# 2 Kings 15 đź“–: Kings of Judah and Israel
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Azariah’s Reign over Judah
[[#Verse 01.]] In the twenty-seventh year of King Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Amaziah’s son Azariah became king over Judah.Â
[[#Verse 02.]] He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done.Â
[[#Verse 04.]]Â But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] The Lord afflicted the king with an illness; he suffered from a skin disease until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters, while his son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.
[[#Verse 06.]] The rest of the events of Azariah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] Azariah passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jotham replaced him as king.
### Zechariah’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 08.]] In the thirty-eighth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for six months.Â
[[#Verse 09.]] He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestors had done. He did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him; he assassinated him in Ibleam and took his place as king.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] The rest of the events of Zechariah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] His assassination fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jehu, “Four generations of your descendants will rule on Israel’s throne.” And that is how it happened.
[[#Verse 13.]] Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah’s reign over Judah. He reigned for one month in Samaria.Â
[[#Verse 14.]] Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh. He killed him and took his place as king.Â
[[#Verse 15.]] The rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, including the conspiracy he organized, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He struck down all who lived in the city and the surrounding territory, because they would not surrender. He even ripped open the pregnant women.
### Menahem’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 17.]] In the thirty-ninth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. He reigned for ten years in Samaria.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. During his reign,Â
[[#Verse 19.]] Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid him 1,000 talents of silver to gain his support and to solidify his control of the kingdom.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] Menahem got this silver by taxing all the wealthy men in Israel; he took fifty shekels of silver from each one of them and paid it to the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria left; he did not stay there in the land.
[[#Verse 21.]] The rest of the events of Menahem’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] Menahem passed away and his son Pekahiah replaced him as king.
### Pekahiah’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 23.]] In the fiftieth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem’s son Pekahiah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for two years.Â
[[#Verse 24.]] He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin.Â
[[#Verse 25.]] His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. He and fifty Gileadites assassinated Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in Samaria in the fortress of the royal palace. Pekah then took his place as king.
[[#Verse 26.]] The rest of the events of Pekahiah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
### Pekah’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 27.]] In the fifty-second year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for twenty years.Â
[[#Verse 28.]] He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin.Â
[[#Verse 29.]] During Pekah’s reign over Israel, King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He deported the people to Assyria.Â
[[#Verse 30.]] Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He assassinated him and took his place as king, in the twentieth year of the reign of Jotham son of Uzziah.
[[#Verse 31.]] The rest of the events of Pekah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
### Jotham’s Reign over Judah
[[#Verse 32.]] In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah, Uzziah’s son Jotham became king over Judah.Â
[[#Verse 33.]]Â He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.Â
[[#Verse 34.]] He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done.Â
[[#Verse 35.]] But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple.
[[#Verse 36.]] The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.Â
[[#Verse 37.]] In those days the Lord prompted King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah to attack Judah.Â
[[#Verse 38.]] Jotham passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz replaced him as king.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
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## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Azariah is also called Uzziah (15:13, 32; 2 Chronicles 26:1).
2. Azariah reigned fifty-two years (15:2), one of the longest reigns in Judah.
3. Second Chronicles 26:16-21 explains that Uzziah was struck with a skin disease after he proudly burned incense in the temple.
4. Isaiah saw his vision of the Lord on the throne in the year King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1).
5. Zechariah's death ended Jehu's dynasty after four generations, just as God had said (15:12; 10:30).
6. Shallum reigned only one month before Menahem killed him (15:13-14).
7. Pul (15:19) is the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III. He was known in Babylon by the name Pulu.
8. Menahem paid Assyria a thousand talents of silver, collected at fifty shekels from each wealthy man (15:19-20). Tiglath-Pileser's own records list Menahem of Samaria among the kings who paid him tribute.
9. Tiglath-Pileser captured Galilee and Naphtali (15:29), the region Isaiah promised would see a great light (Isaiah 9:1-2), fulfilled in Jesus' ministry (Matthew 4:13-16).
10. Four of Israel's last six kings were assassinated: Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the King whose reign never ends. Israel's kings rose and fell, one lasting only a month (15:13), but Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:33).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Azariah did what was right but still left the high places in place (15:3-4). What "high places" might believers leave standing today?
2. Israel had four kings in about a year, most by murder (15:8-14). What happens to a nation or a home when people stop seeking the Lord?
3. Seasons and leaders in this chapter change quickly. How does knowing God never changes give you stability (Hebrews 13:8)?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 5: The Lord strikes Azariah with a skin disease, and Jotham governs for him.
- đź“– verse 12: Zechariah's reign fulfills the Lord's promise to Jehu of four generations.
- đź“– verse 29: Tiglath-Pileser takes Galilee and Naphtali and deports their people to Assyria.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Luke 01#Verse 32.|Luke 1:32-33]] - Jesus will reign forever.
- đź”— [[Isaiah 06#Verse 01.|Isaiah 6:1]] - In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah sees the Lord.
- đź”— [[Matthew 04#Verse 13.|Matthew 4:13-16]] - Galilee sees a great light in Jesus.
- đź”— [[Ecclesiastes 03#Verse 01.|Ecclesiastes 3:1]] - There is a season for everything.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 13#Verse 08.|Hebrews 13:8]] - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[2 Kings 15 - SOAP|Seasons Change Over Time]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes