2 Kings chapter 15

Azariah becomes king in Judah. A succession of evil kings and assassinations in Israel.

 


 

AZARIAH BECOMES KING IN JUDAH

 

VERSE 1. In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.

Azariah. This name means “The LORD reigns.”

He is also known as Uzziah.

the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam. That was in 767 BC.

 

VERSE 2. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

sixteen years old. By any objective standard, Azariah is too young to lead a nation.

he reigned fifty-two years. Up to this point in the biblical narrative, this is the longest reign of any king, both of Judah and of Israel.

 

VERSE 3. He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes. Azariah is quite unusual. Most of the kings were terrible human beings. And terrible kings.

 

VERSE 4. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

the high places were not taken away. These were places where people worshiped the LORD God on their own, instead of only in Jerusalem.

 

VERSE 5. The LORD 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.

he was a leper. Azariah became a leper in 750 BC.

 

VERSE 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?

 

VERSE 7. Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in David’s city; and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

slept with his fathers. That is, he died.

Jotham his son. Here is a verse we like about Jotham:

2 Chronicles 27:6. So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

 

A SUCCESSION OF EVIL KINGS IN ISRAEL

 

VERSE 8. In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months.

the thirty-eighth year of Azariah. That was in 753 BC.

 

VERSE 9. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, 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.

He did that which was evil. Zechariah is yet another evil king in a long line of evil kings.

 

VERSE 10. Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck him before the people and killed him, and reigned in his place.

struck him before the people and killed him. Four kings in the Old Testament were assassinated by their own staff. It was because those kings were truly horrible people. Read more »

In the Book of Kings, the leaders exhibit narcissistic behaviors. They demand subservience. They commit idolatry and murder. They disobey sexual laws. Read more »

 

VERSE 11. Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

 

VERSE 12. This was the LORD’s word which he spoke to Jehu, saying, “Your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” So it came to pass.

 

VERSE 13. Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned for a month in Samaria.

 

VERSE 14. Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, came to Samaria, struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, killed him, and reigned in his place.

killed him, and reigned in his place. In the Book of Kings, the leaders exhibit narcissistic behaviors. They demand subservience. They commit idolatry and murder. They disobey sexual laws. Read more »

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 16. Then Menahem attacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its border areas, from Tirzah. He attacked it because they didn’t open their gates to him, and he ripped up all their women who were with child.

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 18. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

did that which was evil. Menahem is yet another evil king in a long line of evil kings.

 

VERSE 19. Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

one thousand talents. A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds, so 1,000 talents is about 30 metric tons.

 

VERSE 20. Menahem exacted the money from Israel, even from all the mighty men of wealth, from 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. A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 50 shekels was about 0.5 kilograms or 1.1 pounds.

 

VERSE 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?

 

VERSE 22. Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

slept with his fathers. That is, he died.

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 24. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

He did that which was evil. Pekahiah is yet another evil king in a long line of evil kings.

 

VERSE 25. Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him and attacked him in Samaria, in the fortress 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.

In the Book of Kings, the leaders exhibit narcissistic behaviors. They demand subservience. They commit idolatry and murder. They disobey sexual laws. Read more »

 

VERSE 26. Now 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.

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 28. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

He did that which was evil. Pekah is yet another evil king in a long line of evil kings.

 

VERSE 29. In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.

 

VERSE 30. Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, attacked him, killed him, and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

In the Book of Kings, the leaders exhibit narcissistic behaviors. They demand subservience. They commit idolatry and murder. They disobey sexual laws. Read more »

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 32. In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign.

 

VERSE 33. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

 

VERSE 34. He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

He did that which was right. Jotham is quite unusual. Most of the kings were terrible human beings. And terrible kings.

 

VERSE 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 LORD’s house.

 

VERSE 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?

 

VERSE 37. In those days, the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.

 

VERSE 38. Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

Jotham slept with his fathers. That is, he died.

 


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2 KINGS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

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