CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Kings 15
Chapter 15 of 25
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Kings 15
This chapter covers a rapid series of kings in both Israel and Judah. In Israel, king after king is assassinated as the nation spirals toward destruction. In Judah, Azariah and Jotham provide some stability. The shadow of the Assyrian Empire grows larger.
Scripture
2 Kings 15
Azariah (Uzziah) King of Judah
Study note
Azariah, also known as Uzziah, became king of Judah at sixteen and ruled for an impressive fifty-two years. He did what was right in God's sight but did not remove the high places. God struck him with a skin disease, so he lived in a separate house while his son Jotham governed the country on his behalf.
1 Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah. This was in the twenty-seventh year of King Jeroboam of Israel. In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2 He was sixteen when he took the throne and ruled from Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
3 He did what pleased the Lord, following the example his father Amaziah had set. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
4 The hilltop worship sites still were not removed, though. People continued making sacrifices and burning incense at those places. Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
5 The Lord struck Azariah with a skin disease that lasted his whole life. He had to live in a separate house, while his son Jotham managed the palace and governed the nation. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
6 The rest of what Azariah did is written in the official history of Judah's kings. And 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 When Azariah died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jotham became king. So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
Israel's Kings: Zechariah, Shallum, and Menahem
Study note
Israel entered a period of terrible instability. Zechariah, the last of Jehu's descendants, ruled only six months before being publicly murdered by Shallum, fulfilling God's promise that Jehu's dynasty would last four generations. Shallum lasted only one month before Menahem killed him and seized the throne. Menahem was a brutal ruler who attacked cities that resisted him. He paid a massive tribute to King Pul (Tiglath-pileser) of Assyria to stay in power, raising the money by taxing wealthy Israelites.
8 Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria during the thirty-eighth year of King Azariah of Judah. He only lasted six months. In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
9 He did what the Lord considered evil, just like his ancestors. He stuck with the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had passed on to Israel. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down publicly, killed him, and seized the throne. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
11 The rest of what Zechariah did is written in the official history of Israel's kings. And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12 This fulfilled the Lord's promise to Jehu: "Your descendants will sit on Israel's throne to the fourth generation." It happened just as God had said. This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king during the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah of Judah. He held power in Samaria for just one month. Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
14 Menahem son of Gadi marched from Tirzah to Samaria, attacked Shallum, killed him, and took the throne. For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
15 The rest of what Shallum did, including his plot, is written in the official records of Israel's kings. And 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.
16 Menahem then attacked the city of Tiphsah and the whole area around it from Tirzah. The people refused to open their gates for him. He attacked the city and did terrible violence to the people there. Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
17 Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of King Azariah of Judah. He reigned from Samaria for ten years. In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
18 He did what the Lord considered evil the entire time he was king. He never gave up the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had introduced to Israel. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
19 King Pul of Assyria invaded the country. Menahem paid him about 37 tons of silver. He did this to get Assyria's support and hold on to his power as king. And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
20 Menahem raised the money from every rich person in Israel. Each one paid about a pound and a quarter of silver. The Assyrian king took the money and left. And 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 stayed not there in the land.
21 The rest of what Menahem did is written in the official history of Israel's kings. And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
22 After Menahem died, his son Pekahiah took his place. And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
Pekahiah and Pekah
Study note
Menahem's son Pekahiah ruled only two years before his own officer Pekah assassinated him. During Pekah's twenty-year reign, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded Israel and captured many cities in the north, deporting the people to Assyria. This was the beginning of the end for the northern kingdom. Then Hoshea assassinated Pekah and became Israel's last king.
23 Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria during the fiftieth year of King Azariah of Judah. He reigned for two years. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
24 He did what the Lord considered evil. He continued the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had started in Israel. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. Along with fifty men from Gilead, Pekah assassinated Pekahiah inside the royal palace in Samaria, killing him along with Argob and Arieh. Then Pekah took the throne. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
26 The rest of what Pekahiah did is written in the official history of Israel's kings. And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
27 Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria during the fifty-second year of King Azariah of Judah. He reigned for twenty years. In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
28 He did what the Lord considered evil. He continued the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had introduced to Israel. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
29 While Pekah was king, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and took over Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee. This included all of Naphtali's land. He forced the people to move to Assyria. In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
30 Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah, struck him down, killed him, and became king in his place. This was during the twentieth year of King Jotham son of Uzziah. And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
31 The rest of what Pekah did is written in the official history of Israel's kings. And 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 King of Judah
Study note
Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah at age twenty-five and ruled for sixteen years. He did what was right in God's sight but did not remove the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the temple. During his reign, God began sending the kings of Syria and Israel against Judah.
32 Jotham son of Uzziah began ruling Judah in the second year of King Pekah of Israel. In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33 He was twenty-five when he became king and ruled from Jerusalem for sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok. Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34 He did what pleased the Lord, following the example his father Uzziah had set. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35 The hilltop worship sites remained in place, though. People still sacrificed and burned incense there. Jotham did build the Upper Gate of the Lord's temple. Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
36 The rest of what Jotham did is written in the official history of Judah's kings. 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 While Jotham ruled, the Lord began to stir up trouble for Judah. He sent King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah. In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38 When Jotham died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Ahaz succeeded him. And 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 stead.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Kings 15
The collapse of a nation through internal violence and instabilityThe consequences of persistent unfaithfulness across generationsThe growing shadow of powerful empires as instruments of God's judgmentFaithful leadership providing stability amid chaos
Apply This Today
Living 2 Kings 15
The rapid rise and fall of Israel's kings through assassination and violence shows the inevitable result of a society without moral foundations. In contrast, Judah enjoyed relative stability under Azariah and Jotham. When leaders honor God, even imperfectly, it provides stability for everyone. Our personal faithfulness contributes to the health of our entire community.
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