2 Kings 15

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century).

Verse 1

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

• "In the 27th year of Jeroboam": According to Thiele's chronology, following "accession year method", Azariah the son of Amaziah of Judah started to reign alone as the 10th king of Judah between April and September 767 BCE, following a period of co-regency (since the capture of Amaziah by Joash of Israel).

Verse 2

He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

• Cross reference: 2 Chronicles 26:3
• "He reigned 52 years": according to Thiele's chronology, following the "accession year method", Azariah became king at the age of 16 when his father, Amaziah, was taken as hostage to the kingdom of Israel in 791 BCE, as a co-regent until his father's death between April and September 767 BCE, when he ruled alone at the age of 39, until his death between September 740 BCE and September 739 BCE at the age of 68.
• "Jecholiah of Jerusalem" (also written as "Jecoliah" (ESV) or "Jekoliah" (MEV)) could be arranged as a wife for Amaziah to 'consolidate Amaziah's hold on Jerusalem following a failed attempt at revolt'.

Verse 5

And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land.

• "A leper": suffered from "leprosy", which was a 'term for several skin diseases' (cf. Leviticus 13). As a leper, Azariah was deemed impure (Leviticus 13:45), and unfit to carry out the state functions or to appear at the temple.
• "A separate house": from Hebrew: בֵית הַחָפְשִׁית, bet hakhofshit; the meaning is uncertain. The Torah commands lepers to live apart from the population (Leviticus 13:46).

Verse 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.

The time of Azariah's death coincides with the time Isaiah received his call to be a prophet ("in the year that King Uzziah died"; Isaiah 6:1). E.L. Sukenik found an Aramaic inscription that reads, "Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, king of Judah. Do not open!" and once marked the tomb of Uzziah outside Jerusalem.

Verse 8

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

• "In the 38th year of Azariah": based on Thiele's chronology, McFall determines that Jeroboam should have died between the month Elul (6th month; August/September) and Tishrei (7th month; September/October) 753 BCE, and immediately was succeeded by Zechariah, his son, while still counted as the 38th year of Azariah (which was calculated from Tishrei to Tishrei or September to September).
• "Six months": Zechariah's assassination happened probably in the early months of 752 BCE (before 1 Nisan 752 BCE), which is counted as the 39th year of Azariah.

Verse 10

And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead

• "Before the people" (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT): from the Masoretic Hebrew text קָבָל עָם, qaval ʿam. Lucian's Greek version reads “in Ibleam” (בְיִבְלְעָם beyivleʿam (cf. NAB, TEV), the location where Ahaziah of Judah is slain by Jehu (2 Kings 9:27), which provides a certain irony when Zechariah, the last of Jehu's dynasty, was also slain in the same place. The Greek Septuagint text in Codex Vaticanus and some Hebrew text reads Keblaʿam.

Verse 12

This was the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, saying, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it was.

• "To the fourth generation": a fulfillment of the word of YHWH in 2 Kings 10:30 that Jehu and four generations of his descendants (Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, and Zechariah) ruled from approximately 814-753 BCE; Jehu's dynasty ended when Shallum assassinated Zechariah in 753 BCE.

Verse 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.

• "In the 39th year of Azariah": based onThiele's chronology, Menahem would start to reign by the end of April 752 BCE and died between September 742 BCE and April 741 BCE after sitting on the throne for 10 years.

Verse 19

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.

• "Assyria": from this verse to the end of the book, Assyria is mentioned 48 times (12 times 4), replacing Aram as the principal threat to the northern kingdom (Aram essentially disappears after 2 Kings 16, except one brief mention in 2 Kings 24:2).
• "1000 talents" of metal: is about 38 tons, or 34 metric tons. One talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms.

Tiglath-Pileser records the tribute from Menahem in one of his inscriptions (ANET³ 283).

Verse 23

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.

• "In the 50th year of Azariah": based onThiele's chronology, Pekahiah would start to reign between September 742 BCE and April 741 BCE after the death of his father, Menahem.
• "Two years": Pekahiah would have died between September 740 BCE and April 739 BCE based on the accession year method in Thiele's chronology.

Verse 27

In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.

• "In the 52nd year of Azariah": based on Thiele's chronology, Pekah reign as a sole king in Samaria between September 740 BCE and April 739 BCE after the death of Pekahiah, but he may have been considered to reign together with Menahem 12 years earlier.
• "Reigned 20 years": Thiele-McFall chronology maintains that Pekah started to reign together with Menahem since the 29th year of Azariah at the end of Nisan (April) 752 BCE, and was a sole king starting between September 740 BCE and April 739 BCE for 8 years until his death between September 732 BCE and April 731 BCE, so the total years of his reign is 20 years.

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.

• Cross reference: 2 Chronicles 27:1
• "'In the 2nd year of Pekah": According to Thiele-McFall chronology, Jotham started co-regency with his father, Uzziah, around April 750 BCE, when Uzziah became a leper, and only reign as sole king after Uzziah's death between September 740 BCE and September 739 BCE, until he stepped down around September 735 BCE (16th year of his reign), but still held some state functions until his death around April 731 BCE (20th year of "his reign"). The synchronization with Hosea's reign indicates that Jotham died between September 732 BCE and September 731 BCE. Thiele notes that the year of Jotham's ascension on the throne is counted as the "first regnal year" (not the "ascension year") as usually used for co-regency. However, the information that it starts on the 2nd year of Pekah indicates that the ascension occurred between Nisan (April) and Tishrei (September) 750 BCE, not as usual in the month of Tishrei for the kings of Judah.

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.

• Cross references: 2 Chronicles 27:1, 8
• "16 years": according to Thiele's chronology, Jotham started to reign at the age of 25 in co-regency with his father, Uzziah (57 years old), around April 750 BCE, and became a sole king between September 740 BCE and September 739 BCE, after Uzziah's death (68 years old). Jotham transferred the throne to his son, Ahaz, around September 735 BCE to conclude his reign for a total of 16 years. However, Jotham seems to hold some state functions until April 731 BCE, while Ahaz officially was on the throne, resulting a phrase "in the 20th year of Jothan") in the synchronization with the reign of Hosea in the kingdom of Israel (verse 30), despite the official count of 16 years of Jotham's reign. Jotham died between September 732 BCE and September 732 BCE. A royal bulla (seal) with the inscription: “Belonging to Ahaz (son of) Yehotam (=Jotham), King of Judah” was discovered and authenticated.
• "Jerusha": written as "Jerushah" in 2 Chronicles 27:1.