised this money of Israel, of all the mighty (men) of substance, to give to the King of Assyria, for each man fifty shekels of silver: [That is, to pay (as some conceive) so much to every Assyrian souldier: see of the weight of the shekels of silver, Gen.23.on ver.15. Others translate it, of each man, each. Understanding this not of the Assyrians, that received the money, but of the mighty men of the Israelites that were to pay it] so the King of Assyrians turned back, and stayed not in the land.

21. Now the rest of the acts of Menahen, and all that he did, is that nit written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

22. After that Menahen fell a sleep with his Fathers: and Pekah his son became King in his stead.]

23. In the fiftieth year of Azaria King of Judah, Pekahia the son of Menahen became King over Israel, (and reigned) two years at Samaria.

24. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jerobeam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

25. And Pekah the son of Remalia his Captain, made a conspiracy against him, and smote him at Samaria in the Palace of the Kings house, with Argob, and with Arje, [Who accompanied him, to help to executed his treachery, whereunto also the Gileadites, here mentioned, served. The Hebrew word rendered here Arje, signify that Lion: as it likewise translated so by some, conceiving that a certain man was so surnamed] and with him fifty men, of the children of the Gileadites: so he slew him, and became King in his stead.

26. Now the rest of the acts of Pekahia, and all that he did; behold, that is written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

27. In the two and fifteen year of Azaria King of Juda, Pekah the son of Remalia became King over Israel, (and reigned) twenty years at Samaria.

28. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jerobeam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

29. I in the dayes of Pekar King of Israel, came Tiglath-Pilefer [called also Tiglat-Pilnefer, 2 Chr 28.20. in prophane Hiftories, Phulasar the son of Phulbelochus: of whom see above v. 19.] K. of Assyria, and took Ison and Abel-Beth-Maacha [see of these two cities, 1 Kin. 15 on verse 20] and Janoah, [a city laying in the East-border of the tribe of Ephraim by the Jordan: see of this city, Joshua 16:6.] and Kedes, [see of this city, Judges 4. on verse 6] and Hazor, [formerly a royal city, Los. 11.10, afterward allotted to the tribe of Naphthali, Lo. 19.36.] and Gilead, [see Gen. 31 on verse 21] and Galilee, [see 1 Kings 9 on verse 11.] all the land of Naphtali and he carried them away (captive) [namely, the inhabitants of the afore-named Lands and Cities] to Assyrian.

30. And Hosea the son of Ela made the conspiracy against Pekah the son of Romalia and smote him and put him to death, and became king in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. [i.e twenty years after the beginning of Jotham’s reign; which was the fourth year of Achaz his reign, for Jotham reigned but fix years, below v. 33. others conceive that Jotham reigned certain years jointly with his father, because of his leprosie, which are here added which are sixteen yeares of his reign.]

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.

32. in the second ear of Pekah, the son of Remalia King of Israel, Jotham the son Uzziah king of Judah, became King.

33. He was five and twenty years old, [Heb. A son five and twenty years] when he became king, and reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem: and his mothers name was Jerusalem daughter of Zadok.

34. And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

35. Onely the high places were not taken away; the people offered still, and burnt incense on the high places [compare 2 Chron. 27 and the annotate.] and the same (King) built the high gate [oth. Called the gate of Sur. And the foundation gate: see above chapter 11.6 and 2 chron. 23.5 and the annotatthereon] at the House of LORD.

36. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are not they written in the book of the Chronicles of the King of Juda?

37. In those dayes [About the end of Jotham’s reign] the Lord began to send into Juda Rezin [Heb. Retsin] the King of Syria and Pekah the Sonne of Remalia.

38. And Jotham fell asleep with his father; and was buried by his father in the city of David his father; And Achab his son became King in his stead.