2 Kings 15 (ESV)
Azariah Reigns in Judah
15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 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. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper1 to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.2 And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now 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 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.
Zechariah Reigns in Israel
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 ( This was the promise of the Lord that he gave to Jehu, “ Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass. )
Shallum Reigns in Israel
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah3 king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant.
Menahem Reigns in Israel
17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 19 Pul4 the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents5 of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels6 of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.
Pekahiah Reigns in Israel
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king’s house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Pekah Reigns in Israel
27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 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.
Jotham Reigns in Judah
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. 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. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord. 36 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 In those days the Lord began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 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.
Footnotes
2 Kings 15 Commentary
In 2 Kings 15, Azariah, son of Amaziah, became king of Judah at 16, reigning for 52 years (2 Kings 15:1-2). He did right in the Lord’s sight, but high places remained, and he suffered from a serious skin disease until his death, with his son Jotham governing in his stead (2 Kings 15:3-5). Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, reigned over Israel for 6 months, doing evil in the Lord’s sight before being killed by Shallum (2 Kings 15:8-10), who then ruled for a month before being overthrown by Menahem (2 Kings 15:13-14). Menahem reigned for 10 years, committing evil acts and paying tribute to Assyria to secure his throne (2 Kings 15:17-20).
His son Pekahiah succeeded him but was also evil and was killed by his officer Pekah (2 Kings 15:22-25), who reigned for 20 years (2 Kings 15:27). During Pekah’s reign, Assyria captured several territories (2 Kings 15:29). Pekah was eventually killed by Hoshea, who became king (2 Kings 15:30). In Judah, Jotham, son of Uzziah, became king in the second year of Pekah’s reign, ruling for 16 years and doing right in the Lord’s sight, though high places remained (2 Kings 15:32-35). Jotham built the Upper Gate of the Lord’s temple and faced threats from Aram and Pekah (2 Kings 15:35, 37). He was buried in the city of David, and his son Ahaz succeeded him (2 Kings 15:38).
Azariah
The reign of Azariah (also called Uzziah) over Judah began when he was just 16 years old, and God gave him a remarkably long reign of 52 years. He walked in the ways of the Lord, and overall, his reign was marked by strength and success. He sought the Lord during the days of the prophet Zechariah (2 Ch 26:5), and as long as he did, God made him prosper. His military victories included defeating the Philistines and subduing the Ammonites. He built fortified towers and strengthened Jerusalem’s defenses. He developed agriculture and oversaw significant economic expansion. He even introduced innovative military equipment, and his fame spread far and wide for his strength and wisdom (2 Ch 26:6-15).
But like many of the kings, when he became strong, pride overtook him. In a moment of spiritual presumption, he entered the temple and attempted to burn incense on the altar. This was something only the priests were allowed to do. The priests confronted him, and in his anger, the Lord struck him with leprosy, which remained until his death (2 Ch 26:16-20). Isolated and unclean, he lived the rest of his life apart from the temple, and his son governed in his place.
His tragic end became a national marker because it was in the year Uzziah died that Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up seated on His throne (Isa 6:1).
Assyria’s Rise To Power
Assyria was emerging as a dominant world power during the events recorded in 2 Kings 15, and its rising influence is one of the key historical backdrops that gives weight to what’s happening in the northern kingdom of Israel. While Assyria had been a regional power for centuries, it reasserted itself as a global superpower during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III, who came to the throne in 745 BC. His reign marked a turning point in both Assyrian imperial expansion and the decline of the northern kingdom of Israel.
- Pul (who is mentioned in 2 Kings 15) is another name for Tiglath-Pileser III (2 Ki 15:19,1 Ch 5:26). His campaigns began pushing westward into Syria, Phoenicia, and Israel during this time.
- Menahem, king of Israel, submitted to Pul and paid a massive tribute (1,000 talents of silver) to secure Assyria’s support and protect his throne (2 Kings 15:19-20). This moment marked Israel’s political subjugation to Assyria.
- Later in the chapter, under Pekah, the Assyrians returned and conquered large parts of Israelite territory, including cities in Galilee and all of Naphtali. These territories were depopulated and exiled (2 Ki 15:29).
The Mouthpiece Of God
According to the prophets (like Hosea and Isaiah), Assyria was the rod of God’s judgment (Isa 10:5), used to discipline His rebellious people. What begins as political tribute in this chapter will soon become military conquest and national exile in 2 Kings 17. Hosea prophesied primarily to the northern kingdom (Israel) during this exact period of collapse. His message is raw and emotional, revealing the heart of God toward a nation He describes as an unfaithful spouse (Hos 8:4-9, Hos 4:6, Hos 10:6). Yet, Hosea also shows us God’s heartbreak (Hos 11:8). It is the grief of a rejected Father.
This is an important point. God does not bring judgment out of hatred. God did not abandon the nation of Israel. They abandoned Him. His judgment is the natural consequence of a loving Father who desperately wants His children to turn and repent.
Isaiah began prophesying in the year Uzziah died (Isa 6:1), right at the tipping point of 2 Kings 15. He ministered primarily to Judah, but his message includes insight into both kingdoms and God’s use of Assyria (Isa 8:7, Isa 31:1, Isa 10:5, Isa 30:15). But these weren’t the only voices. Micah and Amos prophesied a similar message during the same timeframe (Mic 1:5-6, Mic 3:9, Mic 3:11, Mic 7:19, Amo 2:6-8, Amo 4:6-12, Amo 5:21-24, Amo 6:1, Amo 7:8-9).
God’s voice never went silent. Hosea called Israel an unfaithful bride. Amos condemned their hollow religion and social corruption. Isaiah warned Judah not to lean on Egypt and described Assyria as a rod in God’s hand. Micah cried out against injustice in both capitals, Samaria and Jerusalem. Despite Israel’s rebellion, God’s voice remained strong. The fact that God was even communicating with them during this level of disobedience is unfathomable. It is His amazing grace.
Israel’s Unraveling
After the death of Jeroboam, his son ruled briefly before being assassinated. Then Shallum seized the throne but ruled only one month before being killed by Menahem. Menahem established himself as king and did what was evil. To secure his reign, he paid a massive tribute to the king of Assyria and funded it by heavily taxing the wealthy.
Menahem was a brute of a king. He not only taxed the people, but also ripped open the bellies of pregnant women during his attack on Tiphsah. It was a far cry from the days of King David, who relied solely on the Lord to defeat the enemies threatening Israel. This marked the beginning of Israel’s political dependence on Assyria and the further erosion of their spiritual identity.
Menahem’s son Pekahiah succeeded him but was quickly assassinated by Pekah, an officer in his army. Pekah ruled for 20 years and continued the idolatry of Jeroboam. During his reign, the Assyrian king Tiglath Pileser invaded and captured many northern cities. Entire regions were taken, and the people were deported. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh were exiled (1 Ch 5:26). This was the beginning of the scattering of the northern tribes. Eventually, Pekah was assassinated by Hoshea, who would be Israel’s final king before the nation was exiled entirely.
In Judah, Jotham (the son of Uzziah) began to reign. He was 25 years old and ruled for 16 years. Scripture tells us that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He continued his father’s legacy of faithfulness without repeating his father’s sin of overstepping into the priesthood. He undertook construction projects and strengthened Jerusalem’s spiritual and physical structure. He built the Upper Gate of the temple, maintaining a symbolic and practical link between the palace and the house of God.
However, even during his reign, trouble began to stir. The Lord began to send hostile nations against Judah as well. The kings of Syria and Israel started pressing in on the southern kingdom. This was the beginning of God’s discipline. These were not random military pressures, but divine warnings. God was signaling to Judah that their partial obedience was not enough, and if they did not return to Him fully, they too would face judgment.
Judah And Israel
This period reveals the growing contrast between Judah and Israel. Judah still had moments of light and kings who sought the Lord, but their reforms were incomplete. Israel, on the other hand, was in freefall. One king after another did evil, many were assassinated, and idolatry was woven into the national fabric. Political instability reflected deep spiritual decay. Foreign alliances replaced faith. Warnings were ignored. As we will see, the path to exile was all but inevitable.
Yet even in all this, God remained patient! He sent prophets. He preserved a faithful remnant. He continued to call His people back. Here is one last interesting fact. Remember the story of Jonah and the big fish? That story took place in Nineveh, a city within Assyria, during the time when Pul would have reigned. These Assyrians would have been the very people that Jonah despised when he warned of God’s pending judgment. Of course, Nineveh repented and God relented. Once again, we see God’s heart for those outside the borders of Israel, a foreshadowing of King Jesus, who would sacrifice His own life for both Jew and Gentile!
